Bheed Movie Review

Powered by persuasive performances by Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Kapur, and Aditya Srivastava, the film addresses the specter of caste and class divide in the times of COVID-19

One of the most shattering sights of the Covid-19 pandemic was the flood of people suddenly rendered rudderless by the announcement of one of the most stringent lockdowns in the world — chief amongst those were daily wagers and blue-collar workers who would starve if they couldn’t go out to their jobs. With no public transport available, they began the long walk home, some carrying all their worldly goods in plastic sacks, with their children, or the elderly, in tow. That the trek under the relentless summer sun of 2020 was going to be long and arduous didn’t seem to deter the migrants. The refrain was common: I want to be where I belong if I have to die.

Bheed Movie Story

Anubhav Sinha’s social drama highlights the plight of migrant workers during the nationwide Corona virus-induced lockdown and their painful and heartbreaking journey to make their way back home.

Bheed Movie Review

Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact on people around us and the world at large. Given that it's impossible for a 112-minute film to capture what millions of people experienced in real life, Anubhav Sinha's 'Bheed' is a compelling drama that comes close to relaying the truth of severe hardships migrant workers faced at that time of crisis—with bare minimum access to food, shelter, little or no money, sealed borders, and lack of overall infrastructure to support them. The film also addresses the caste discrimination that some of them faced during those challenging times.

The opening scene, which tells the story of “16 migrant workers run over by a train” (as reported), sets the tone for the intense and poignant story that follows. By now, we all are fairly aware of the traumatic incidents that occurred during the course of the pandemic, and even the thought of it can still shake you up.

So, watching this story unfold and revisiting some of these incidents cinematically, could have a similar effect on you. The screenplay by Anubhav Sinha, Saumya Tiwari, and Sonali Jain refrains from sensationalizing any aspect of the story and allows ‘Bheed’ to remain closer to reality.

Interestingly, what makes this social drama stand out is the way it is shot in black and white. Soumik Mukherjee's stark and striking cinematography heightens the impact of the film. As the camera pans on the characters (migrant workers), exposing their bleeding wounds and starving bodies, it will make you shudder.

Balram Trivedi (Pankaj Kapur) is a watchman who wishes to return to his hometown with many of his friends and fellow workers. Thousands more, like them, arrive at the Tejpur border, which is 1200 km from Delhi. However, the borders are sealed, and the officer in charge, Surya Kumar Singh (Rajkummar Rao), refuses to let anyone pass through. As a result, Madam Ji (Dia Mirza), who comes from a wealthy family, is also trapped with them. Meanwhile, medical student Renu Sharma (Bhumi Pednekar) organises a camp near the border to provide basic medical aid to Covid patients. The magnitude of each person's problems varies but they are all trapped in this tragic situation with little recourse, and only faith to hold on to.

Most of what these characters go through is inspired by real events that make you feel for them. Pankaj Kapur is fantastic as the rampaging Balram Trivedi. Rajkummar Rao once again pulls off a sincere and brilliant performance as an officer on duty trying to combat caste prejudice, while battling his inner conflict which stems from his roots. Bhumi Pednekar plays his paramour Renu, who belongs to a different caste, but that does not stop them from falling in love. Dia Mirza stands out with her compelling performance. She plays a distraught mother who is unable to meet her daughter, and also someone who comes from a place of privilege and believes that people like her (upper crust of society) will be the ones more affected by the pandemic.

The rest (the poor section of society), she believes inki immunity acchi hain. Kritika Kamra as the empathetic journalist Vidhi Prabhakar pours her heart into the story she is covering and becomes the strong voice of the people. Ashutosh Rana as a senior police officer is fairly underutilised.

Anubhav Sinha, in his cinematic portrayal of a certain phase of the pandemic, comes close to the real-life trauma thousands face. Does it make you uneasy? Is it heart-wrenching? Yes, it is, as it is intended to be. The filmmaker is known for his hard-hitting cinema (Mulk, Article 15). This time, he leaves you with strong images and stories of the miseries, despair, and desperation of a certain class of society. ‘Bheed’ isn’t an easy watch, but the harsh reality never is, isn’t it?

Bheed | Official Trailer | Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, Anubhav Sinha | 24 March 2023

Crew Members

Director	Anubhav Sinha
Producer	Anubhav Sinha
Writer	Anubhav Sinha, Saumya Tiwari, Sonali Jain
Editor	Atanu Mukherjee
Cinematographer	Soumik Mukherjee
Music	Anurag Saikia
Production Company	Benaras Media Work
Distributed By	AA Films

Cast and their role

Cast	Role
Rajkummar Rao	Inspector Surya Kumar Singh Tikas
Bhumi Pednekar	Renu Sharma
Dia Mirza	Geetanjali
Ashutosh Rana	Inspector Shiv Yadav
Pankaj Kapur	Balram Trivedi
Kritika Kamra	Reporter
Aditya Shrivastav	Ram Singh
Veerendra Saxena	Hari Dubey
Shushil Pandey	Kanhaiyya

Bheed Movie Budget

Bheed is estimated to be made on an all-inclusive budget of 35 Crores inclusive of advertising costs and star salary.

Bheed total till now Box Office Collection

2.6 Crore Producer Figure

1.7 Crore Trade Figure

Bheed Daywise Box Office Collection

Day 1:

0.6 Crore Producer Figure

0.4 Crore Trade Figure

Day 2:

0.9 Crore Producer Figure

0.55 Crore Trade Figure

Day 3:

0.9 Crore Producer Figure

0.55 Crore Trade Figure

Bheed Movie Rating

IMDb 5.8/10

Times of India 3.5/5

Koimoi 3/5

Book my show 6.6/10