An Action Hero is a Hindi film. Watched this on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81514149?source=35 . This is truly the one that got away, and I would have gladly paid to watch this in the theater. Not for any big screen sequences, but just to give my bit towards this fun gem.
Maanav (Ayushmann Khurana) is an "Action Hero" in Hindi movies. His life is going great.
Until a fateful day while shooting in a small town in Haryana. Vicky Solanki, brother of a local strongman/politician, wants to take a photo with Maanav. But Maanav is distracted by his new car, and ignores Vicky. An incensed Vicky confronts Maanav, who pushes him and Vicky dies, totally by accident.
But the strongman, Bhoora Solanki (Jaideep Ahlawat) is out for revenge. Maanav flees to UK, where he has a house. Bhoora follows him there as well. Maanav doesn't know him, but soon finds out :-). No amount of pleading by Maanav is enough to pacify Bhoora, who is out for revenge. And then they go hammer and tongs at each other.
There's a bunch of characters who pop up - a fixer called Sai (Neeraj Madhav from "A Family Man") who is also a double crosser, a lower level gangster called Kaadir (who also wants to get Maanav), and finally a Don who is the name changed version of Dawood Ibrahim. There's Harsh Chhaya as Maanav's assistant, as competent as ever.
During this time, Maanav's reputation in India is in the toilet. News anchors are going hammer and tongs at him. Special mention to the Arnab Goswami parody by Sandeep Dhabale. He has you in splits. Others are cleverly presented so that you can imagine whichever anchor you want in their place.
But the main characters are Maanav and Bhoora. They have a hate-love relationship. Beating the crap out of each other, and yet stopping short of killing the other multiple times.
Even though it is Ayushmann's film, Jaideep has the choicest dialogues. Delivered with his classic deadpan look, he has some gems like:
Chhota kare toh galti, bada kare to misaal banti hai.
Jyada samajhdaari dikhai, to mein bewakoofi kar doonga.
And the killer one when Maanav doesn't recognize the gangster Kaadir either:
“Saale kisi ko to pehchan le! Hum saare chu**ye hai kya jo tujhe maarne nikale hai?”
There is a twist in the end, which I can't reveal as it would be a spoiler.
The movie is beautiful at many levels. It shows how the media and public opinion can swing in an instant. The same media first crucifies Maanav, and it also praises him after a twist.
It is a satirical look at our society in general at one level.
On the other level, it shows the growth of Maanav. From a cushioned, pampered action hero to one who really fights for himself.
It also shows what really motivates a person - Bhoora and Maanav are brutally honest with each other about that part. The end also says something about the real driving force behind people.
The movie is not family friendly due to the rough language used, so beware. Other than this caveat, a must watch.
