Bhuj: The Pride Of India tells a very fascinating and unbelievable story from the chapters of Indian history. Not many people would know about this episode and that makes it even better. The action is spectacular and most VFX shots add to the grandeur. The climax is nail-biting and the film ends on a great note. On the flipside, the film is all over the place in the first hour. No character is introduced properly. Viewers don’t get time to get familiar with them. Also, the narrative goes back and forth which hampers the impact. Lastly, some action scenes are unconvincing, especially the one in the pre-climax. Ajay Devgn is great and gives the film the much needed mass appeal with his presence, style and slo-mo walk! Sanjay Dutt is not in form but pulls through. Sonakshi Sinha is a surprise; her screen presence is arresting. Nora Fatehi leaves a mark in a small role. Her one-take action scene is too good. Sharad Kelkar as always is dependable. Ammy Virk is fair. Pranitha Subhash, Ihana Dhillon (R K Nair’s wife) and Mahesh Shetty (Laxman) get no scope. Navni Parihar (Indira Gandhi) looks convincing. All in all, Bhuj: The Pride Of India is a fine effort, despite the minuses. It would have been fun to see it in cinemas and it would have worked big time in mass centres.
My rating – *** out of 5!