An Action Hero Movie Review: Ayushmann Khurrana & Jaideep Ahlawat's Cat-and-Mouse Chase Is Both Hilarious and Thrilling! (LatestLY Exclusive)
Anirudh Iyer's directorial debut revolves around Youth Icon and Bolywood Superstar Maanav who finds himself in a tricky real life situation. At the peak of his career, Maanav must flee his homeland and must resort to solid action for his survival!
An Action Hero Movie Review: Anirudh Iyer's directorial debut titled An Action Hero, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat in the lead roles, is difficult to pronounce in terms of the genre it tries to slot itself into. It's a part revenge drama, a part action thriller that meets quirky comedy delivered with a drama filled with unusual punches. And therein lies its beauty. Don't be misled by the title because this "action hero" delivers his kicks in a manner sleeker than Khurrana's glistening cleavage sported generously in this 130 minutes action comic caper. Ayushmann Khurrana Sings 'Jehda Nasha' With Young Delhi Street Singer and It Will Bring a Smile to Your Face (Watch Video)
While the trailer promised an interesting cat-and-mouse chase between Khurrana and Ahlawat, the engaging juglabandi serves more than just thrills. Both in terms of the treatment of the film and in terms of the texture, the film is novel and doesn't shy away from experimenting. Kudos to the makers for telling a rather brash and unsettling tale in a hard-hitting. but a hilarious way. The credit for keeping the drama engaging goes to the writers who infuse the proceedings with crisp dialogues, and an innovative screenplay for the actors to serve delicious performances.
When Bollywood megastar Maanav (Ayushmann Khurrana) finds himself in a rather tricky real-life situation that demands more action than the kick-and-the-punches he delivers as the unquestionable action hero, he decides to fight the situation as the true youth icon. Bhoora (oh-so-fantastic Jaideep Ahlawat) is after Maanav's life for a reason more meatier than meets the eye and chases the superstar all the way to London. Who will eventually outdo who in this intense jugalbandi where stakes are far too high and time is of the essence?
Watch The Trailer:
Outwardly, An Action Hero may come across as a simple tale, but truth be told director Anirudh Iyer assumes the position from where he does a lot of loud thinking where he can use bold strokes to paint the pop culture canvas convincingly. From the cacophonous media trials (a dig at certain Arnab Goswami is in-your-face), to the repulsive celeb culture and from the ever-intruding paparazzi mania to aam janata who is ready to either worship or whiplash their favorite celebrities as per their convenience--nuances are many and they are narrated loudly and flashily. Dream Girl 2: Ananya Panday, Ayushmann Khurrana's Film Gets a New Release Date; Film to Arrive in Theatres on July 7.
An Action Hero is about the ever-changing narrative that we conveniently adapt to suit our fears as indeed our hopes. (both individually and collectively) It's a brash commentary on the lengths and breadth one could travel in order to survive (as indeed to keep one's ego in check, and that quest perhaps becomes more important than mere survival in this storyline). While the first half of the film takes more time to establish the juicy plot, the second half galvanizes into action to ensure that the film becomes a pacy ride.
As far as the performances go, Ayushmann and Jaideep hold the narrative with their delicious performances. The duo's daredevilry and the smoothness of their simplicity also add up as a stark contrast to the hilarious proceedings. The duo's punches, and dare I say, the perfectly played pauses make this film an enjoyable watch. Malaika Arora and Norah Fatehi's respective dance numbers- "Aap Jaisa Koi" and "Jehda Nasha" add to the glam quotient of the film and the unmissable cameo of Bollywood's megastar draws laughs. On the lopside though the film could have been crisper with the arrival of some unnecessary characters be done with. Also, we wished if Khurrana could pull off his action moves more smoothly (and more convincingly of course) to portray his character more reliably.
Final Word: The slick narrative and impressive performances make this man-on-the-run thriller a rather engaging watch. Khurrana's zestful energy coupled with his sincere performance and Ahlawat's unmissable thehraav and his rare simplicity make An Action Hero both hilarious and thrilling!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 02, 2022 11:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).