Bhediya Review: One of the finest and strikingly original horror-comedies with some highly entertaining performances

Bhediya Movie Review Rating: 3.5/5

After facing an inordinate delay in its release primarily because of the pandemic, Maddock Films’ much-anticipated horror-comedy Bhediya finally hits cinemas today. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the film stars Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in central characters, with Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal, and Paalin Kabak playing supporting characters. Bhediya is second in line of filmmaker Dinesh Vijan’s horror-comedy universe with Stree being the first. If reports are to be believed, the filmmaker is planning to roll out the third film in the same universe soon. Ayushmann Khurrana is expected to headline the upcoming offering. Anyway, Bhediya is in cinemas now and our reviewer has seen it. Here’s is what he has to say about the horror-comedy.

STORY: Set in a small town of Arunachal Pradesh, Bhediya revolves around Bhaskar Sharma (Varun Dhawan), who is a contractor by profession. He has received a contract that requires him to carve a highway right through the middle of the dense forest. Despite plenty of warnings from the residents who reside in that forest, Bhaskar goes ahead with his plans with the help of his cousin Guddu (Abhishek Banerjee) and friend Joe (Paalin Kabak). The twist in the tale comes when Bhaskar is bitten by a mythical animal on a full moon night and soon begins to transform into a wolf. Whether he manages to escape the curse or turns a monster in what forms the crux of the story.

HIGHS: Varun Dhawan is one of those Bollywood actors who can shine in any genre. The actor has proved his versatility time and again. Be it action or comedies, he never fails to impress audiences with his impeccable acting prowess. His ability to tickle everybody’s funny bones comes quite in handy in Bhediya. He completely gets into the character of Bhaskar Sharma and, despite heavy use of CGI and VFX, makes it his own. It is definitely one of his best performances.

Kriti Sanon as Dr Anika Mittal is endearing. Though her character lacks the depth one would have expected, the actress tries her best to leave an impact and succeeds. It is true that the film is largely dominated by male characters, but Sanon still makes her presence felt. Abhishek Banerjee and Paalin Kaban are a delight to watch. They get some of the funniest lines in the film which they make even more impactful with their performances. The rest of the actors also do their job with honesty.

The CGI and VFX of the film are excellent and so is the background score. The film has some catchy, well-choreographed songs which add up to your overall experience. The pace of the film is quite good.

LOWS: Bhediya comes with its own set of flaws. The first half of the film feels a little incohesive and the action picks up only post-interval. Another issue is with the character of Kriti Sanon. She is one of the finest talents that we have today in the industry. But it seems the writing department here focused all the energies on shaping the character of Bhaskar Sharma to perfection while underwriting Dr. Ankita Mittal, played by Sanon.

FINAL VERDICT: One of the best things about Bhediya is that it is based on a completely fresh idea and is replete with tons of twists and turns to keep you hooked to the screen. Director Amar Kaushik makes sure that every frame of the film leaves an indelible impact. The CGI and VFX work of the film is hands down excellent and so are the performances from the entire cast, especially Varun Dhawan who shines in this unique role. Overall, Bhediya is a film that one can watch again and again, but for a great cinematic experience, watch it only on the big screen. I am going with 3.5 stars.

Watch Bhediya trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS

Banner: Maddock Films, Jio Studios

Director: Amar Kaushik

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal, Paalin Kabak

Runtime: 156 Minutes