Bichhoo (2000)
Starring: Bobby Deol, Rani Mukherji
Director: Guddu Dhanoa
Music: Anand Raaj Anand
Synopsis: Yet another crime thriller set in Bombay, more violence and mayhem
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

I have never come across a film whose title and tagline have less to do with its actual content than Bichhoo. Sadly, the bichhoo itself has virtually no role in the film. It makes the odd fleeting appearance but serves no purpose whatsoever.

Nor is there anyone in the film either called or resembling a bichhoo. But perhaps one is treating Guddu Dhanoa's effort too lightly. Perhaps Bichhoo is meant to refer to the lead character, Jeeva (Bobby Deol), a strong and silent assassin. Could it be that he is the real bichhoo... stalking his prey before delivering the fatal sting, just as Jeeva pumps bullets into his victims? If that is indeed the analogy, then it is a rather far-fetched one and I have probably given Mr. Dhanoa considerably more credit than he deserves.

The film opens with Jeeva (Bobby Deol), a hired assassin, carrying out the execution of a corrupt builder or businessman with ruthless efficiency. Clad entirely in black, complete with dark glasses, he is the sort of figure who stands out in a crowd rather than disappearing into it. Returning to his apartment, he bumps into another resident of the building, Kiran (Rani Mukherjee), on the staircase. Kiran leads a thoroughly miserable existence, living with her father, his mistress and the mistress's daughter. She comes across as somewhat moronic, although I doubt that was quite the impression the director intended. Jeeva exchanges a few words with her in what is actually quite an interestingly staged sequence.

Up to this point, the film is chugging along quite nicely. Jeeva returns to his apartment on the same floor as Kiran's. His flat is sparse, the refrigerator is empty and he appears never to sleep—or, if he does, he sleeps sitting upright in a chair. We are then treated to a flashback, the director's rather predictable attempt to justify why the film's hero has become a cold-blooded killer.

It is hardly worth going into because it is so utterly ridiculous, but suffice to say he loses his mother and two sisters after falling in love with a rich girl whose father disapproves of the relationship. Naturally, he kills the father and we are then returned to the present.

Running alongside this is the story of an ACP in the Narcotics Squad (Ashish Vidyarthi), who has been cheated by Kiran's corrupt father. Having given him one day to return the drugs, the ACP and his cronies arrive the following day to settle the score. The entire family is massacred, with only Kiran surviving because she happens to be in Jeeva's apartment at the time and witnesses the murders. She informs the police who, in turn, inform the ACP, who promptly dispatches his men to eliminate her. Realising the danger she is in, Jeeva sets the house on fire and escapes with Kiran in tow.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Well, it should. It is lifted almost wholesale from Luc Besson's Léon, the French thriller that became a major international success a few years earlier. Bichhoo borrows from it very heavily, but sadly it does not borrow very well.

Bichhoo is, in truth, a complete mess. After the interval we are subjected to a barrage of three songs, presumably to compensate for the overload of action that follows during the latter reels. Everything becomes increasingly fantastical and hopelessly over the top. Running parallel to all this is the supposed relationship developing between Jeeva and Kiran, but its progression is tedious and wholly unconvincing.

The fundamental problem is that the original film centres on the relationship between an assassin and a fourteen-year-old child. Here, Rani Mukherjee is asked to play little more than an overgrown, rather moronic child, leaving the entire basis of their relationship hopelessly blurred. We are repeatedly told that this is love, yet she is so utterly infantile in both her behaviour and reactions that the viewer simply cannot accept the relationship as either romantic or adult in any meaningful sense.

Bobby Deol performs well, looks terrific and, for once, appears completely in control rather than wooden. I would rate this as his most competent performance since Dillagi. He finally seems to be finding his feet and shows noticeable improvement across the board.

Rani Mukherjee, on the other hand, is a major disappointment. Perhaps this was exactly how the role was conceived and she has merely followed the director's instructions, but she never manages to convey either the innocence or the charm that normally come so naturally to her. She also looks rather unfortunate throughout the film and one cannot help being grateful that she has since shed the extra weight so evident here.

Ashish Vidyarthi is hopelessly over the top, proving neither menacing nor remotely effective. One should also mention Malaika Arora's acting debut by simply advising her to stay well away from acting in future. She too looks uncomfortable throughout and cannot act to save her life.

The film boasts what was supposedly a hit soundtrack, featuring songs such as "Tote Tote Ho Gaya", "Ek Baar Tak Le" and "Jeevan Mein Jaane Jaana", but how many of them will anyone honestly remember a few years down the line? The background score, however, is genuinely impressive.

Guddu Dhanoa struck gold with Ziddi, starring Sunny Deol, a violent but slickly made action film that exceeded expectations and became a major success. He attempted to repeat the formula with Salaakhen, without much luck. Here he once again achieves a degree of slickness but, when so much of what works has simply been lifted from Léon, it can hardly be regarded as much of an achievement.

The film should take a healthy initial thanks to its stars and popular soundtrack but, given its Adults-only certificate and weak content, I cannot see it lasting very long. Rumour has it the film has been sold at a very reasonable price.

It needed to be.

This Bichhoo has no sting.