BHUJ – THE PRIDE OF INDIA is all noise, no substance!
Dubious historical accuracy, unconvincing screenplay and extremely loud jingoism are the key highlights of BHUJ – THE PRIDE OF INDIA. While it’s fast-paced narrative doesn’t leave any scope for boredom, it’s the implausibility of events here that spoil the show. Unless you’re a fan of chest-thumping manipulation in the name of patriotism, stay away from this one.
The Plot: During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the IAF airstrip at Bhuj was destroyed in combat. Subsequently, 300 local women led by IAF squadron leader Vijay Karnik heroically toiled day in and day out to reconstruct the airbase. This act of resilience was a pivotal moment which not only boosted the morale of the country, but also helped us win the war.
The film, supposedly a tribute to the unparalleled bravado displayed by Indian Air Force and the local civilians in the war, is basically an exaggerated drama reminiscent of the poorly made patriotic Bollywood movies of the 90’s. Flag-waving and manipulation to arouse patriotic emotions define just about every scene that you get to see in this movie. Every dialogue is delivered to play it to the gallery, which to my mind, is not what the gallery wants to hear anymore.
While Indian Cinema in general, and the audience have evolved over the years, the makers of BHUJ – THE PRIDE OF INDIA still seem to be stuck in the same rut of melodramatic narration, which is neither believable nor enjoyed any longer. Talking of believability, ‘Suspension of Disbelief’ is the first and foremost rule for watching this movie. You get to see larger-than-life soldiers who seem to be bullet-proof, bomb-proof and gravity-proof. Then, there are civilian heroes, who can take down several soldiers of the Pakistani military alone. Well, I can go on and on.
The background score is jarring and equally unpleasant are the visual effects. Talk about acting? Well we better not!
To sum up, BHUJ-THE PRIDE OF INDIA is a product which is definitely not worthy of taking pride in. Avoid it!
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