REVIEW: An Action Hero

Producers-Aanand L.Rai and Bhushan Kumar

Director- Anirudh Iyer

Star Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rachit Jadoun, Harsh Chhaya and Hiten Patel

Genre-Thriller

Platform of Release-Theatres

Rating- **

Daft & Twisty Ride

The film revolves around Maanav (Ayushmann Khurrana) an idol and a successful action hero, who accidentally kills the brother of a politician in Haryana and flees to London to escape the clutches of law and of the man whose brother he has murdered. The politician Bhoora Solanki (Jaideep Ahlawat), the Municipal Councillor of Haryana’s Mandothi village follows him to London to exact revenge. What happens? Will the action hero be redeemed or will he be forgotten and branded a killer? It forms the crux of the story.

Though it becomes a Tom and Jerry chase the screenplay transforms it into a well twisted tale of an effective climax, as the superstar finds himself digging deep into the situation, which holds the wafer thin story strongly. The film sets out to highlight the crazy celebrity culture where many of the famous personalities are exposed to public backlash, media trials and the boycott trend.

It is a juicy plot, and Anirudh Iyer, who has co-written the film with Neeraj Yadav, manages to maintain a steady grip on the narrative for the most part, though he does falter occasionally when the film starts losing its grip and starts going overboard with no significant twists and turns to hold you invested in the proceedings on.

One wonders what the need was for a guest appearance by Akshay Kumar who Maanav meets on a chartered flight while fleeing to Britain. It does not at all add to the drama. Nor was the item song by Malaika Arora which makes a hash of the Nazia Hassan club classic Aap jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye. There are far too many references to loud and boorish TRP seeking news anchors making fools of them shouting from their news rooms . Ayushmann Khurrana gets ample scope to live his multi-layered character, as Manav , who is an actor with a strong, arrogant and flamboyant personality but very vulnerable when fate makes him live like an ordinary man running to save his life. He does succeed in making Maanav's persona appealing and his physical transformation for the film lends credibility to his action-hero avatar. On the other hand, Jaideep Ahlawat also with his performance and his bang -on Haryanvi accent is very impressive and leaves a distinct mark of his own. Harsh Chhaya also leaves a mark of his own in a small role as the manager of the super star.

What then are the other minus points of the film? There are a dozen scenes with fisticuffs and bone breaking and you wish for a breather. Also you wish that the editor had chopped off unwanted scenes and made the film slicker. All said and done, though Anirudh Iyer's directorial debut delves into celebrity culture and the fickle side of fame with lot of honesty, what is more interesting about ‘An Action Hero’ is not so much the story itself, but getting to see Ayushmann Khurrana make his transition as an action hero and get into the skin of an action hero with amazing dexterity and flex his muscles (literally) on screen. Be ready for a dafty and twisty ride