Babumoshai Bandookbaaz Movie Review: Nawazuddin ‘Kills It’ (Pun Unintended)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui rarely gets a full-fledged solo lead role (Manjhi-The Mountain Man was one such film), but when he does, one can rely on the man to single-handedly carry the film on his shoulders and Kushan Nandy’s Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is one such example of the actor’s sheer talent and presence.

Set in the rustic hinterlands of North India, Babumoshai Bandookbaz is about Babu Bihari (Nawaz), an ace assassin for hire, who kills for anyone willing out shell out big bucks. However, when a young and upcoming hitman Banke Bihari (Jatin Goswami) threatens to usurp his position, Babu gets entangled in a deadly game of politics, murder and double cross, which also threatens his ladylove Phulwa (Bidita Bag). Will Babu manage to eliminate his rivals? Watch the film to find out…

As usual, Nawaz, who is the go-to guy for rustic roles, aces his act and it is a sheer delight to watch the man swagger with a roguish smile throughout the film. Like mentioned earlier, Nawaz has carried the film on his shoulders and we are sure that no other actor could have pulled off this role as successfully as Nawaz has. Be it poker-faced comedy or intense scenes, Nawaz nails every sequence with admirable aplomb. Bidita is bold and beautiful and manages to impress with her dusky charm while Jatin Goswami as rival assassin Banke is quite decent. Special mention must also be made of the actor who plays the cop in the film (he is the same actor who had played the corrupt cop in Masaan) for the actor is too good in his scenes. Divya Dutta is deceptively menacing while the supremely talented Anil George is utterly wasted in the role.

What works for the film is its dark humour, its absolute rawness and its ‘dialoguebaazi’, which is highly entertaining and will certainly remind you of Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur. On the aforesaid counts, the film has certainly worked. However, on the flip side, while the first half is entertaining enough, the plot of the second half gets quite haywire and it seems like the filmmaker just wanted to arrive at a conclusion without much application of mind.

Nevertheless, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is an entertaining ride for sure and if you are a Nawaz fan, the film will definitely be a treat for you