Kidnapping gag in Dileep’s new film Bha Bha Ba sparks backlash, fans call it tasteless and crass

Dubai: Malayalam actor Dileep’s latest release Bha Bha Ba has triggered criticism over a scene that makes light of kidnapping, drawing uncomfortable parallels with the 2017 actor assault case in which he was previously accused.

The film arrived in theatres just days after a Kerala trial court acquitted Dileep in the high-profile case that involved the abduction and sexual assault of a woman actor in a moving vehicle.

While the case has legally concluded, audiences and critics have questioned the timing and content of certain scenes in Bha Bha Ba, particularly those centred on abduction.

In the film, Dileep plays Radar, a character whose storyline includes kidnapping a central figure using his car — a plot element that mirrors key aspects of the real-life case. In one scene, Godson Ancharakandy, played by Dhyan Sreenivasan, casually refers to Radar as a “professional kidnapper,” adding that it is “not the first time” he has done so.

The sequence then cuts to a narrated flashback showing Radar approaching a woman in his vehicle. The voiceover states that he “kidnapped and milked her,” a line that initially reads as a sexually suggestive remark before the film clarifies moments later that the ‘victim’ was, in fact, a cow named Ramani.

Despite the attempted punchline, many viewers have found the joke deeply unsettling given the surrounding context.

Several critics and audience members have said the scene is difficult to separate from Dileep’s real-life legal controversy, questioning why such material was included at all. Some have also pointed out that one of the film’s writers is a woman, raising further concerns about the creative choices behind the gag.

Beyond this sequence, Bha Bha Ba repeatedly frames Radar as a wronged man seeking retribution. The character delivers lines about taking revenge on the media and press for “destroying his life,” vowing to strike back regardless of how powerful they are. At one point, Radar asks whether he should not retaliate against those who “spoiled” him, reinforcing the film’s recurring victimhood narrative.

Superstar Mohanlal appears in an extended cameo as Gilli, a gangster who takes Radar under his wing and helps him plot revenge. Promotional material for the film leaned heavily on this arc, including the song Azhinjaattam — loosely translating to reckless revelry without moral restraint — which featured prominently in posters and teasers.

The film also includes meta-style punch lines such as “this is my comeback moment,” which many viewers have interpreted as a direct attempt to rehabilitate Dileep’s public image following the events of 2017. Critics argue that the film appears more invested in restoring the actor’s stardom than in developing a coherent or sensitive narrative.

As debates continue online, Bha Bha Ba has found itself at the centre of a larger conversation about accountability, creative responsibility and the ethics of humour in the shadow of real-life trauma.