Baaghi 4 review: Tiger Shroff flexes muscles in blood-soaked action drama; netizens call it 'mental torture'

The first Friday of September is brimming with festivities. From Onam to Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, to the ongoing Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, the day also ushers in another long weekend. Adding to the excitement, two films clash at the box office today, Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 4 and Hollywood's Conjuring: The Last Rites.

Both are sequels, and naturally, moviegoers walked in with high expectations from these popular franchises. But the real question for Bollywood lovers is, has Baaghi 4 lived up to the hype? Let's find out.

For years, the Baaghi franchise has been synonymous with gravity-defying stunts, adrenaline-pumping action, and Tiger Shroff's larger-than-life screen presence. So, with another instalment, expectations were sky-high. While the film ambitiously tries to weave romance, emotions, and action into a grand spectacle, it doesn't quite succeed in holding it all together.

The plot [Spoilers ahead]

The story begins with Ronnie (Tiger Shroff) meeting with a near-fatal accident that leaves him brain-dead and in a coma. Upon regaining consciousness, the first word he utters is "Alisha" (Harnaaz Sandhu)—a name that becomes central to the plot. Ronnie begins hallucinating Alisha, though everyone around him insists she's a figment of his imagination.

The first half follows Ronnie's struggle to prove Alisha's existence, while Pratishtha (Sonam Bajwa) quietly enters his life and develops feelings for him. But Ronnie's heart remains tied to Alisha. The big reveal—whether Alisha is real or just an illusion—unfolds in the second half, culminating in a much-hyped face-off between Tiger Shroff and Sanjay Dutt.

The film offers a mix of blood-soaked action, romance, and steamy sequences. Yet, many viewers compared it to Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, while others dismissed it as an unnecessary sequel, calling it a waste of time, money, and resources.

Despite his massive fan following, Tiger falters here. His action scenes, once his strength, come across as repetitive and underwhelming, offering nothing new to the audience.

Debutante Harnaaz Sandhu, however, is the silver lining. Playing a doctor with a layered character arc, she shines with her charm and screen presence. Her chemistry with Tiger feels refreshing and impactful. In fact, Sonam Bajwa is underutilized in a poorly written role, relegated to just a few scenes and a sizzling dance number.

Among the supporting cast, Shreyas Talpade and Upendra Limaye provide comic relief in the first half, while Saurabh Shukla once again delivers in a role that feels all too similar to what we have already seen in Animal.

A user wrote, "Why is #Baaghi4 is even being made..Bro is putting his efforts in the wrong kind of movies. He might be an average actor but bud gives his 100% for every movie. His performance in #War was really good and in #singhamagain he even outshined other credible actors.."

Another wrote, "Baba enters now just at the interval point with just a glimpse. First half totally wasted by stretching what should have been 20-30 minutes. Only one major action sequence before interval. Hopefully it catches up in the second half. #Baaghi4 #Baaghi4Review.."

The third one wrote, "Now watching #baaghi4 since I got a cheap ticket. Still barely 20% occupancy."

The fourth one mentioned, "#baghi4 is an overhyped third-copy South remake with back-to-back songs that kill the flow. #SanjayDutt looks too old to match #TigerShroff and the whole thing feels like cheap chappri cinema trying to copy #Animal.Don't waste your hard earned money.."

Welcome to the flop club

Baaghi 4 marks yet another setback for Tiger Shroff, who hasn't delivered a box-office hit since Baaghi 3 in 2020. Post-pandemic, he has headlined films like Heropanti 2, Ganapath—A Hero Is Born, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, all of which turned out to be massive flops.

The Baaghi franchise began with director Sabbir Khan, who also launched Tiger with Heropanti. The success of the first film quickly turned it into a bankable franchise. The second and third instalments were helmed by Ahmed Khan, while the latest chapter has been directed by A. Harsha, a filmmaker known primarily for his work in Kannada cinema.