Bollywood hasn't had a very good run when it comes to superhero movies. While the “Krrish” trilogy and “Ra.One” were commercially successful chiefly because of their star power, they were generally disliked by viewers and critics alike and films like “Alag”, “Drona” or “A Flying Jatt” barely registered with the audience. Director Vikramaditya Motwane, whose films are usually known to be gritty and realistic, is surprisingly the latest to try and bring us a superhero film unlike any we've seen so far.
Bhavesh Joshi and Siku aka Sikander Khanna are two friends who, inspired and reinvigorated by the 2011 Anti-Corruption Movement in the country, start a YouTube channel called Insaaf TV, showcasing themselves carrying out vigilante actions against people committing minor offences like cutting trees, peeing in public or drivers driving down the wrong side of a one-way street. When the Anti-Corruption Movement fizzles out, Siku gets disillusioned by the whole endeavour and becomes a corporate stooge, but Bhavesh continues his efforts with Insaaf TV to make Mumbai a slightly better place to live in.
A few years down the line, Bhavesh still tries to help the citizens as best as his average abilities let him. When a seemingly inconspicuous complaint from a resident about the lack of water supply in his vicinity reaches him, Bhavesh uncovers a big scheme which also involves local politicians and big-shot industrialists. His efforts gain traction with the public, but the politicians involved try to have his credibility debunked by calling in an anti-national and having him beaten up in public. This doesn't stop Bhavesh though, who continues chasing the case that eventually gets him murdered. His devastated friend Siku, who was about to leave the country he and Bhavesh Joshi had pledged to improve for work, stays back in Mumbai, picking up the name and mantle left behind by his friend, in an effort to bring those responsible to justice.
Those familiar with Vikramaditya Motwane's body of work were understandably surprised to hear that the director of realistic films such as “Udaan”, “Lootera” and “Trapped” was making a superhero film next, which, generally, are considered to throw realism for a toss. However, the script by Motwane and his writing partners Anurag Kashyap and Abhay Koranne is very much grounded in reality, taking a small problem that the residents of Mumbai would be all too familiar with and weaving a perfectly plausible story around it. The script wants you to believe that there is a superhero within every common man and that the change you wish to see begins with you and, for the most part, it manages to succeed in doing so. The angst both Bhavesh Joshi in the beginning and then Siku feel is fairly justified and relatable. Also, an individual who has never been in a fight before is not expected to suddenly become a kicking, punching martial arts expert with a few months' worth of training and that certainly isn't the case here, making the film work well as an original story. While the script feels slightly messy at times, it manages to reach convincing finale.
For a film like this, one needs relatable actors as well and Motwane cast one-film-old Harshvardhan Kapoor, a name that's still “new” yet popular enough to sell some tickets, as Siku, along with relative newcomers Priyanshu Painyuli as Bhavesh Joshi, Ashish Verma as their third friend Rajat, who watches it all from the sidelines, and fellow director Nishikant Kamat as Rana, the political mastermind behind the whole plot. Herein lies the film's biggest flaw. None of the actors succeed in leaving an impression. Both Harshvardhan Kapoor and Priyanshu Painyuli put in earnest efforts but their inexperience really comes across, particularly in the more emotional scenes. Nishikant Kamat looks the part but his dialogue delivery fails him. This is particularly disappointing since Vikramaditya Motwane has so far managed to get fantastic performances from his leads in all his other directorials. Only Pratap Phad, as the local politician Patil, who is under Rana's thumb, manages to give a convincing performance.
“Bhavesh Joshi Superhero” scores big on technical merits. The action choreography is exciting and raw, with the chase sequence standing out. Siddharth Dhawan's cinematography is exceptional, particularly in the night scenes. He manages to make Mumbai look equal parts appealing and scary to live in. Amit Trivedi's background score is a particular highlight, although the original songs are a letdown. Aditya Kanwar's production design is strong, but the mask that Siku puts on, with the LED eyes, looks highly impractical. In other films it probably wouldn't matter much, but sticks out in a film as based in reality as “Bhavesh Joshi Superhero”. The film could, however, have done with a tighter editing, and shortening the film by nearly 15 minutes or so would have worked in its favour. The love story angle for Siku also feels completely unnecessary and a waste of time.
While the film didn't light the box office on fire, mainly due to a poor marketing campaign, “Bhavesh Joshi Superhero” remains an entertaining, realistic and believable superhero origin film with strong production values, marred slightly by mediocre acting. It needs a far bigger audience that it will most certainly find on online streaming services and home video. Hopefully that might ignite talks of a much needed sequel.
