Bholaa was released on 30 March 2023 to mixed reviews from critics and grossed ₹111 crore (US$13 million) worldwide.[3]
Plot
SP Diana Joseph captures members of the Sikka Gang and confiscates a haul of cocaine worth ₹1,000 crore. Abbas Ali, an undercover officer known as Raunak, has joined Ashwathama "Ashu", the co-leader of the Sikka Gang. Raunak gives information about Ashu to Diana, while Ashu seeks help from corrupt NCB officer Devraj Subramaniam, who instructs another officer Deep Singh to add rohypnol to drinks made for cops at the farewell party of IG Jayant Malik. Diana does not partake due to medication, but everyone else falls unconscious.
A prisoner named Bholaa has been released from prison and Diana tries to convince him to drive a truck taking the sedated cops to the hospital and later on to Laalganj police station. Although reluctant at first, Bholaa agrees. Meanwhile, Ashu hires a bounty on Diana and the rest of her police force. As Diana, Bholaa and sidekick Kadchi drive to the hospital, they are attacked by various gangs. Deep Singh, who has hidden with the sedated officers, provides them with the location updates. A cat-and-mouse game ensues in which Bholaa kills the goons. Ashu also sends his gang to attack the police station and to free his brother Nithari, who was caught with the cocaine.
Constable Angad Yadav, who was recently transferred to Laalganj police station, gets assigned by Diana to defend the station. When Ashu arrives with his gang, they try to breach the station, which is barricaded by Yadav and some students. Diana is nearly tricked into ordering the release of the prisoners, but she realizes that it was a trap set by Nithari. Ashu manages to get inside the police station, but Yadav and the students manage to arrest him. One of the student Chetan gets strangled to death by Ashu's gang and Yadav kills Ashu. Diana contacts medics to provide an emergency ambulance at a temple of Lord Shiva.
As they wait, Bholaa narrates his past in which he was a notorious gangster in UP and fell in love with a Dr. Swara. Before their marriage, Bholaa gave up his gangster life, but Swara was killed by a ruthless gang leader called Chomu Singh. Before dying, Swara gave birth to their daughter Jyoti, but Bholaa was separated from her after receiving a long-term prison sentence. Diana shares her story about how she lost her unborn child when she was pregnant. An ambulance finally arrives and takes the sedated officers to the hospital. After this, Ashu's henchman Bhoora also arrives. Before Bholaa is able to fight, Deep Singh stabs him and Bholaa is brutally injured.
Diana and Kadchi are taken away and Abbas is killed after his identity is exposed. Bholaa regains consciousness and single-handedly kills the whole gang, including Deep Singh, using the Trishul. After this, Bholaa chases after Bhoraa, rescuing Diana and killing Bhoraa. After driving all night, Bholaa, Kadchi and Diana arrive in the station using a secret passage and help the students and Yadav to escape safely. Diana burns the cocaine and after Ashu's re-inforced gang finally breaches the station, Bholaa destroys them using a M134 Minigun. Nithari dies of shock after learning about Bholaa and Devraj Subramaniam shoots himself after knowing that Bholaa was behind everything. Bholaa reunites with Jyoti and they drive off in the truck with Kadchi and a puppy.
In the mid-credits scene, Chomu Singh learns about Bholaa's release from prison and sets out to hunt him down.
Cast
Ajay Devgn as Bholaa, a prisoner, Dr. Swara's husband and Jyoti's father
The music of the film is composed by Ravi Basrur while lyrics are written by Irshad Kamil. The first single titled "Nazar Lag Jayegi" was released on 20 February 2023.[10] The second single titled "Aadha Main Aadhi Vo" was released on 15 March 2023.[11] The third single titled "Paan Dukaniya" was released on 20 March 2023.[12] The fourth single titled "Dil Hai Bholaa" was released on 24 March 2023.[13] The fifth single titled "Aaraaro Aararo" was released on 6 April 2023.
The film grossed ₹11.20 crore on its first day.[3] On the second day the film collected only ₹6 crore.[3] While Day 3 and Day 4 collections were ₹11 crore and ₹12.20 crore respectively.[3] The film grossed ₹54.80 in its first week of release.[3] As of 4 May 2023 it has grossed ₹111.64 crore worldwide.[3]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Bholaa is a mass-appealing film with scale, grandeur, breathtaking action, and Ajay Devgn and Tabu's mind-blowing performances as its USP".[20] Harshada Rege of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Bholaa packs in quite a punch with his strength, grit and charisma".[21]
Roktim Rajpal of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Bholaa is a treat for Ajay Devgn’s fans. It has everything, right from action scenes to punch dialogues, that one would expect from a big-screen spectacle meant for the mass audience".[22]Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Ajay Devgn-Tabu's all-out action film is not for the faint-hearted but it is bang for your buck".[23] Rishil Jogani of Pinkvilla gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Bholaa primarily rides on well-designed action scenes directed tactfully by Ajay Devgn and his team".[24]
Monika Rawal Kukreja of the Hindustan Times wrote "Bholaa can sure be touted to be that typical mass entertainer with action that is totally paisa vasool, but again, we need to see something beyond just the heroic deeds".[25] Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mint wrote "‘Bholaa’ is a 3D-reimagining of the heavy-duty action film, ‘Kaithi’, with low-grade computer graphics and a breathless body count. The finale has tonal and action design references that give a World War Z meets Mad Max: Fury Road feel".[26]
Sequel
A sequel titled Bholaa 2 has been confirmed by Devgn with Abhishek Bachchan playing Bholaa's rival Chomu Singh, as shown in the film's mid-credits scene.[27]
