Review: 'Bloody Daddy' has Shahid being earnest; Rajeev Khandelwal as the surprise; but a script that falters

Bloody Daddy

From the hopes of being a slick actioner debut for Shahid Kapoor to the debate surrounding Bloody Daddy being suitable for OTT or deserving a theatrical release - lots of noise going on but none of those factors matter now as it begins streaming on JioCinema.

A story that takes place over one night is the trickiest nut to crack as it involves a repetition of locations, scenes and limited characters. Bloody Daddy has all of that but does it rise above it? Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Again, Again & Again

As mentioned, the most exhausting thing about Bloody Daddy is the repetition of setting, characters and the predictable outcomes they undergo. Owing to it largely being set in one hotel, the screenplay and writing should have to have been immaculate and crisp to an extent where those become external factors. That doesn't happen with this film unfortunately. From characters having confrontations again, again and again - the essence of the story and the excitement surrounding those characters keeps dying down.

Especially, all the scenes with Shahid's Sumair and Ronit Roy's Sikander keep getting funnier (for the wrong reason) and unimpactful everytime they encounter each other. I mean, in a hotel that's insanely huge, how is there just one party place that the characters keep going through from one place to another. It is this same party setting where big developments happen. Find some other place to go through already!

Yes, it is shot in COVID and has COVID in the stoy, WE GET IT!

The makers have been constant about how the film was shot during COVID-19 wave. Okay.
The film makes it apparent from the first shot itself that this story is also set right after the COVID-19. Okay.

If these two instances weren't enough, the film pretty much hammers you constantly with how the film is set just after the virus wave with an array of scenes. I get the need of it but apart from being theoretical, it doesn't lead to any major occurrence that would justify the constant hammering. After a point, these repeated reminders just get annoying. 

Another Case of Shahid Being Earnest/Rajeev Khandelwal is the Real MVP

How many films in Shahid Kapoor's career have had the case of him giving his best but the film letting him down? Countless. Bloody Daddy, while not a trainwreck per se is still another instance of the same. Trying all-out action for the first time, Kapoor is earnest inspite of being a bit scrappy and 'acting' too much at a few instances. His overall impact is just what you need as the main guy being a savior and fighting one man after the other with swagger and finesse.

But hey there, make way for the return of Rajeev Khandelwal. One of the most underrated actors in the industry, the man is actually the real most-valuable person (MVP) here. He has some of the most hilarious and sassy one-liners, a satisfying character arc and looking as good as Kapoor does. I mean, come on, Khandelwal is almost two decades old in the industry and seems like he hasn't aged one bit. So refreshing to see him get a role here that justifies his talent.

Action - USP? Not Entirely

Talking about the bad guys in this film, they are indeed 'bad' but I mean that in just how badly written and etched out they are. Ronit Roy has an uphill task to add some flare and fun to Sikandar but he can only do this much. I would really like to know just why did Sanjay Kapoor say yes to a character like this? Not only is his villain entirely blah but also caricaturish that doesn't lead you to feel anything. A lot of the laughs come at the cliched villain segments and while a few of them seemed to be intentional, a large part of it definitely did not.

And finally, coming to the action. The factor that this film is riding on and the factor that director Ali Abbas Zafar is known for. In an attempt to create realistic action set-pieces, innovation takes a huge toss and a large portion of the hand-to-hand combat scenes appear basic. We see how Kapoor's Sumair has an 'unkillable' like quality but with logic - however that doesn't transpire into the action being the biggest USP. It is good and Kapoor is pretty decent with it but it never wows you enough, especially in a film like this, where it was essential. Don't get me wrong here! The attempt to keep the action realistic is applaudable but even with that, the possibilities should have been endless.

The Verdict

Bloody Daddy indeed feels like a rollercoaster where it witnessed the ups at several moments but the downs are too obvious and inspite of having room for redemption, it doesn't necessarily achieve it. And hey Diana Penty, I am sure your fans would love to see you in much much better roles than how they have seen you in Selfiee and Bloody Daddy this year! 

This film might indeed be a rather fun OTT watch though and for that, kudos to the decision makers to keep it for the web.

Rating - **1/2(2.5/5)