An Action Hero Movie Review: It’s Ayushmann Khurrana vs Jaideep Ahlawat in action-packed Tom and Jerry chase

‘An Action Hero’ is a vindictive plot where the antagonist, Bhoora Solanki (Jaideep Ahlawat) is after Maanav’s (Ayushmann Khurrana) life as he blames the superstar for his brother Vicky Solanki’s mysterious death. With a fair dosage of action, drama and comedy, Anirudh Iyer’s directorial debut features Ayushmann Khurrana in a never-seen-before avatar. While in his previous films the actor has taken up roles of ordinary men battling stereotypical social norms, in An Action Hero he challenged himself by playing an arrogant, clever, sagacious movie star, Maanav. He carries the flamboyant persona of a star on his sleeves and to fit the show, Ayushmann underwent a meticulous physical transformation. Those droolworthy abs and muscular physique speak for themselves.

Featuring an artist’s journey, both in front and behind the lens, An Action Hero enthralls with its slick action and offbeat satirical sense of humor. The film highlights the celebrity culture where many famous personalities are exposed to public backlash, media trials and boycott trends. This is somehow the main narrative of the story while at first, it appears to be a revenge drama. ‘An Action Hero’ is a vindictive plot where the antagonist, Bhoora Solanki, the Municipal Councillor of Haryana’s Mandothi village is after Maanav’s life as he blames the superstar for his brother Vicky Solanki’s mysterious death. As a result, it becomes a Tom and Jerry chase. The screenplay transforms into a well-twisted tale of a great climax, as the superstar finds himself digging deep into the situation, which holds the story strongly. However, the supporting cast introduced in the course of the film adds up to the length but is not much engaging.

Even though Ayushmann Khurrana’s changed avatar manages to intrigue, the first half takes a bit longer to build excitement about what will happen. It appears to be stretched unnecessarily. But the second half holds up well and steady with many elements to keep one hooked to the screen, clap, and whistle. It’s Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep who earn the major score for their bang-on performances, super one-liners, exciting action and funniest punches throughout the film. Jaideep’s exhilarating face-off with Ayushmann is worth every minute. The dialogue exchange on multiple occasions is hilarious.

Nora Fatehi and Malaika Arora add the ‘Bollywood tadka’ with their songs ‘Jehda Nasha’ and ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ and a cameo by a Bollywood action superstar adds to the thrill. Overall, the film is a decent blend of satire, comedy, action and hilarious punchlines! The combination of some really good action, and situational comedy makes ‘An Action Hero’ an engaging watch.