One step forward, two steps back
BHOOMI Direction: Omung Kumar Actors: Sanjay Dutt, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharad Kelkar, Shekhar Suman Rating:
Bhoomi is a revenge drama that tries hard to be bold, brave and feminist, but clearly wants to stay in the comfort zone of the Bollywood masala film. The result is stereotypes, overthe-top melodrama and a predictable storyline.
But here’s the good news: Baba is back. Interestingly, Sanjay Dutt returns to the screen after three years in an age-appropriate role. Bhoomi is the story of a father-daughter duo (Sanjay Dutt’s Arun and Aditi Rao Hydari’s Bhoomi) who lead a simple life until she is gang-raped and the perpetrators let off.
The initial banter between them is syrupy sweet and you can already see the montages forming. Despite the melodrama, the duo is effective.
In the courtroom scenes, Bhoomi is humiliated repeatedly and all to no avail — reminiscent of last year’s Amitabh Bachchan-Taapsee Pannu-starrer Pink. But unlike that film, the dialogue here often feels forced.
Don’t expect much better from the supporting charac- ters. Shekhar Suman is the stereotypical comic relief, his dialogue peppered with didactic one-liners.
The climax is a bunch of tired tropes — Dutt doing the actual fighting, Hydari some kind of symbolic personification of female power.
Well, Dutt’s back, and that’s good news, especially for his fans.