Babli Bouncer Movie Review: Tamannaah Bhatia Makes You Say 'Killer Hain Tu' But The Film Does Not!

Story

Babli Bouncer opens with Babli Tanwar (Tamannaah Bhatia) beating a bunch of miscreants black and blue on a deserted lane in Delhi in the middle of the night. As two of them lie on the ground, groaning in pain, someone knocks her unconscious.

The film rewinds back to six months ago in a village named Fatehpur Bairi where we are introduced to a 'dhaakad' Babli, who ticks every box when it comes to a quintessential 'desi' girl. She has a thick Haryanvi accent, tucks in dozens of paranthas, struggles with English, burps unabashedly in public and can even beat troublesome men to pulp. In Babli's teacher's words, 'ladkiyon waale ek bhi lakshan nahin hain isme'.

Babli's village is famous for churning out body-builders, and many of them work as bouncers in Delhi's nightclubs and pubs. Our heroine also has a suitor Kuku (Sahil Vaid) who doesn't miss a chance to impress her.

Sans any ambition, Babli's carefree life takes a turn when she encounters her school teacher's son, Delhi-based son Viraj (Abhishek Bajaj) at a wedding. Totally smitten by him, Babli with her 'khurafati' mind hatches a plan and lands the job of a female bouncer in the Capital to impress Viraj and start her dream life with him.

However, once Babli lands in Delhi, she realises that there's much more to her as she goes through a chain of events.

Direction

As someone who has a knack for depicting real stories on screen, Madhur Bhandarkar's latest outing Babli Bouncer comes across a mild attempt despite of its novel concept. We have had movies on female wrestlers and sportswomen in the past and now, Madhur steps into an interesting zone by coming up with the subject of a lady bouncer.

If only this refreshing thought was backed by a solid script and deft direction! What we are served instead is an average fare which is mostly shouldered by Tamannaah Bhatia. With contrived conflicts and half-baked other elements, there's barely anything 'bubbly' about Babli Bouncer except a few performances.

The treatment of the film is topical. We never get a glimpse of any of the struggles in a lady bouncer's life. The finale act barely packs a punch.

Performances

Just like her character in the film, Tamannaah Bhatia is the 'hero' of Babli Bouncer who makes sure that 'all's well' every time the writing loses its balance. Be it Babli's innocence or her valour, the actress excels in both the shades and delivers a sincere performance. If Babli Bouncer manages to hold your attention till the end, it's only because of her on-screen antics.

Saurabh Shukla is reliable as ever, as Babli's father. He adds gravitas to some of his wafer-thin scenes. However, there's one sequence featuring him and Tamannaah having a heartfelt talk post a grave incident that deserves a special mention. Bhandarkar steers clear of making it melodramatic and that organic approach makes the moment shine.

Abhishek Bajaj and Sahil Vaid who add a love angle to Tamannaah's character Babli's story play their respective roles with earnestness.

Technical Aspects

Himman Dhamija's camerawork is in sync with the theme of the film. Manish Pradhan has his editing scissors in place except a scene or two.

Music

Unlike some of Madhur Bhandarkar's past films, Babli Bouncer lacks memorable music. The tracks including 'Mad Banke', 'Le Sajna', 'Babli Shor Machare' and 'Mann Mein Halchal' barely register on your lips.

Verdict

There are many instances in the film where Babli is told, "You are funny. You are very very funny." One wished that this stood true for Madhur Bhandarkar's Babli Bouncer as well. Barring Tamannaah Bhatia's able performance and a few gags, the light-hearted film with the theme of female empowerment bounces around aimlessly.