Amar Kaushik's Bala was promoted as a film about a young guy facing an issue of pre-mature balding. But believe us this movie is more than that.
It is about these three characters, Balmukund aka Bala (Ayushmann Khurrana), Latika (Bhumi Pednekar) and Pari (Yami Gautam), and their different perspective about the society. Bala suffers from pre-mature balding and wants a beautiful girl to get married. With the help of a wig, he impresses Pari and the two get married. What happens next forms the rest of the story...
Niren Bhatt has written the story, screenplay and the dialogues of the film, and he is actually the ‘hero’ of this movie. The basic concept of the film is damn good and Bhatt's screenplay in the first half is impressive. It dips a bit in the second half, but the movie never bores you. The dialogues are the best element in the film. The one-liners are so funny that it will surely make you laugh out loud. We love how the TikTok craze has been showcased in the film. It's an apt thing in today's time.
While the writing is very smart, Amar Kaushik's direction is also up to the mark. After Stree, this man once again proves his mettle as a director and now, we wait to watch what he will do next. But well, one thing that we would like to point out here is that the film should have been titled something else. It's not just about Bala or baldness, it is about a lot of stereotypes that we face in the society, and even the female characters play a very pivotal part here, so a different title would have been better.
Talking about performances, we have a question here. Is there a role that Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar can't do? Well, the answer to this question surely seems to be a big 'NO'. Ayushmann is simply brilliant in the film. He makes us feel the pain his character is going through and he also impresses us with his comic timing. Just two weeks ago, we saw Bhumi as a 70-year-old woman on the big screen in Saand Ki Aankh and here she is playing a young girl with a dark complexion. The actress has carried the role very confidently, proving her versatility once again.
Now, let's talk about Yami Gautam. Well, of course, the film has strong performers like Ayushmann and Bhumi, but we have to say that Yami stands out. Her comic timing is exceptional in this film and she also impresses us in the emotional sequences. Watch out for the scene when she comes to know that Bala is bald. She is just WOW in it.
While the three leads are fantastic, we cannot ignore the supporting cast. Seema Pahwa, Saurabh Shukla, Jaaved Jaaferi, and Abhishek Banerjee, all of them are just amazing in their respective roles. A special mention to Dheerendra Kumar Gautam who plays the role of Bala’s brother in the film; he is simply awesome.
Overall, Bala is an entertaining film and gives out a very strong message. This movie should surely be on your list to watch this weekend...
Ratings: 4/5
P.S. This film also takes us on a nostalgia trip thanks to the addition of the 90s songs in it...
Watch the trailer here...
