Bloody Daddy review: Shahid Kapoor aces in a slick action-thriller

For those who have followed and loved actor Shahid Kapoor's career graph since the days of his debut in Ishq Vishq, his recent choice of films must have come as a surprise. He started off playing the quintessential lover boy in Hindi films but with age, has experimented with different roles and genres in cinema - proving that he has more to him than just playing the romantic hero. Kapoor's latest release, Bloody Daddy, helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar, puts the actor in a genre that usually one doesn't associate him with - action. But Kapoor manages to hold his own and eases into the character of an anti-hero with utmost perfection, making the film watchable. 

I have to be honest, when I had initially watched the trailer of Bloody Daddy, I wasn't very excited. It looked like a film which would indulge in stylised action sequences a bit too much, would have too much gore and a wafer-thin plot. I wasn't too wrong with my assumptions, yet I found Bloody Daddy an engaging watch -all thanks to the film's cast and Zafar's credible execution. 

The plot of Bloody Daddy

Kapoor plays a sort of rebel, a narcotics officer called Sumair who right at the beginning of the film pulls off a drug heist in Delhi's Connaught Place along with an aide. The purpose of the heist is not known. What is known, though, is that it belongs to hotelier and drug lord Sikandar Chaudhary (Ronit Roy) who wants it back. And so as a retaliation, he kidnaps Sumair's son Atharv (Sartaaj Kakkar). The deal is simple, the duffle bag that Sumair has stolen contains cocaine worth Rs 500 million which Sikandar wants back and in exchange, Sumair can take his teenage son back. While the deal seems simple, there are multiple players involved. There are fellow officers Sameer (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Aditi (Diana Penty) who are after Sumair and want to arrest him, there is a local mafia leader Hameed who has his claims over the bag as well. All are in a hotel owned by Sikandar and the action takes place over a span of a night.

Sumair, a single dad with a strained relationship with his teenage son, has to first find the bag, which is now missing and rescue his son before it's too late.  The entire search happens in a sprawling hotel which is just opened up post-second wave lockdown. A marriage party is underway in the same hotel while drug lords, kidnappers, goons and the police play hide and seek and look for a bag full of drugs. Needless to say, the premise is chaotic and Zafar uses stylised, elaborate action sequences to add to the chaos. 

The performances

While the writing, by Zafar, Aditya Basu, Siddharth and Garima, may not always be very logical, the implementation on screen is slick. Despite the wafer-thin plot which leaves many questions unanswered, the film's treatment and its credible actors make it an engaging watch. Shahid Kapoor has performed better in other films, where his acting has been well-highlighted. Bloody Daddy is not that film. That does not take away anything from the actor though. He is in good form and eases into a poorly written role well. The character lacks depth which is perhaps the writer's fault but Kapoor looks and performs his character well- sometimes reminding you of his recent roles in Farzi and Kabir Singh. 

Giving him able support are actors Ronit Roy, Ankur Bhatia, Rajeev Khandelwal and Diana Penty who in their limited roles deliver well and do justice to their characters. Sanjay Kapoor too, in what appears to be a cameo role, performs to his role well. Wish all these actors though had more to do - all are credible performers and deserved more screen time. 

While the script may appear incoherent in certain parts, there are moments in the film which stand out. Kapoor barges into the wedding party as he is chased by Roy and his men, climbs up on an elaborately decorated table, trampling over champagne glasses,  while the bride and groom and their guests look in horror. The scene is well executed and is quite a delight to watch even though there are very few dialogues in it. Then near the climax, Badshah croons on stage as violence ensues in the background. 

Bloody Daddy may not have a legible plot, but surprisingly it still keeps you hooked. You may want to know a few things here and there, yet you will immerse yourself in the film as Kapoor and Khandelwal fight it out in the kitchen with knives instead of guns. 

Should you be watching Bloody Daddy? Yes, for Kapoor and the rest of the cast. For its action sequences and for its sly, chaotic comedy. It isn't the greatest action film, neither does it delve deeper into any characters or their relationships, yet it ends up being a fun, entertaining and slick ride. Bloody Daddy is streaming on Jio Cinemas.