For the last one hour the film seems to be really struggling to find some sort of a closure that comes at least thirty minutes too late. However, the biggest disappointment of the film, however, is Vikramaditya Motwane’s uninspired direction which makes an average screenplay look rather pedestrian. The end result is a self-indulgent superhero flick that lacks both spine and purpose.

A young man dedicated to righting the wrongs of the world around him stumbles into something sinister and way beyond his masked paperbag avatar of ‘Insaaf TV’ on social media. Bhavesh Joshi tries to handle the big bad world of baddies and is outnumbered. His one time friend then takes on the role of the vigilante Bhavesh Joshi and tries to undo the wrongs.

The story’s real superhero isn’t Harshvadhan Kapoor’s dull Sikandar, but Priyanshu Painyuli’s passionate Bhavesh. Painyuli plays Bhavesh with real feeling, and the exact moment of the film’s descent can be pinpointed to the moment when his character cedes ground to Sikandar. The myth takes over the man, but Painyuli ensures that the man matters too.

All said and done, when you’ve a good intent to make a film you also need a strong story to back it. Bhavesh Joshi Superhero lacks everything from script to solid performances and hence this son-of-Kapoor has wait more for his first hit.

The vigilante film is well meaning and has good actors, but it is ultimately a boring effort.

Bhavesh Joshi Superhero also on vigilante justice, is advertised as a super-hero film, and it is; only in the sense that the story is built around simplicities of pure good, battling the ultimate evil, with absolutely no shades of grey between

…the film’s biggest weakness is its inability to make one root for the missionary zeal of the superhero. A hastily and lazily put together finale, which opens door for a franchise, the film feels distant from reality.

If anything, Bhavesh Joshi proves right that maxim, unsaid but true: That Fixed Ideology, Self-righteousness and Superheroism run parallel to each other.

There is much to like here – the atmospherics, Painyuli’s performance that is notches above Kapoor’s, and Motwane’s feel for noir, but his home-grown hero still falls short. Hopefully this will be a franchise, and like most superheroes, Bhavesh Joshi too will have a chance at redemption and a better future.

Motwane’s craft is indisputable. The way he sees and presents dark, rainy shadowy Mumbai hit by water woes; the way he keeps alternating between the real and fantastical. Then there’s a mind-bending bike chase across the city and its local trains. Motwane’s superhero is a vulnerable common man. He isn’t endowed with any superhuman powers, gets easily battered and brusied, could well do with the help of a karate champ and instructor next door. He isn’t invincible, his mask could well fall easily.

Bhavesh Joshi is more or less like India’s Justice League goes haywire. It is enjoyable in parts but you won’t lose out on anything if you miss this one, rather watch any superhero flick from DC or Marvel.

Harshvardhan Kapoor’s film is darker than any other Hindi superhero film you have seen. It’s earnest and deals with the idea of vigilante justice in its raw form. Here’s our movie review of Bhavesh Joshi Superhero.

Motwane, too, much like his mentor Anurag Kashyap, proves that he is prone to indulgence – not the good kind – at the worst of times. It’s difficult, no doubt, to be such a solid craftsman that the landscape demands from you the willingness to experiment with different genres. It’s a pressure not unfamiliar to those like Kashyap – who have so many skills at their disposal that anything is possible. But that is a happy problem to have, like the batsman with plenty of time and options to execute a shot. It shouldn’t be a dull, derivative and depressing problem, like the superhero that relies on cameras and clicks to outline his legend.

Overall, Motwane did try to bring a rather relatable and noble topic upfront without being too preachy. However, the execution couldn’t convey the emotions of the writing completely and sloppy editing makes it a slow take-in rather than a thrilling vigilant watch.

Cinematographer Siddharth Diwan’s visuals offer unique angles and frames especially during the chase sequences. And overall, the film boasts of excellent production values rendered by the Production and Design team along with the editing and sound team.

The film clearly intends to be dark, edgy and cool. Trouble is, it spends too much of its time underlining its purpose, even getting a character to say these three adjectives.

Bhavesh Joshi Superhero needs to be appreciated for what it sets out to do – stirring the common man out of apathy by channelising our anger. It doesn’t entirely succeed, but Vikramaditya Motwane’s take on the superhero genre is worth a look.

Bhavesh Joshi has moments and scenes that will resonate with a lot of socio-political issues in the country right now. Watch it if you have the palette for something different than the usual.