Bhediya

About the film

Bhediya: Jungle Mein Kaand (pronounced [ˈbʱeːɽɪjɑː]; transl. Wolf: Scandal in the Jungle) is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Amar Kaushik. Produced by Dinesh Vijan from a story and screenplay by Niren Bhatt, it stars Varun Dhawan alongside Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak. The plot of the film is inspired by Arunachal Pradesh's folklore about a Yapum, a shape-shifting werewolf, who wants to protect the jungle, even if they have to kill somebody. This marks the second collaboration between Dhawan and Sanon since Dilwale (2015). It is the second installment in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.

Bhediya was theatrically released on 25 November 2022, garnering positive reviews. The film grossed ₹90 crore against a production budget of approximately ₹60 crore at the box office. It received 13 nominations at the 68th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Critics) and Best Special Effects. A sequel is in development.

Plot

Road contractor Bhaskar, accompanied by his cousin Jana, visits downtown Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, on a road construction assignment. There, they are welcomed by local residents Jomin, a friend of Bhaskar, and Panda, who show them around. One night, a wolf attacks Bhaskar on his rear end, and he is immediately rushed to Anika, a local veterinarian. Despite her inexperience, she treats him. The next day, Bhaskar finds himself miraculously cured and notices heightened senses of smell and hearing; he also realises that he can now communicate with animals. Meanwhile, local tribes and residents strongly oppose his project, as it requires deforestation.

Following the deaths of two officials involved in the project due to alleged animal attacks, Bhaskar reveals to his friends that he has become a shape-shifting werewolf ever since being bitten by the wolf, and that he has been committing the murders while having no control over his actions. They decide to chain Bhaskar up at a remote location each night to prevent further attacks. Nevertheless, a police officer discovers the truth and intimidates Bhaskar, but is subsequently attacked and killed by the wolf that bit him. Horrified, Bhaskar and his friends consult a Shaman, who asserts that Bhaskar can only be cured if he is bitten by the same werewolf on a new moon night at the same place. He then goes there with Jana and Jomin and realises that Anika is the werewolf.

Anika reveals that she was bitten by a werewolf over a century ago and has since served as the guardian of the forest. She tells them that she initially intended to kill Bhaskar for his involvement in the project, but chose to spare him upon realising that he possesses kindness and humanity. Anika is subsequently shot and captured by the local police, but Bhaskar transforms into a wolf and comes to her rescue. They subdue the police officers and go to a cliff, where Anika succumbs to her wounds and dies, leaving Bhaskar, who has fallen in love with her, devastated. He announces that the road will be rerouted along the forest's border, thereby avoiding deforestation.

Production

The producer of the film, Dinesh Vijan, confirmed that Bhediya is part of his horror comedy universe consisting of films like Stree and Munjya. The shooting for Bhediya nikka took place in the regions of Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro (Lower Subansiri), Sagalee (Papum Pare) and parts of Pakke-Kessang district- over a span of two months, from March to April 2021. Over 70 percent of the artists in Bhediya are from Arunachal Pradesh, including a lead character, named Jomin. Besides that, Arunachal rapper K4 Kheko had sung and written the lyrics for the theme song of the film. While the film has several Arunachal dialogues, they are not subtitled, with the character of Panda acting as translator to the non-Arunachal characters. Sanon's bob cut hairstyle was inspired by her childhood looks.

During the shooting schedule, Varun Dhawan and his wife, designer Natasha Dalal donated ₹1 lakh (US$1,000) to the victims of a massive fire in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap and Longding districts in April 2021. Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu also visited the set in Ziro. The shooting schedule in Arunachal Pradesh was completed on 19 April 2021. Filming wrapped on 10 July 2021.

Themes

Bhediya explores wildlife conservation and speaks against deforestation. It also speaks against the racial discrimination that Northeast Indians face from other Indians, including being treated as non-Indians and accused of having stereotypes of Chinese, Japanese and Korean people, including kung fu expertise.

Bhediya addresses environmental concerns, particularly the impact of deforestation in Arunachal Pradesh. The plot involves a road construction project that threatens a forested area, with the narrative exploring issues related to ecological disruption and the consequences of human encroachment on natural habitats.

The film includes depictions of racial stereotyping faced by Northeast Indians, such as being mistaken for foreigners or associated with East Asian cultures. These elements are presented through dialogue and character interactions, highlighting social dynamics within India.

Music

The music of the film is composed by Sachin–Jigar while the lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The first single titled "Thumkeshwari" was released on 28 October 2022. The second single audio titled "Apna Bana Le was released on 5 November 2022 while its video was released on 7 November 2022.

Key details