Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar & Vikram Bhatt
Director: Shivam Nair
Cast: Kunal Khemu, Zoa Morani, Mandana Karimi, Raja Virus, Mansi Scott, Arun Bali, Aseem Merchant, Vikram Bhatt, Mukul Dev, Nishigandha Wad et al
Music: Devi Sri Prasad, Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari & Yo Yo Honey Singh
Director Shivam Nair has once again failed to deliver the directorial goods in his latest offering ‘Bhaag Johnny’. Even in his last half a dozen directorial attempts he had suffered the same fate. And now it is high time that he makes a serious choice of alternate career, instead of torturing the viewers & of course the poor money bags (Read Producers) too. Who had the guts to back his directorial projects till this date.
The plotted scenario of ‘Bhaag Johnny’ takes off with an extremely worried and concerned Savitri (Nishigandha Wad) meeting up a spiritual guru Acharyaji (Arun Bali) in order to know about the safety & whereabouts of her son who is settled in Bangkok. This is immediately followed by a ‘musical introduction’ of her son Janardhan Arora aka Johnny (Kunal Khemu). Just when things are getting settled down, Johnny’s boss Ramona Bakshi (Mansi Scott) summons him to her cabin and accuses him of ‘insider trading’ in the company. She also gives him a couple of choices as a punishment. The 1st option is to serve 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment in jail and the 2nd option is to spend 3 days in Pattaya. After much reluctance and a failed escape plan to India, Johnny chooses the Pattaya option. The moment he reaches Pattaya, he is loaded with a set of instructions from Ramona Bakshi’s man aka ‘Mr. Nobody’ (Aseem Merchant), who instructs Johnny to kill Tanya (Zoa Morani). Left with absolutely no option, the very moment Johnny makes up his mind to kill Tanya, there appears a ‘jin’ (Vikram Bhatt), at the behest of Acharyaji. The ‘jin’ offers to help Johnny in a very unnatural way. He gives Johnny 2 lives to live. While in the ‘1st life’ Johnny can kill Tanya and see the consequences for himself, in the ‘2nd life’, Johnny can save Tanya see the consequences. Game for this, Johnny starts living both the lives and faces the consequences in both. The story takes a sudden U – turn when the 2 Johnnys meet each other face to face.
Director Shivamm Nair has taken everyone concerned for a ride in a fool’s paradise. As nothing but nothing seems to work in case of ‘Bhaag Johnny’. Need anything more be said?
Performance wise Kunal Khemu is the lone actor who has done a fair justice to his dual role. On the other hand the female brigade comprising Mandana Karimi, Manasi Scott & Zoa Morani have lent an adequate support to Kunal Khemu’s character. Vikram Bhatt the director turned actor is miscast in the role of a ‘Jin’. Mukul Dev in the role of a pony tailed ACP is an eyesore. While the rest of the actors comprising of Raja Virus, Arun Bali, Aseem Merchant, Nishigandha Wad et al have just sleep walked through their roles.
Tail Piece: Don’t waste your time. If you have nothing better to do, just sleep at home like ‘Bhaag Johnny’ have sleep walked in the whole film.