Bailwan Movie Review
A conventional entertainer propelled by Sudeep’s presence!
Performances
Story & Narration
Technical Aspects & Music
Comparisons with Dangal and Sultan have been inevitable right from when the promos of Bailwaan had arrived, due to the wrestling backdrop that the film carries. But coming to this film alone, it is quite simpler than the other two, being a quintessential mass entertainer that ticks the boxes of catering to the fans and little else. The film does not have a strong storyline or memorable moments, but yes, there’s Kichcha Sudeep who carries it on his shoulders and makes it a watchable affair on the whole, thanks to his majestic screen presence.
The movie tells us the story of Bailwaan Krishna, a small-town wrestler who is the darling of the masses. Suniel Shetty, who plays the town’s trainer Sarkar, takes up Krishna at a small age and trains him to become a celebrated wrestler. However, things do not go as planned when Krishna runs into the love of his life, and a couple of baddies on the way. Looking at it simply, Bailwaan’s story has nothing new to offer. The film’s big plus point is how the action sequences are choreographed, thanks to the superb cinematography by Karunakara and the accompanying score by Arjun Janya (at some places, we are reminded of Viswasam). The emotional value that the film carries is old school, and some tinkering with the plot points in the second half could have made this a highly engaging fare, given the budget and the scale that the film has.
Undoubtedly, Kichcha Sudeep is the single biggest plus point of the film, adding loads of value through his superb screen presence, body language and dialogue delivery. His efforts for the role are very much evident in the stunt sequences.
Akanksha is a good fit to the role of the heroine, with Suniel Shetty offering good support. The rest of the cast are typecast including the villain Kabir Dulhan Singh.
On the whole, Bailwaan is a decent mass entertainer that could please the fans of Kichcha Sudeep. Krishna presents a very basic and clichéd film that could have done with some more novelty in the writing. Bailwaan Movie Review by Siddarth Srinivas