Film has nice mix of horror, comedy and a great setting
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee Director: Amar Kaushik
IN 2018, filmmaker Amar Kaushik popularised the horror-comedy genre in Bollywood with his ghostly blockbuster hit Stree.
The talented director returns to the same space with this werewolf inspired movie. A contractor from the city journeys to a jungle-filled area to build a road but meets resistance from locals. One night he is attacked by a wolf and the vicious bite starts taking effect, including heightening his senses. When an animal kills someone, it isn’t long before those around him suspect he may be turning into a deadly werewolf at night.
The comical entertainer offers something different and is a decent enough addition to the horror-comedy universe being created by the producers of this film. The beginning is mostly let down by juvenile humour and jokes that largely fall flat. It doesn’t really go into a higher gear until the latter part when the protagonist is trying to figure out the horrific goingson. Like Stree, there is a nice mix of horror, comedy, and a great setting. There is also a subtle message about environmental conversation and preservation of native culture.
Great performances from the cast, led by Varun Dhawan, also add an extra layer to the movie. The surprisingly good chemistry between the cast members results in funny moments. Another pleasant surprise is just how good the special effects are.
Unfortunately, Kriti Sanon is given limited screen time, which makes this a guy’s movie.
What also prevents Bhediya from being brilliant is a fractured screenplay with obvious plot holes.
Like most other Bollywood films released in recent years, the music is terrible and does a disservice to the novel idea. But this is different to most Hindi movies and has enough to keep you entertained.