Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas Review: Elevated By Arshad Warsi’s and Jitendra Kumar’s Performances

If not for Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar, Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas, would’ve fallen flat. The movie rides virtually solely on the succesful shoulders of its two leads, each of whom breathe life right into a script that in any other case feels spinoff and overstretched. Arshad Warsi had shed his comedian picture to play an upright cop in Sehar (2005), a career-defining flip that showcased his severe performing chops. Now, in Bhagwat, he returns to acquainted territory, and as soon as once more proves that he has the quiet depth and gravitas to hold such roles. As Vishwas Bhagwat, an ageing, angsty officer despatched on a punishment posting to a restive city in Uttar Pradesh, Warsi is completely convincing, paunch, ponderous gait, and all. His anger simmers simply beneath the floor, erupting in interrogation rooms custom-built for his explicit model of justice.

Warsi seems good in khaki. It’s a thriller why Bollywood hasn’t forged him extra usually as a cop since Sehar. He provides nuance to a personality which may in any other case have appeared inventory: the tortured officer haunted by trauma, chasing justice with clenched fists and a ticking clock.

On the opposite aspect of the equation is Jitendra Kumar, who turns in a surprisingly complicated efficiency as Samir, a backward caste schoolteacher concerned in a blossoming (and taboo) romance with an upper-caste lady Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar). Recognized for his affable, bumbling roles in Panchayat and Kota Manufacturing facility, Kumar pulls off a welcome transformation. He oscillates effortlessly between the appeal of a road-side Romeo and the determined defiance of a person accused. Even when the movie begins to wobble below the load of its borrowed concepts, Kumar holds it collectively together with his slippery, layered portrayal.

Sadly, robust performances cannot solely masks the movie’s flaws. The story, clearly impressed by real-life instances, notably the Cyanide Mohan case from Karnataka, takes various narrative cues from Dahaad, the Vijay Varma-led sequence a couple of serial killer preying on weak girls, which was impressed by the identical killer. The parallels are virtually distracting, from the socio-religious stress surrounding the case to the modus operandi of the suspect, Bhagwat usually looks like a rehash. Even worse, when the antagonist begins bragging about his crimes, you’re reminded of Sector 36. The deja vu is overwhelming.

As soon as the thriller is solved and the perpetrator recognized, Bhagwat loses all momentum. What follows is a courtroom climax that strains believability, notably when Jitendra Kumar’s character abruptly begins arguing his case with the arrogance and aptitude of a seasoned prosecutor. The sequence, making an attempt to be too intelligent for its personal good, finally ends up feeling compelled, dulling the emotional and narrative impression of every little thing that got here earlier than it.

There are vital themes, caste, communalism, police brutality, however the movie solely glances at them earlier than retreating into style tropes. The supporting forged tries, however they’re by no means given sufficient room to actually register. The romantic subplot, initially refreshing in its tenderness, quickly will get buried below the procedural drama. It ought to be stated that Ayesha Kaduskar is in wonderful type right here and reveals that Bada Naam Karenge wasn’t a one-off factor.

In the long run, Bhagwat is just too reliant on its results in do the heavy lifting. Warsi and Kumar ship, little question, however the movie round them doesn’t rise to fulfill their dedication. There are sparks right here, a line, a glance, a second, however not sufficient to ignite a really compelling hearth. We’re unsure why it’s referred to as Bhagwat Chapter One. Is it the primary of the sequence and Bhagwat is coming again to unravel extra killings? As an attention-grabbing apart, please observe that Arshad Warsi had additionally starred in a 2003 launch referred to as Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Half II, directed by Shashanka Ghosh, which had no first half. The movie is presently streaming on Zee5

Watch Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas for Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar. Endure the remaining.

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