Starcast: Bobby Deol, Rani Mukerji, Sachin Khedekar, Farida Jalal, Mohan Joshi, Bhakti Barve, Ishrat Ali, and Ashish Vidyarthi Director: Gud...
Starcast: Bobby Deol, Rani Mukerji, Sachin Khedekar, Farida Jalal, Mohan Joshi, Bhakti Barve, Ishrat Ali, and Ashish Vidyarthi
Director: Guddu Dhanoa
Music: Anand Raaj Anand
Bichhoo, released on July 7, 2000, is a Bollywood crime thriller
directed by Guddu Dhanoa that was sort of a cult film then , even if it’s not
exactly a household name. Starring Bobby Deol and Rani Mukerji, this flick is a
Hindi remake of Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional (1994), but it swaps out
the French cool for some desi masala. It’s got action, drama, romance, and a sprinkle
of those classic Bollywood songs that’ll either charm you or make you scratch
your head.
First off, Bichhoo (meaning "Scorpion" in
Hindi) follows Jeeva, played by Bobby Deol, a brooding hitman with a tragic
past. This guy’s not your average Bollywood hero—he’s a cold-blooded contract
killer who’s got a strict “no women, no kids” rule when it comes to his
targets. Bobby Deol nails the tough-guy vibe, rocking that early 2000's
spiked-hair look and a leather jacket that screams “I’m dangerous but also
kinda sensitive.” His backstory is rough: his mom and sisters were framed for
prostitution by a corrupt bigshot, leading to their suicides, and his first
love, Kiran (Malaika Arora in a brief but pivotal role), also takes her own
life out of guilt. This trauma turns Jeeva into the scorpion of the title,
stinging anyone who crosses him, except the innocent ones.
Enter Rani Mukerji as Kiran Bali , the spunky
girl-next-door who lives in the same Mumbai apartment building as Jeeva. Rani’s
character is a bit of a firecracker, smoking on stairwells and trying to crack
through Jeeva’s grumpy exterior. Unlike Léon, where the female lead was a
12-year-old, Kiran here is in her early 20s, which shifts their chemistry into
a more romantic one. When Kiran’s family gets brutally killed by a gang of
criminals led by the slimy Devraj Khatri (Ashish Vidyarthi), Jeeva steps in. He
trains Kiran to be a badass so she can get revenge, and, naturally, sparks
start flying between them.
What Works: The action scenes are a
highlight—Guddu Dhanoa knows how to stage a punch-up. Whether it’s Jeeva taking
out goons with slick precision or the climactic showdown where he’s dodging
bullets like he’s in a video game, the stunts are gritty and fun, especially
for a 2000 Bollywood flick. Bobby Deol’s intensity carries a lot of the film;
he’s believable as a guy who’s seen too much pain to care about much else. Rani
Mukerji, meanwhile, brings her trademark energy. She’s got this infectious charm
that makes you root for Kiran, even when the script doesn’t give her much
depth. Their chemistry is decent, though the romance feels a bit rushed—like,
one minute they’re neighbors, the next they’re soulmates.
Now, the film’s not perfect. The screenplay,
written by Dilip Shukla, has some holes one could drive a Kolkata taxi through.
For one, Jeeva’s transformation into a hitman is barely explained. Like, okay,
he’s mad about his family, but how does he go from regular common man to a pro
assassin? No clue. Also, the revenge plot gets sidelined for too long, with
random songs popping up that, while catchy (Anand Raj Anand’s music is solid),
kill the pacing. One minute Kiran’s training to be a killer, the next we’re in
a dreamy song sequence. It feels like Dhanoa couldn’t decide if he wanted a
taut thriller or a full-on masala flick. The climax is also a bit bonkers—Jeeva
taking on an army of cops single-handedly is the kind of over-the-top stuff
that’s either awesome for some or ridiculous for others.
Speaking of Léon, the comparisons are inevitable.
Bichhoo sticks close to the original’s framework but tweaks it to fit Bollywood
sensibilities. The age change for Kiran makes sense for cultural reasons, but
it loses some of the emotional complexity of Léon’s mentor-student dynamic.
Ashish Vidyarthi’s villain is no Gary Oldman, but he’s suitably menacing, and
the added backstory about Jeeva’s family gives the film a desi twist that feels
fresh.
The supporting cast is solid, with Farida Jalal as
Jeeva’s mom and Mohan Joshi as Kiran’s dad adding some gravitas, though their
roles are brief. The film clocks in at nearly three hours, which was kind of
standard for Indian films those days but feels draggy in parts.
Overall, Bichhoo is a fun ride if you’re into
action-packed Bollywood thrillers with a side of melodrama. It’s not going to
win any awards for originality or tight storytelling, but Bobby Deol’s grit,
Rani Mukerji’s spark, and some well-done action make it worth a watch. It’s
like ordering street food—you know it’s not gourmet, but it hits the spot. It's
basically Léon with some extra curry.
By Ayushmaan Mitra
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