Bad Girlz: Renu Desai's film takes slow start, is uneven but evokes fun in parts

Bad Girlz Story

The film is about four young girls—Rosy Reddy, Malleswari, Mercy, and Venkat Laxmi. As two of them get engaged, the girl gang decides to take a trip to Malaysia to have the time of their lives. Once they land there, they get entangled in a terrorist attack. Following this, they face a human trafficking gang. How the girls survive these threats and where the character of Renu Desai enters the story form the basic plot of the film.

Bad Girlz Review

Bad Girlz has been written and directed by Phani Pradeep, who last made the hit film 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela. This time, he chooses an all-girls film and makes sure to add a lot of glamour and thrill. While the comedy is decent, the thrills fall flat. The film clicks when it stays in the fun zone.

Female comedies are rare in Telugu cinema, and director Pradeep should have handled the movie with a stronger comedic touch. Instead, he uses the backdrop of a bomb blast and human trafficking, which becomes too much to take. As these aspects are forcibly inserted into the script, there is too much for the audience to process. Though the girls are newcomers, they provide decent glamour and perform well.

The fun banter between the girls, especially when they tease each other, is the best part of the film. The director narrates the film with the motto, “Why should boys have all the fun?” This basic approach works and impresses to an extent. However, he should have removed the so-called commercial elements and focused more seriously on the fun aspect. Due to the addition of too many episodes, the narrative gets derailed.

With too many elements packed into the first half, the story becomes tangled, and the proceedings lose impact. Things settle down only in the second half, where the narrative is more sensible, and the entry of Renu Desai brings closure to the film.

The dubbing is not very effective, especially for a few heroines, as they struggle with diction. Coming to the performances, Anchal Gowda, Payal Chengappa, Roshini, and Yashna are decent in their roles. 

Anchal is the best of the lot and does well in her key role. Roshan Surya, the popular influencer, gets a good role. He has a strong screen presence, and his acting is commendable. Another lead, Moin, is also neat in his role.

It is refreshing to see Renu Desai in a strong role after a long time. She brings depth to the narrative and puts the film back on track after her entry. Ravi Ravindra overacts as the Malaysian cop and ends up boring the audience.

In terms of production values, the film falls short, as the weak visuals cannot be ignored. Anup Rubens composes the music, and his score is good. Two songs stand out, and the background score is neat. The dialogues are average and occasionally over the top. The production design and screenplay feel convenient rather than organic.

Bad Girlz has a decent ending with a few emotional moments. The bonding between the girls is portrayed well, and the conclusion is satisfactory, though there is nothing particularly out of the box.

Bad Girlz Verdict

Overall, Bad Girlz is a new-age, all-girl comedy with a few fun moments. However, the slow start, formulaic narrative, and lack of emotional depth make it a below-average watch this week. Watch it only if you enjoy over-the-top comedies.

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