Akshay, Tiger serve a formulaic action spectacle that is abundant in swag but goes overboard with execution
BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manushi Chhillar, Alaya F, Sonakshi Sinha, Ronit Bose Roy Direction: Ali Abbas Zafar
Bring two of the biggest action stars together, and you think half the job is done. Fair enough? To some extent Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (BMCM) ticks most of the boxes when it comes to serving a masala entertainer. It has some good-looking actors, stunning locations, high-class action, quality VFX, and, to top it all, a director like Ali Abbas Zafar, who has helmed some blockbusters such as Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017). But where is the novelty? There is barely anything in the film that you have not seen in the past.
The story revolves around two officers, Captain Firoz aka Freddy (Akshay Kumar) and Captain Rakesh aka Rocky (Tiger Shroff), who were courtmartialled but are brought back into the Indian Forces. The team, led by Colonel Adil Shekhar Azad (Ronit Bose Roy), is tasked with bringing back an important package aka Karan Kavach, that was stolen by Kabir (Prithviraj Sukumaran). Assisted by Captain Misha (Manushi Chhillar) and IT specialist Pam (Alaya F) studying artificial intelligence (AI) at Oxford University, the mission is all about saving the country. Officer Priya Dixit (Sonakshi Sinha) is also a part of the team. How friends turn into enemies and the good stands in the way of the evil forms the crux of the film, which stretches for 164 minutes.
Written by Suraj Gianani and Zafar, BMCM does have a storyline that somewhat merits being a good plot. However, the execution goes overboard. While the actioner has a lot of humour sprinkled throughout the screenplay, it all turns so bland when you try to look for some real fun. The screenplay by Zafar and Aditya Basu is fast-paced and doesn’t let you breathe, think or blink.
However, one thing BMCM has in abundance is swag. It’s a treat to watch Kumar do action sequences on screen. Sporting a moustache and being the mature half of the duo, he plays his age well. Shroff complements Kumar as Chote and he’s the cooler one with a sense of humour. Sukumaran steals the show and he’s terrific as the bad guy. Roy never disappoints, and with BMCM, he shows his range and versatility as an actor.
The ladies, too, get ample screen time to flaunt their acting chops. Chhillar has got some great hand combat scenes. On the other hand, Alaya being the nerdy Gen Z genius brings a lot of freshness. Sinha’s character is reduced to a special appearance and she brings nothing new to the table.
Another thing that’s hard to miss in BMCM are the heavyweight dialogues that are unapologetically melodramatic and borderline jingoistic. Check this for instance: Dil se soldier, dimaag se shaitaan hain hum, bachch ke rehna humse, Hindustaan hain hum.
For those with a penchant for action films, good, bad or ugly, BMCM will definitely make for a one-time watch. If nothing else, Kumar and Shroff’s onscreen camaraderie and bromance are quite impressive. If you watch this without thinking logically, give it a shot. You may need one after watching it, too.