Bheema Movie Review : Bheema review: A ‘pakka local’ movie tailor-made for target audience

Plot: Bheema (Vijay Kumar), a gangster who runs a mechanic shop, goes on a rampage after a personal loss caused by his rivals.

Review: Troubled by how the youth of his locality are becoming addicts, Bheema (Vijay Kumar), a gangster who runs a mechanic shop, wages a war against drugs. Bheema takes it upon himself to teach the lesson to villains - Dragon Manju and Shunti (Cockroach Sudhi).

Bheema, Vijay Kumar’s directorial after Salaga, is written for a mass audience and he has been clear about it from the get go. The movie is written for him and his fans, by him, so one can expect a lot of fan service. He pulls out every stop to make sure that all boxes of a commercial entertainer are ticked. The first half takes off well with an interesting approach and a lot of relatable jokes. However, the second half falters because of a formulaic approach with no space for any kind of experimentation.

Priya Shatamarsha as Girija is wonderful. She plays to the gallery with all her might. She delivers dialogues with panache, almost making her the real hero of this film. Her role, although written well, deserved more screen space. Because Bheema is a commercial star vehicle, Girija, who starts off well, ends up being one among other characters in the film. A little focus on her character could have changed the trajectory of the film. Rangayana Raghu, Kalyanee Raju, Achyut Kumar, Ashwini Ambrish, aide Bheema in his struggle to win the war against drugs. Dragon Manju, Cockroach Sudhi, Raghu Shivamogga, play the bad boys. Vijay has used a lot of local talents from the gullies of Bengaluru, which is a welcome movie.

If there is one industry that has been churning out films in the ‘underworld stories’ category, it has to be KFI. Starting from OM in 1995 to the latest Bheema, these movies retell similar stories with different themes. Bheema faithfully uses this foundation and narrates the story of city youth, their addiction to drugs, mafia around the supply, and politics that serves and protects criminals. The formulaic approach with a bit of star vehicle treatment flatters the film. But, besides that, Bheema does plenty of fan service and gives a lot for a section of audience and fans to hoot and cherish, and in fact, a reason to walk into theatres. Editing could have been better. Vijay emerges victorious in his directorial venture with a film that runs smoothly using a formulaic approach.

Dialogues and jokes are good, but they just cater to one section of the audience. The movie, written for a section of youth, caters to all their needs. The biggest strength of Bheema is Charan Raj’s music. The first half an hour, with three back-to-back rap songs, almost feels like a musical film. Although the film, particularly, doesn't celebrate rap music as such, MC Bijju and Rahul Ditto have ensured that the entire album encompasses everything they have to offer. Charan’s background music peaks during the climax scene. The blend of folk songs and traditional songs evoke a unique spirit, which is carried out throughout the film, albeit in bits and pieces.

Also, fans, watch out for the ‘Duniya Vijay cinematic universe’ twist in the climax! Bheema is Duniya Vijay’s ode to the underbelly of Bengaluru, and to a genre of films that aided him become a star.