Shahid Kapoor impresses in this stylish action-packed thriller ride Bloody Daddy
Sleek action sequences set in an uber-posh star hotel with quirky characters chasing a bag of several crores in cocaine makes Bloody Daddy an entertaining watch.
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Diana Penty, Rajeev Khandelwal, Ronit Roy, Sanjay Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia
A lavish seven-star hotel wedding serves as the backdrop for what will be an action packed drug-heist that is nothing short of engrossing in Bloody Daddy. This JioCinema movie stars Shahid Kapoor as Sumair–a slightly corrupt police officer whose limits are tested when his son is in danger.
In due course of this film, its maker Ali Abbas Zafar has created a shiny, sleek action-thriller that makes up for a basic story with classy fights and surprising characters.
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It all begins when the first COVID-19 lockdown is just about wrapping up. As the sun rises on a sleepy and tense New Delhi, Sumair along with another fellow criminal chases a car through Connaught Place’s wide pillared streets. He smashes into the vehicle, snatches up a bag full of drugs worth several crores, earning himself a knife injury in the process.
Downsides of this job include a security guard spotting him when his mask slips off, but upside is his latest heist. Sumair eventually lands at a posh Gurugram hotel where he is living with his disapproving and seemingly upmarket pre-teenage son, with oddly specific preferences like lactose-free milk and gluten-free bread. Father and son argue but it is evident that the boy means the world to him.
Revisiting the site of the accident, Sumair spots fellow cops- anti corruption boss (Rajeev Khandelwal) and a fellow officer, Aditi (Diana Penty) who is suspicious of him.
When his ex-wife calls to say that their son Atharv is missing, he is caught off-guard. His problems pile up when he finds out that Gurugram’s top drug lord Sikandar (Ronit Roy) is holding Atharv hostage; and needs his bag of cocaine back. As Sumair goes to the blindingly hedonistic hotel that Sikandar owns, other corrupt cops seeking these drugs join in the chase.
Unplanned interventions by a well-intentioned police officer add to the confusion as another drug lord—played by Sanjay Kapoor— also turns up at the scene to claim his prized purchase. What follows is Sumair’s battle to survive and save his son, while navigating the intermeshed web of police officers chasing up the contraband for their personal interest.
Adapted from the French film Nuit Blanche (2011), Bloody Daddy keeps you hooked with its unpredictable characters that deliver funny dialogues all with a straight face. In a nod to Quentin Tarantino and his filmmaking style, Roy and Kapoor, who play the sparring drug lords with a shared history, add to the film’s tension with their responses.
Playing out through a mind numbingly overdone wedding at the hotel, the narrative has a touch of intoxication with thumping DJ nights and its drunk guests. Zaffar and co-writer Aditya Basu have introduced various characters within the hotel staff all of whom bring a dash of humour to the otherwise tense, fight-intensive plot.
Kapoor has played his part well, bringing a certain cynical pragmatism and subtle emotion to a leading man whose primary job is to fight in stylised action sequences.
The film bares influences to the John Wick franchise but Bloody Daddy plays out in a quintessential Indian context. Action sequences, by Lee Whittaker, who is credited with stunts in Captain Marvel and Fast Five, utilises props found at an uber luxurious hotel- like a fancy gaming zone and a superbly equipped kitchen-to create bone breaking hand-to-hand fights. The film’s background score by Julius Packiam coupled with a climax setting song by Badshah, keep its pace and repeat proceedings of fisticuffs fairly engaging.
Khandelwal and Roy stand out for delivering effective performances. Kapoor has shown his action abilities while keeping his signature straight laced sarcasm intact for this character. Penty is effective in her part. A raw and pretty hard physical fight between her and Kapoor while they figure out the complicated goings-on of this bloody night is naturally done and enhances the film’s focus on pure action.
Off late, a barrage of films from South India and also Hindi cinema have used action to up body counts and show irrational amounts of blood thirst. That being said, the finesse of a pretty fight and sass mouthing villains and heroes was missing. Bloody Daddy brings this stylised form of an action thriller back and delivers the goods. Irrespective of franchise talk, it is worth a watch for those that like a pacy and entertaining action thriller.
Rating: 4/5
Edited by Akanksha Sarma
