An Action Hero Movie Review: In this cat-and-mouse chase between two trigger-happy men, Ayushmann Khurrana packs a punch

Everyone is armed with a gun. Everyone is taking pictures. Why? Nobody is aware? And every time, the wrong man is killed. That is exactly what An Action Hero is about. Director Anirudh Iyer’s film has several logic-defying moments, not just from the hero but also from the bad guys. While the majority of them make you question your intelligence, you tend to ignore them and enjoy the action and comedic unfolding of events on screen. An Action Hero is laced with dark humor and features witty dialogue, one-liners, and comic punches that land perfectly. Even better than the titular action hero in some cases.

The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana as the action hero Maanav Khurana, who has just rejected a biopic of a gangster because he wants to stay away from ‘bhai log and underworld.’ Ironically, he is filming in Haryana when he accidentally kills Vicky Solanki, the younger brother of a notorious gangster and Jat neta Bhoora Solanki (Jaideep Ahlawat), who now wants to avenge his brother’s murder and kill Maanav. What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of the United Kingdom (you can see how the film moves from Haryana to Mumbai to London) with a group of trigger-happy men, all aimlessly shooting at each other, only to reach a climax that leaves you speechless.

When Iyer, who also wrote the story, does not let us question too much, he takes things way beyond our imagination. For example, Maanav and Bhoora have whisked away to London in a matter of minutes, and you are left wondering if they did not need a visa or advance reservations. Is Maanav’s international passport always in his pocket? How is Bhoora permitted to bring weapons into London? When in London, Ayushmann effortlessly takes the London Police for a ride, successfully escaping.

In the film, there is a line that says, ‘Action hero ko gussa aata hai toh public ka paisa vasool hota hai.’ Ayushmann largely adheres to this sentiment, as evidenced by his conviction in the action scenes. It is always a treat to see an actor step outside of his comfort zone and try something new and challenging. Aside from his chiseled new look, he also has a few great one-liners to show off, such as ‘Ladna mera kaam hai, shaunk nahi’ and ‘action hero hoon, taakat ka istemaal aakhir mein karta hoon’. Ahlawat’s Haryanvi dialect is a masterclass in acting once more. Even when he is just standing there, not saying anything, you can sense his menacing presence.

When it comes to face-off scenes between Ayushmann and Jaideep, An Action Hero packs a punch. Otherwise, it is your masala potboiler with the hero and the villain fighting for reasons only they know. The film compensates for its lack of content with a lot of humor through some lighter exchange of dialogues between the enemies, making this action thriller somewhat funny. Imagine Bhoora sitting on top of Maanav, pointing a gun at his head and lecturing him on ‘how the public makes stars, so if they say, actors would need to sing, dance, or even agree to pose for a picture. Neeraj Yadav’s screenplay is engaging, and the well-choreographed fight sequences provide an adrenaline rush. Kaushal Shah’s cinematography deserves credit as well for beautifully capturing the countryside, and I liked how it was seamlessly woven into the screenplay.

One aspect of the film that I do not mind criticizing is how it depicted TRP-hungry news channels and TV anchors with their high-pitched voices calling out Bollywood. The use of the popular hashtag #BoycottBollywood appears to be a clever way to poke fun at the current state of the entertainment industry. One of the anchors so convincingly imitated a popular voice on news channels that he sort of started his own battle with Bollywood, eliciting genuine laughter.

Speaking of laughter, do not miss an unexpected cameo by an old-school action hero, which is both hilarious and spontaneous. And, of course, there are special dance sequences by Malaika Arora and Nora Fatehi that may not add much to the story but certainly up the glam factor.

Watch An Action Hero for some brash and raw action, and if you enjoy cat and mouse chases, you will enjoy this crazy ride just as much.