Actor Duniya Vijay’s second directorial, Bheema, is similar to his maiden directorial Salaga. In both films, Vijay plays an anti-hero who fights for the greater good; but if Salaga vouched for reformed rowdies, Bheema looks at the need for a drug-free society.
It’s apparent now that Vijay loves to write ferocious cops. Dhananjaya roared in Salaga as a ruthless police officer and towered over Vijay’s character. Even in Bheema, Vijay is the second fiddle as Priya Shatamarshan emerges as the film’s best performer while portraying a merciless yet honest policewoman.
Bheema (Kannada)
However, Salaga is a better film than Bheema because the former blends message with entertainment. In his latest film, Vijay overstuffs his screenplay, especially in the second half, and the film turns out to be a mixed bag.
The story follows an orphan named Bheema (Vijay) raised by a mechanic Ramanna (Achyuth Kumar), crossing paths with drug dealer Dragon Manju (Manju), who runs a racket and puts the lives of youngsters in danger. Corrupt ministers use these underprivileged people for their political ambitions.
Amid Vijay’s barrage of ideas, you sense a semblance of quality writing in the mindset of policewoman Girija and the female lead (played by Ashwini). Girija’s fearlessness in a male-dominated, arrogant world of crime and politics is refreshing, and her character is critical of young boys and girls breaking the rules and urges them to focus on education instead of getting addicted to dangerous habits.
Vijay shoots the film in the small lanes and inside the packed, dingy houses of Kalasipalya area and SP Road in Bengaluru. For those who haven’t visited these bustling parts of the city, the film is a whole new experience. The world-building is enhanced by Charan Raj’s dynamic score, which springs a pleasant surprise with every song or background music, and the actor-director also keeps throwing interesting characters at us.
But Bheema slips in the second half. Vijay attempts to dig deep into the drug scandal, but nothing revelatory comes out, and the film feels too explanatory on the harmful effects of drugs and loses its tempo.
In the last act, Bheema becomes predictable by playing to the gallery. To handle a sensitive issue and not glorify the same is a tightrope walk. The film intends to encourage youngsters to stay away from drugs. While in some places, it makes this point clear, in many scenes, the portrayal of the wayward youth could send the wrong message.
For someone who spent two decades acting, Vijay seems to be getting a grip on direction. All he needs is a solid writer who can go beyond punchlines and offer consistency in narration.
Bheema is currently running in theatres
