Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar is known for coming up with hard-hitting and serious subjects from his second film Chandni Bar (2001) onwards. But in between, he has also helmed more mainstream projects like Aan: Men At Work (2004) and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (2011). His next Babli Bouncer (2022) also falls in the latter category.
The story takes place in a north Indian village called Fatehpur Beri, which is known for producing bodybuilders and wrestlers. One such bodybuilder who stands out from the lot is Babli (Tamannaah Bhatia) because of her gender. She is always ready to put to show off her wrestling skills.
Like every traditional family, especially in Indian villages, Babli’s mother expects her to get married, but she is more interested in being independent and living on her own in the world. She finds support from her father, played by Saurabh Shukla. Babli gets a chance of being a bouncer in a club in Delhi and she latches onto the opportunity. But this brings in more challenges on her path.
Babli Bouncer stands apart in terms of its storyline and the main character. The trailer doesn’t get you in splits but it has enough humour for you to be interested. Bhatia gets the Haryanvi accent right. Shukla is as always dependable in character roles.
Produced by Vineet Jain and Star Studios, Babli Bouncer is due to be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar on 23 September.
Watch the trailer and let us know if you would be keen to see the film.