Total suspension of belief

It’s another of those tiresome stories of the underworld goon with a golden heart. Only this time Sunjay Dutt has his heart set on Inder Kumar, and true security guard that he once was, promises to save him from all those who thwart his true love for Tina. Heroine’ Manisha Koirala appears for all of 12 minutes in the film and villain Gulshan Grover for 10. The second lead pair never had it so good.

Don’t even look for sense and continuity. The Baaghi scenario is set in Mumbai’s underworld, but the kids’ college has banners saying Keep Shimla Clean’. The little son of college professor Shivaji Satam grows by 10 years, but his parents, Sunjay Dutt and the rest of the cast don’t age at all.

Satam plays the upright professor in the pettiest situation, but chickens out when it comes to the crunch. All that talk about morality and his son is shown to be a born extortionist.

Aditya Pancholi has a sister about 30 years younger than he is. Inder Kumar is pronounced dead by someone who looks like a qualified doctor. Obviously he wasn’t, for Sunjay Dutt revives the youngster with a mere wake-up call. Gangsters enter a bar where the bartender refuses to serve drinks for it is past closing time. However, the guys are thrown out into broad daylight, and in the next shot, the clock says 11.00.

His friends tell Inder Kumar they’re going eve-teasing, and coax him to join them. Guess where they go? To a shopping mall to tease the counter girls. There, Inder looks like he’s admiring the girl on the other side of a fish tank. But it was the fish he was gazing adoringly at, for didn’t he lick his lips?

Baaghi’s not even a comedy.

With the kind of songs it has, this B-grade film didn’t deserve a music release. Actually, it didn’t deserve a release at all.

— Bella Jaisinghani