'Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap' is a 2-hour ad campaign for Amitabh Bachchan

Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap (U/A)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Sonal Chauhan, Charme Kaur, Makarand Deshpande & others
Director: Puri Jagannadh
Rating: **1/2

Self-promotion seems to have got a new medium, films. Whereas a Salman Khan is Wanted or Ready, the superstar of Hindi cinema is the Baap (call him buddah at your own peril)!

Before the credits role, director Puri Jagannadh thanks the Big B for inspiring an entire generation that grew up watching his movies, dedicating Bbuddah… to the man himself. We couldn’t agree less. Bbuddah is a Big B show all the way, loud, flamboyant, and effervescent with an energy that comes only from a man of his stature.

But did he really need this kind of a PR exercise to assert his supremacy? You decide.

Gangster-turned-pub owner in Paris, Viju (Bachchan) returns to Mumbai, we’re told, on a mission. The purpose of this mission becomes increasingly difficult to comprehend as a juicy twist at the interval nullifies this purpose.

The second half is built around this twist, picking up pace, and bolstered by slick action sequences along the way. The enviously stylish Viju has an eyewear collection to die for. Bbuddah… is at best a 2-hour advertising campaign for Mr Bachchan.

Tollywood director and producer Jagannadh’s tribute is void of story, and with a paper-thin plot like this only works because of Bachchan’s over-powering screen presence. We’re not surprised. There’s even a medley of old Bachchan songs (Pan Banaraswala, Ke Pag Ghungroo Baandh, Rang Barse & Saara Zamaana) packaged as ‘Go Meera Go’ by musicians Vishal-Shekhar. Everybody involved in the project is paying a tribute to Bachchansaab, including the man himself.

“Hum jahaan khade hote hain, line wahi se shuru ho jaati hai,” is among the unimpressive lines Viju delivers.

Exactly! The good lines are scattered, and not memorable either. The superhero saves young women from eve-teasers, packs a punch till they’re flat on the ground, cracks a joke or two and even shows his tender side when dealing with estranged wife Sita (Hema Malini).

The writing isn’t strong, nor are the characters. In a film starring the multi-faceted Bachchan, it’s a daunting task for any actor to stand out. Sood as ACP Karan manages this with ease, confidence and panache.

He beats the bad guys up, woos a girl, and even makes promises of cleaning up the kachra of crime, much like our title hero. Wonder why we aren’t seeing him in many films. South Indian actor Raj’s goonda act is perfect, impressive and amusing, in that order.

Chauhan as Sood’s love interest isn’t interesting enough. She can’t emote, let alone act. Her friend Amrita, played by Kaur, on the contrary overacts, just like her mother Kamini (Raveena Tandon). Raveena, why, just why a cameo like this? You deserved better. We did too.

A lot in Bbuddah… is loose, vague and unnecessary, like the Bs and Ds in the title.

Duniya mein do kism ke log hote hain, ek jo Bachchan ke fans hote hain aur doosre jo aisi filmo mein koi sense nahi dekhte hai.

You decide which part of the duniya you’re part of. We love the angry young man of the 70s and 80s. Bachchan saab, aaj khush toh bahut hoge tum, but this angry, wanna-be buddah does not make us feel the same.