Film based on Harshad Mehta’s scam fails to take the (Big) Bull by the horns
Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Ileana D’Cruz, Sohum Shah, Nikita Dutta, Saurabh Shukla Director: Kookie Gulati
THE Bollywood crime drama finally premiered on streaming site Hotstar after a number of delays.
Although names have been changed, the story is very much inspired by the crimes committed by Indian stockbroker Harshad Mehta in the early 1990s. He exploited a loophole in the Indian banking system that enabled him to manipulate stocks which quickly netted him a fortune, before he was finally exposed.
One of the main reasons this film was delayed is because of the success of acclaimed 2020 web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story and it is difficult not to compare the two.
While the web series is based on a well-researched book and keeps all the
original details of the story including the names, The Big Bull is very much a fictional tale loosely based on actual events and this works against it on many levels.
It also only scratches the surface of important details and kind of relies on audiences having watched the web series.
Losing the authenticity of a story based on real-life events is never a good thing and that disconnects audiences from what is happening onscreen. What makes matters worse is that the villainous protagonist is made to look heroic, with very little thought for those whose lives he ruined.
The fact that director Kookie Gulati hasn’t directed a major feature film since his 2010 mega-disaster Prince will also tell you a lot about The Big Bull. The director doesn’t handle the material well and what is left is a film with very little substance.
Despite having real onscreen presence, lead star Abhishek Bachchan struggles with the material despite a spirited effort. He is let down by his director and is therefore unable to save this film from sinking.
That is why you should ignore The Big Bull and find the web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, which is far superior to this in all aspects.