Bhagwat (2025) :
Movie Review -
Bhagwat Chapter 1 Rakshas is based on true events that will shatter your perception of criminals. How can someone be so cruel and feel proud of it at the same time? That's the question that will make your heart burn. The bigger regret is why our law and order system is so weak. But that is reality, and that is why we adore fictional characters like Singham and Dabangg, because they deliver justice on the spot and never make the law look helpless. Bhagwat tells a shocking story of a criminal and a cop in a thrilling manner but loses momentum in the final quarter due to its predictability.
The film revolves around Bhagwat (Arshad Warsi), a brutal and out-of-the-rulebook cop, who takes on the case of a missing girl. During his investigation, he discovers another missing girl, and the chain keeps growing until he learns that a total of 19 girls have disappeared with no clue about the culprit. This buildup creates real tension, but the narrative also includes a parallel story of Samir (Jitendra Kumar) and Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar), who fall in love and elope. Soon after, Meera goes missing. From here, the rest of the story unfolds, showing how Bhagwat corners Samir, aka Rajkumar, and how the culprit fights back, putting Bhagwat in a jam. Will Rajkumar escape due to the flaws in our system?
The film runs for two hours and remains engaging and fast-paced for the first one and a half hours. However, the last quarter loses grip because the courtroom drama becomes very predictable, and the finale takes too long to reach its climax. The worst a storyteller can do is insert a 5-minute song right after revealing the ace card, making the audience wait for something they already know. This choice is disappointing. Bhagwat could have easily removed the song and trimmed some unnecessary courtroom dialogues to maintain tension. For any crime thriller, the climax twist should be a genuine surprise, but here it's revealed ten minutes too early, draining the excitement.
Arshad Warsi is convincing as a cop. I genuinely appreciate seeing a mid-aged officer with a tummy and a beard, because that reflects reality. Those fictional cops with six-pack abs and fight scenes every fifteen minutes are far from logical. Thank you, Arshad Warsi, for making the character believable, because true stories need to feel real. Jitendra Kumar plays a sophisticated and cold-blooded Samir, and you'll end up hating him, which is a testament to his acting skills. Ayesha Kaduskar is a fine surprise and arguably the best in the film. Her expressions, accent, innocence, and overall performance are exceptional. Tara Berry looks beautiful, Rashmi Rajput is good, Devdas Dixit is excellent, and Sandeep Yadav is decent. The rest of the supporting cast performs adequately.
Cinematography by Amogh Deshpande is visually appealing, though some overly dark frames make viewers squint unnecessarily. Hemal Kothari's editing maintains a strong pace for three quarters but falters in the final stretch. Bhavini Bheda's story and screenplay shed light on a significant topic that deserves attention. Director Akshay Shere's effort to make the film socially impactful is evident, and he succeeds in most parts. Despite its predictability in the final quarter, Bhagwat Chapter 1 Rakshas remains watchable, thanks to strong performances, intense storytelling, and gripping subject matter. Had the climax been tighter and the unnecessary scenes trimmed, this could have been a truly compelling crime thriller. Nevertheless, it's a film that deserves your attention for both its social relevance and the talent on display.
RATING - 5/10*
