Bholaa Shankar Review: The Chiranjeevi, Keerthy Suresh, Tamannah starrer is outdated, over the top, and a silly action drama

2/5

Story

Shankar(Chiranjeevi) arrives in Kolkata with his sister Mahalakshmi(Keerthy Suresh). There, he encounters a human trafficking gang and starts killing them one after the other. As his sister is all set to tie the knot with a pilot(Sushanth), a brutal truth about Shankar is revealed which shocks one and all. Who is this Shankar? Why did he come to Kolkatta? What is his past? To know the answers, you need to watch Bholaa Shankar on the big screen.

Review

Bholaa Shankar marks the comeback of Meher Ramesh to direction after twelve long years. So, he picked up an easy subject in the form of a remake. Bholaa Shankar is the official remake of Ajith's Vedhalam and undergoes a lot of changes script-wise. A lot of mass elements and family drama have been added to the narrative. But as the story is outdated, there is nothing much even the megastar Chiranjeevi can do.

Bholaa Shankar is a feast of routine emotions that will make you cringe after the initial ten minutes. The comedy showcased offers hardly any laughs despite the heavy-duty star cast. One of the biggest disadvantages of the film is the lack of emotion. There is absolutely no emotional bonding between key characters and makes the film look silly in the first half. The conflict point of human trafficking, the hero going in disguise to find it, has been showcased in so many films that you have lost count on.

Also Read: Bholaa Shankar: Release date, cast, budget, trailer, OTT platform, box office prediction, and more 

The so-called comedy scenes between Chiranjeevi, Vennela Kishore, and Tamannah are a mega cringe fest and bore the audience to death. It is only during the interval bang that the film makes some sense. Meher Ramesh who has been away from direction and is known for his flops, has delivered yet another cringe fest in the form of Bholaa Shankar. He is stuck in the early days and does not elevate any emotion whatsoever. His narrative is outdated and does not showcase anything new to the audience.

The only solace of the film is Chiranjeevi who tries hard to carry the film on his shoulders. It is his screen presence and comedy timing in the film that saves the day. Even at this age, he looks super fit and dances like a dream. But he too is helpless in the first half as the plot and emotions are water thin. 

The villain gang is weak and does not create an intense atmosphere in the film whatsoever. Tamannah plays an over-the-top lawyer and overacts like there is no tomorrow. Keerthy Suresh, who plays Chiranjeevi's sister gets a meaty role and does quite well. All her scenes with Chiranjeevi are superb in the second half.

When compared to the first, the second half makes some sense and has some funny moments. Generally, all Chiranjeevi films have superb songs but that is not the case with Bholaa Shankar. Mahati Swara Sagar composes music and his songs are a disaster and even worse was his BGM. The action blocks are quite good as Ram-Lakshman masters have elevated Chiranjeevi's charisma in a solid manner through the fights. 

The camerawork looks outdated and the production values are not good. The film does not boast of any grand visuals as everything is mostly shot in sets. The backdrop of Kolkata has also not been utilized properly. The dialogues, choreography, and production design, everything looks ordinary in Bholaa Shankar.

However, there are some scenes that will be loved by the fans. The iconic Khushi scene where Pawan Kalyan checks out Bhumika Chawla in a black saree has been recreated with Chiranjeevi and Sreemukhi and it is hilarious. The emotional scenes between Keerthy Suresh and Chiranjeevi in the pre-climax are neat. Bholaa Shankar has so many comedians that have absolutely nothing to do with the film.

Also Read: Bholaa Shankar: Chiranjeevi's dig at the AP government backfires big time 

One can gauge how the film is going to be through its trailer. Bholaa Shankar's trailer received a mixed response from day one and fans were hoping that Meher Ramesh would save the day with his narration. But that does not happen as Meher Ramesh has wasted a golden opportunity given by megastar Chiranjeevi and made a film that is filled with cringe-fest scenes and outdated emotions. He will need to wait a long time to get yet another chance to direct a film as his work in Bholaa Shankar disappoints big time.

Verdict:

On the whole, Bholaa Shankar is a poor remake of Vedhalam. It has an outdated storyline, over-the-top scenes, and dragged scenes. Even the likes of megastar Chiranjeevi, with all his might, cannot save the film from sinking at the box office.