“Brahmin bhookha to Sudama, rootha toh Ravan” is cited often by Saif Ali Khan who plays a Brahmin youth in this action film Bullet Raja, where Tigmanshu Dhulia attempts a commercially oriented Bollywood action film.
Raja Mishra (Saif Ali Khan) is a Brahmin boy in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh looking for a job but gets involved with goons, and when he is chased, Raja sees a wedding procession and joins it.
It is the local strongman’s daughter’s wedding and the procession is headed towards the strongman’s haveli, where Raja instantly befriends the bride’s cousin, Rudra Tripathi (Jimmy Shergill). Within hours, Rudra and Raja become best of friends, and Raja becomes a part of rest of the functions and events of this Lucknowi wedding.
Raja is treated with food, drinks and he is dancing around with the dance girl (Mahie Gill) and even gets to take her in the forest, where he overhears a plan being hatched to assassinate Rudra Tripathi and the local strongman’s gang.
Right here onwards, it is unrealistic to believe that an unknown boy becomes so friendly with the inner circle of a family – that too of a local strongman. Since when have the Lucknow’s become so warm and friendly with total strangers – and that too in hours?
The fiery tempered Raja now becomes the trigger-happy local boy. He picks up arms for protection, saves the local strongman and Rudra, but this act gets him sucked into the dark, murky world of Uttar Pradesh politics.
Raja and Rudra just having met each other a couple of hours back, at the wedding of a political honcho, striking instant friendship and then saving other guests and their host from being killed by his rival’s gang.
Rival gangsters are now on the lookout for Raja and Rudra, who had spoilt their attack on the local strongman. Their goons are on the lookout for the duo with orders to eliminate them – shoot on sight.
Police officers get duo arrested, they land up in a cell, where they get involved with the criminal-political nexus in UP.
Again the unbelievable. It could be somewhat believable a decade back or so. Not at the present times at least, with sting operations happening almost every week and the print, electronic and web media becoming so vigilant, alert and just looking out to expose the scams, wrongdoings – atleast the blatant ones as shown in Bullet Raja.
Raja and Rudra are introduced to a criminal who is enjoying VIP treatment in jail, running the mafia and managing the show at state-centre political level from jail.
Whats more, we are shown politicians openly growing opium in their fields, and inviting the underworld dons for a meeting in the forest – ‘for opening the tenders of controlling the opium trade’.
Need to know further? Raja and Rudra openly ride motorbikes armed with guns and go shooting around the city, crowded places in the town. It seems our youngsters are so impressed with the likes of the characters of The Godfather, or like the goons of Dharmatma, Sholay, Satya 1, 2 and other Bollywood action flicks.
To speak of performances, Saif Ali Khan’s character appears unrealistic. Jimmy Shergill as Rudra, is the only realistic looking character, believable and impressive, so is the pan chewing Lallan (Chunky Pandey). While that of Vidyut Jamwal is just like that of a super cop out of Zanjeer, Sonakshi Sinha is given an ordinary role that of a Benagli girl with big dreams wanting to make it big in films.
Ravi Kishan, though in an insignificant role, turns out to be an amazingly interesting character. Raj Babbar and Gulshan Grovers performances are nothing to speak of.
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja has unrealistic gunfights, goons openly ruling the city, depicting incompetence of police force and a mishmash of love, politics and the underworld. It is a below average film.
Cast:
Raja Mishra – Saif Ali Khan
Mitali – Sonakshi Sinha
Rudra Tripathi – Jimmy Shergill
Lallan Tiwari – Chunky Pandey
Sumer Yadav – Ravi Kishan
Jatin Bajaj – Gulshan Grover
Munna (Inspector) – Vidyut Jamwal
Minister Ram Babu – Raj Babbar
Vishwajeet Pradhan
Sharat Saxena
Vipin Sharma
Deepraj Rana
Gaurav Jha
Special Appearance – Mahie Gill
Credits & Crew:
Banner – Fox Star Studios, Brandsmith Motion Pictures
Produced by Rahul Mittra, Nitin Tej Ahuja, Tigmanshu Dhulia
Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia
Story, Screenplay – Tigmanshu Dhulia, Amaresh Misra
Costume Designer – Priyanka Mundada
Music Director – Sajid-Wajid
Editor – Rahul Shrivastav
Cinematography – P S Vinod
Action – Parvez Khan
Bullet Raja – movie review