Bagheera review: Sriimurali shines in Kannada cinema’s homegrown Batman flick

Bagheera movie review: Indian filmmakers’ romance with the vigilante genre has seen some hits and numerous misses, mostly due to the lack of a convincing story. Unlike typical heroes, these characters do not have superpowers or resources, but rely on courage, wit, and a strong sense of justice. Some directors, like Shankar, have found the near-perfect formula. Now, Kannada filmmaker Dr Suri has given us Bagheera, starring Sriimurali, along with Rukmini Vasanth, Prakash Raj, Garuda Ram, Sudha Rani, Achyuth Kumar, Pramod Shetty and Rangayana Raghu. (Also Read – Bagheera actor Rukmini Vasanth: Even if you’re a star kid, there’s a learning curve in the film industry)
Little Vedanth dreams of becoming a superhero, but eventually becomes a cop like his father. But the twist is that he still has dreams of being a superhero. Though he knows he doesn’t have superpowers, he believes he can take on the biggest evil of them all (in this case, bad man Rana played by Garuda Ram). As an IPS officer, Vedanth combats the usual crimes, but as Bagheera, the superhero, he takes on an organised crime syndicate that is involved in illegal organ trade. Director Dr Suri has divided the film into seven chapters, and we are taken through how Vedanth becomes Bagheera and eventually succeeds in his mission.
Bagheera is clearly like Batman and the director Dr Suri has said that he intended it to be like the popular superhero character. Given that the director loves superhero films and comics, it is not surprising that he chose this theme. But it’s ace director Prashant Neel, who has written the story that Dr Suri has brought to the silver screen. The connection between them ends there as Dr Suri has given the film his own stamp and one can see that there are gaps in the execution style. For instance, in some scenes Bagheera has not really been amped up for those goosebumps-inducing moments and the romantic track brings down the pace of the film, unfortunately. Any romance has to seamlessly connect with the main story and here it’s a little jarring.
Sriimurali comes back to the big screen after a gap of three years and the making of this film has not been easy on him either. He sustained serious injuries twice during the shoot, but he is the core of the film. His performance, especially in the action scenes, stands out. He has delivered the dual-shaded role with finesse, and his portrayal of Vedanth and Bagheera resonates with all as he is a common man-turned-superhero who wants to deliver justice. Rukmini Vasanth (who plays Dr Sneha) is a fine actor, but her character hasn’t been really explored and given ample weightage in the film. Also, a stronger and more terrifying villain than Garuda Ram would have added more gravitas to the film.
Technically, the film is pretty sound and the cinematography by AJ Shetty and the music by B Ajaneesh Loknath are good but not outstanding, which is what is expected from a superhero film to elevate those key moments. The editing by Pranav Sri Prasad could have been tighter as well. Having said that, the action choreography by Chethan D Souza does stand out and makes the film enjoyable. The director has ensured that action scenes have been crafted and captured visually in a way that it keeps the audience invested in Bagheera’s victory and the film as well. On the whole, Bagheera is a homegrown Batman film that is mostly entertaining and a new genre for Kannada filmgoers to explore.