Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Review: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Prithviraj Give Audience The Perfect Eidi

The action genre has always demanded innovation in terms of its style and treatment. A look at biggest action hits through the decades brings this argument to the fore. Bollywood, meanwhile, seems to be struggling to find its footing in the genre, especially after streaming has made available regional and international content at the click of a button. Latest Hindi film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and Prithviraj Sukumaran, tries to break the mould while functioning strictly within the confines of a template storyline -- that of good vs evil. Does it succeed though?

Hot Take

With some of the biggest stars leading the film, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan inadvertently prefers style over substance. Not to blame director Ali Abbas Zafar, the story does feel outdated and has those "seen before" elements robbing it of its positives. Nevertheless, lead stars Akshay and Tiger, to some extent, become the saving grace as the narrative proceeds down a predictable path. Prithviraj as the antagonist proves to be fierce and brings an element of surprise, strictly in terms of his performance.

Does Bade Miyan Chote Miyan live up to the hype?

The festive release trend has suggested that larger-than-life cinema does seem to take off at the box office. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will have to rely on people's enthusiasm to visit the cinema halls rather than its merits to taste success.

Akshay Kumar is back and how

The Bollywood star, once famous for his action comedies, lives up to his 'Khiladi' tag with a measured performance as Captain Firoz aka Freddy. He seems to be finding his way back into comedies, with some more films in the genre lined up. BMCM then becomes his practice ground of sorts. There are glimpses of the vintage humour of the 2000s in his act that fans will certainly enjoy. The call-backs to his popular movies, smartly woven into one-liners, lets Akshay take the centrestage as the most entertaining factor in the film.

Tiger and Prithviraj spring up a surprise  

Not to say that Tiger Shroff has not done comedy before, in BMCM, his repartee with Akshay is pleasant and humourous. It's almost like they complement each other's comic timing. Tiger has proven that action is his forte and BMCM lets him perform high-octane stunts on a much larger scale. His performance, though one-dimensional, sticks alongside Akshay and his amusing punches. Their bromance becomes a major highlight of the movie and provides audience with a breather whenever action goes into overdrive.

Prithviraj makes an impact as the fearsome Kabir. His screen presence and gruff tone match up with Akshay and Tiger's banter.

Leading ladies get their due

While action movies, more often than not, put their leading ladies in the backseat, BMCM lets them be part of the narrative equally as the male stars. Alaya F as the tech nerd Pam lends humour, while Manushi Chhillar as Misha runs shoulder to shoulder with Akshay and Tiger in action set pieces. They lend substance to the narrative rather than dangling in the sidelines, waiting for the hero's cue. Sonakshi Sinha, however, is a bit of a letdown.

Ali Abbas Zafar's BMCM shows franchise potential

There is clearly an effort in universe building and it shows in the way how the external world is cut off to keep the narrative focussed on the plot and its characters. Akshay as Freddy and Tiger as Rocky will surely leave you wanting for more.

Another positive in the film is its editing and cinematography and how they match up with the film's relentless pace, especially in the first half, which is action heavy. The pre-interval action block is well-crafted and leads the audience into the latter part. However, the pace slows down as we get into the backstory of the villain.

Prithiviraj dominates with his performance. His screentime is as good as other actors in the movie. This highlights Ali Abbas' intention to carve a good film rather than a hero centric narrative. There is no overindulgence in slo-mos and song sequences. The two tracks in the movie are well-placed and drive the story forward instead of appearing as accessories to the plot.

In adding elements of Artificial Intelligence and an all-powerful super soldier, the story remains relevant as the threats become contemporary and relatable.  

Watch it or skip it?

When one makes peace with the fact that BMCM is the same story packaged differently, it will start to feel like a good watch. Tropes and predictability mire the story but there's more to find in the film and enjoy. The action set pieces are superbly designed by Craig Macrae and look pretty good onscreen.

Bottomline

Bollywood is certainly crafting its own style in action movies if one were to pit it against South cinema. After Yodha, BMCM is another attempt at offering novelty to the audience in the genre.

Rating: 3/5 stars