Bloody Daddy review: The Shahid Kapoor actioner is a hit-and-miss

2.5/5

Together with his partner Jaggi (Zeishan Quadri), Sumair Azad (Shahid Kapoor) steals a bag of cocaine from Sikandar Chowdhary (Ronit Roy). Sikandar abducts Atharva (Sartaaj Kakkar), Sumair's son. But events take an unexpected turn when Sumair misplaces the bag of cocaine.

Take a moment and look back about two years ago, in 2021. We are just getting over the gut-wrenching second wave of COVID-19, which became the greatest enemy of humans. Imagining being in a crowd is enough to make us feel that the virus has attacked. Bloody Daddy takes us back to that era, which we have tried long enough to move on from. Set in Delhi only on paper and not visually, the film is dated November 2021, just a month before the third wave scare started coming there.

Bloody Daddy, although it gives the vibe that it's an action-packed film, a theatrical release would have been apt. But, in all senses, it delivers otherwise. I got to watch the film on the big screen, but there were times when I felt that I wished I had a remote control to forward some sequences. It's a story set in one night, and at one point in time, both Ronit Roy and Rajeev Khandelwal's characters are heard saying, "It has been a long night." Well, it also felt like a long movie.

But did I enjoy it? Yes and no!

Bloody Daddy starts with Shahid Kapoor and Zeishan Quadri driving their car to an empty Connaught Place, only to collide with another car. They are not wearing their seat belts or masks until they see their target. The next moment, we see them grabbing a bag filled with cocaine. Going by their looks, it initially feels like Shahid and Zeishan are nothing but criminals who are participants in the increasing crime rate in the capital. However, that's the first bubble that gets burst in the film: they are cops working in the Narcotics Control Bureau.

We learn in quick succession that Sikandar Chowdhary (Ronit Roy) kidnaps Sumair's (Shahid) son Atharva (Sartaaj Kakkar), demanding that he return the drug-filled bag in exchange for the son. Thus begins the long night where everything unfolds with a new character making an entry every now and then.

It's a simple story that could have met its fate in about 90 minutes. But we are given a runtime of 123 minutes, which initially feels like it is going to be a loop after the interval.

So what makes Bloody Daddy entertaining? First things first, it's the dialogue that gets a great landing, given that deadpan humour is almost dead in Hindi movies nowadays. But Ali Abbas Zafar, along with Aditya Basu and Siddharth-Garima, amps up the lines well to keep the film borderline dark comedy.

Even a slight reactive reply, "Baap hoon main tera," from Sumair to his son Atharva, on being called "bro," is applause-worthy. He keeps on reminding his son that he is an old-school dad with a suave leather jacket and stylish hairdo. Old school, why? Seeing his ex-wife pregnant with her beau before marriage also doesn't go well with him.

But the moment he gets to know that his son is kidnapped, that's when the film actually starts. Taking place inside a palatial hotel that is said to be situated on MG Road, Gurugram, but shot in Abu Dhabi. Yes, the hotel gives total vibes of the same. On one hand, we see a menacing drug lord, Sikandar, in the guise of the owner of the hotel, asking for his bag. While, on the other hand, a John Wick-esque Shahid makes a bloody entry as a man who is juggling between being a father as well as a cop.

The whole cat-and-mouse chase gets more moles added as more villains make their way to get this piece from the block of cheese, which is the duffel bag.

The clichéd son getting kidnapped and the typical dialogue like, "Mere bete ko touch bhi kiya toh..." with a response, "Haath toh main laga chuka hoon," takes us back to the usual tropes of this genre in Bollywood. There's nothing new in that. Even having brothers who are just angry and casting actors like Vivaan Bhathena and Ankur Bhatia brings nothing novel to the whole concept.

Yes, it's the Hindi remake of the 2011 French film Nuit Blanche, and the only change brought to it is the COVID-19 backdrop. Thus, there are sequences of a rich and privileged crowd of people not caring about getting tested positive. Even the constant references that the pandemic has led to an increase in crimes make it jarring at a certain point in time.

However, as mentioned earlier, the few dialogues keep going, especially about "atta," and it's no surprise how flour comes into the picture. Yes, we are talking about drugs here.

You expect those high-octane sequences to be the soul of an action film. On the contrary, thanks to being an OTT release, those chase and combat scenes can be forwarded 30 seconds ahead, and they would still be fighting. The slow-burning technique doesn't work here, and whatever crisp, stylish film it aspired to almost tumbled down then and there.

Shahid Kapoor is filmed in Scorsese red in the second half, given that he is a dangerous man on a mission right now. The actor looks the part of a cop who knows his job and has no remorse for using his mouth for cuss words and his hands to knock someone out. However, Shahid does not pick up on that in the opening scenes of the movie. Yes, this is the second time the actor plays a father onscreen, and it doesn't go well. However, his job overpowers the father as a character, which helps the actor's performance as well.

But someone who has left an impressive mark entirely in the film is Rajeev Khandelwal, whose dual personality leaves you intrigued. The actor matches up well in the action sequences with Shahid. Moreover, his dialogue delivery, filled with sarcasm, is a pleasure to watch.

Even Ronit Roy, who is not new to being the main antagonist, delivers well, and there are no surprises there. But Sanjay Kapoor, who also plays a pivotal role in Bloody Daddy, has a brief appearance, which could have been extended as the impact is very short-lived.

In this man's world of drugs and a dark night, there's only one woman in the picture, Aditi (Diana Penty). It's a wasted opportunity for the actor, just like she had in her other film released earlier this year, Selfiee.

Ali Abbas Zafar has earlier shown his side as the director of an action film with Tiger Zinda Hai. That was on an extravagant scale, with several locations coming into the picture. However, in Bloody Daddy, with just one so-called location, he brings about a stylish film, but that's the only thing that can be talked about, not the screenplay.

Julius Packiam, who has given the background score, becomes louder after a point in time to match the red and action-filled visuals. Even the songs are forgettable, and yes, Badshah's special appearance is also a time waste, so to speak.

Given that it's a remake and not adapted in India for the first time, yes, there's a 2015 Tamil remake, Thoongaa Vanam, starring Kamal Haasan, and the runtime could have been minimised to an extent. The editing by Steven Bernard could have cut the chase sequences and cut to the chase, taking the story forward as fast as possible. The story doesn't have much to offer, and only being a visual delight doesn't help as an entertaining factor.

But for an OTT release, you have a treat to watch, and if it tests your patience, you have a remote control handy!

Bloody Daddy has all the elements of a blockbuster, and it almost hits the mark. But the storyline is what fumbles it, making it a long and stretchy film.