Rahul Desai
The film opens with the officer, Sumair (Shahid Kapoor), robbing – as opposed to busting – a lucrative cocaine shipment. The Hindi film is set after the deadly second wave – when cities are opening up again, when the hospitality industry returns with a vengeance.
Sumair contains all the traits of the actor’s ultra-aggressive recent roles – namely Kabir Singh. Is he a toxic cop in a sticky situation or an undercover officer in a sticky situation? – defines our relationship with the thriller.
The storytelling stops having fun and starts taking itself seriously as a ‘premise’. The action gets more showy, blood gets more screen time, Sumair becomes more narcissistic.
Bloody Daddy snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. The jaws are strong till they last. The dismay is inevitable when it comes. After all, only an Ali Abbas Zafar movie can exceed expectations and fall short of them at once.