Vedaa review: John Abraham and Sharvari’s caste-based thriller makes you ponder, delivers a powerful punch | Bollywood

Hey Bollywood Buffs! Khabree Kiran here, with yet another juicy tidbit from the glitzy world of Hindi cinema. Buckle up, kyunki yeh article hai full-on masala, tadka maar ke! 🍿

Vedaa: A Rollercoaster Ride of Reality, Action, and Thoda Drama

So, John Abraham is back, and no, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill action flick where he just flexes his t-shirt-ripping muscles. In "Vedaa," John plays Major Abhimanyu Kanwar, a court-martialed Gorkha officer with more brains than brawn. And guess what? He steps into the chaotic life of a young girl named Vedaa, beautifully portrayed by Sharvari Wagh.

The story kicks off with a gut-wrenching scene. A lower-caste girl requests an upper-caste woman to fill her water bottle from a college cooler. The nuances of casteism are so ingrained in her that in another scene, she’d rather cry and endure the assault of upper-caste goons than react. Heartbreaking, na? 😢

Major Abhimanyu meets Vedaa after a horrible honor killing that took her brother’s life. The village Pradhan, Jitendra Pratap Singh (played by the ever-menacing Abhishek Banerjee), is the villain here. He brutally kills a girl from his own family for eloping with a lower-caste boy. Vedaa, who dreams of becoming a boxer, begins her journey under Abhimanyu’s guidance, much to the chagrin of her male counterparts.

Oh, and did I mention? After her sister’s murder, Vedaa is on the run from these upper-caste tyrants. Will she make it out alive? Suspense, suspense!

What’s Good, What’s Not, and What’s Just Plain Weird

First off, hats off to Nikhil Advani for evolving from his mushy "Kal Ho Naa Ho" days to tackling such a hard-hitting subject. The film opens with a lengthy disclaimer, kinda like saying, "Hey, we don’t mean to hurt anyone, but brace yourself for some real talk on casteism." The film’s sensitivity is spot-on, but the disclaimer feels like a thoda zyada reassurance.

Now, let’s talk realism—or the lack thereof. How does John, built like a tank, survive everything but feels the pinch when shot in the shoulder? And don’t even get me started on Jitendra, who’s casually walking around after getting shot in the stomach. Logic ki maa-behen ho gayi yahan!

The film isn’t a masala potboiler with flying cars and goons, so why not keep the deaths realistic too? And please, those songs—Holiyaan and Mummy Ji—are perfect loo breaks.

Performance Ka Report Card

John Abraham is thik-thak—his build almost convinces us of his character’s depth. Almost. Thankfully, there’s no over-the-top entry scene for him. His character is grieving his wife’s death (played by Tamannaah Bhatia) and takes revenge accordingly. Sharvari nails her role as Vedaa, growing from a timid girl to a confident fighter.

The climax, set in a courtroom, is where things get interesting. Sharvari seeks justice, and John uses the literal hammer of justice as a weapon. Metaphors ki barish ho rahi hai!

Abhishek Banerjee is a standout, as usual. His passive anger is brilliantly portrayed, making him a worthy adversary even against John. Ashish Vidyarthi also does a commendable job as the patriarch.

Kiran’s Gyan

Bollywood Lesson #101: In a realistic drama, make sure your characters don’t turn into Superman and Wolverine mid-film. 🦸‍♂️ Also, if you’re gonna have songs, make sure they don’t serve as bathroom breaks. Keep it tight, keep it real!

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Tags: Action, Drama, Bollywood, Caste System, John Abraham, Sharvari Wagh, Nikhil Advani, Abhishek Banerjee, Hindi Films