Bhola Shankar Movie Review: A bit of a dated jumble that might try your patience.
Release Date : August 11, 2023
Starring: Chiranjeevi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh, Sushanth, Raghu Babu, Murali Sharma, Ravi Shankar, Vennela Kishore, Tulasi, Sree Mukhi, Bithiri Sathi, Satya, Getup Srinu, Rashmi Gautam, Uttej and others
Director: Meher Ramesh
Producers: Ramabrahmam Sunkara, Anil Sunkara, and Ajay Sunkara
Music Directors: Mahati Swara Sagar
Cinematographer: Dudley
Editors: Marthand K Venkatesh
Story: An innocent man named Shankar (Chiranjeevi) and his sister Maha (Keerthy Suresh) travel to Kolkata with hopes of a better future. But things are not as they seem.
Review:-With Ajit-starrer Vedalam’s Telugu remake, Meher Ramesh tests both fate and your patience. The film promises to be a commercial potboiler but ends up being a mix of three different stories by the conclusion. What’s worse is that all these stories are outdated even in their best situations and problematic even in their worst.
Shankar (Chiranjeevi) comes from Hyderabad to Kolkata to enroll his sister Mahalakshmi, also known as Maha (Keerthy Suresh), in an art college. He drives a taxi to make ends meet and encounters a criminal lawyer, Lasya (Tamannaah Bhatia). Lasya’s brother Srikar (Sushant A) falls for Maha’s charm, even as she herself shares a love-hate relationship with Shankar. While Mehr is busy including Brahmanandam, Vennela Kishore, and others to lighten the mood and entertain Lasya, something more serious is brewing in Kolkata. You see, young girls are being abducted across the city, and thanks to corrupt cops, there’s no clue about catching the mafia behind it.
The film starts by portraying Shankar as a simple and honest man who believes in being genuine. However, as the film progresses, it shows that things aren’t always what they seem. And if you’ve seen an India.
The film starts by portraying Shankar as a simple and honest man who believes in being genuine. However, as the film progresses, it shows that things aren’t always what they seem. And if you’ve seen an Indian film that idolizes the hero, you already know where this is heading. Regardless, the first half of the film meanders between various tracks, where Mehr struggles between showcasing Maha’s serious side, cracking jokes, and inserting duets for solutions – why not? Even after the interval, the film fails to pick up any substantial momentum, with subpar writing not doing much to connect you with its core – the trafficking of women and Shankar’s relationship with Maha. The few redeeming scenes towards the very end are slightly better.
Mehr Ramesh attempts to write a dialogue in praise of Chiranjeevi’s stardom in the guise of Meher, which doesn’t quite work. He tries to even pass the cap to Ram Charan or Pawan Kalyan. Shrimukhi and Rashmi Gautam are only there to add substance, with some scenes of Shrimukhi with Chiranjeevi being memorable. The film has a lot going on, but it doesn’t seem to ground itself. The music by Mahati Swara Sagar is the standout. However, Doodly’s cinematography aids the film. Tarun Arora, Sayaji Shinde, Ravi Shankar, and Shawar Ali needed better roles to leave an impact.
Bhola Shankar is troubled because the film struggles with transitions between its different parts; it needs a skillful hand in writing. Chiranjeevi and Keerthy also aren’t sufficient to salvage the situation. Meher Ramesh squandered a great opportunity to make this Vedalam remake into a remarkable film. He designs Chiru’s character well, but falls short of creating a compelling screenplay. If he had paid more attention to the narration, the outcome could have been different.
Composer Mahati Swara Sagar failed to make a lasting impact with the songs. Martand Venkatesh’s editing could have been better. Doodly’s cinematography is clean and elevates the viewing experience. The production values are good.
All in all, Chiranjeevi’s Bhola Shankar is an average action drama with decent performances by Chiranjeevi and Keerthy Suresh. The scattered comic scenes in both halves do their bit. Keep your expectations in check while watching this film, as it has some unnecessary scenes and a sluggish narrative.