Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – With their contrasting personalities and maverick methods, Bade Miyan and Chote Miyan need to overcome their differences and labor together to transport the offenders to impartiality and preserve the day.

My Take – Despite releasing alongside Karan Johar‘s directorial debut, the massively successful ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai‘, director David Dhawan‘s comedy venture starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda in double roles managed to win over audience with its rib-tickling comedy and bromance, earning itself a place in the highest grossing Hindi films of 1998.

Twenty six years later, the same producers, Pooja Entertainment, clearly in order to cash in on the familiarity of the classic title, have replaced the humor with a new high-concept action thriller, possibly to replicate the massive financial success of the YRF Spy Universe films like Pathaan (2023) and War (2019).

With action stars like Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the leads, and a well-proven director Ali Abbas Zafar (Tiger Zinda Hai, Bloody Daddy) at the helm, the film seemed definitely well-packaged to deliver a loaded blockbuster with tons of action, humor and thrills.

Unfortunately, despite an ambitious set up, the film falters due to its lackluster screenplay and lack of standout moments. Worse, there’s a conspicuous absence of even gripping action sequences. The trailer itself actually gave away a lot of what was to be expected: patriotism, stylized heroes, a menacing villain, a lot of explosions, the mandatory eye-candy and reasonably well-choreographed songs.

Indeed, this was the type of flick where you are not supposed to look for any semblance of logic, and to be fair, the film tries and tries quite hard, however, there’s not a single original idea, character and twist in the whole of the 164 minute long slog. Mainly as the film labors in the belief that star power can help a sloppy script cover over the effects of a glaring lack of substance or any redeeming factors.

The story follows Captain Firoz “Freddy” (Akshay Kumar) and Captain Rakesh “Rocky” (Tiger Shroff), two court martialed soldiers, who are enlisted by their former superior, Colonel Adil Shekhar Azad (Ronit Roy), and Captain Misha (Manushi Chhillar) for a secretive mission with deadly ramifications.

A day ago, a masked assailant (Prithviraj Sukumaran), armed with his own personal army, recently ambushed an Indian army convoy carrying a deadly weapon, killed all the soldiers guarding it and stole the weapon, leaving behind only a message about a promise to exact his revenge. Tangled in a web of technology and science, Freddy, Rocky, Misha and tech expert Pam (Alaya F) find themselves in a mission to identify the enemy and a race against time in order to prevent the destruction of India.

The film could’ve been corny fun. But the globe-trotting adventure is a mess. It throws everything at the when it comes to action. Bullets fly, bombs explode, vehicles go up in flames and choppers, tanks and armored vehicles run riot. The film is undeniably visually impressive. However, the constant barrage of action sequences become overwhelming after a while.

An action film doesn’t always need a lot going for it. The thrill of watching well-crafted action on a big screen is enough to be an enjoyable experience but none of the set pieces really work. For example, the action in director Zafar’s earlier effort Bloody Daddy (2023) for instance was so well choreographed that it overshadowed most of the flaws.

The camerawork and the action worked together seamlessly to create an engaging experience but here, the two seem to be in a fight of their own. The cinematography was more aligned towards making the frames look grand. The visual effects were a bit uneven. For a double role visual of one of the characters, you could really see that the other one was clearly a look-alike who clearly didn’t look like the actor.

Add to that the relentless focus on spectacle leaves little room for character development or emotional connection with the characters who are always clad in trendy clothes and move in slow motion swagger. Thankfully, there is no jingoism, yet the newer elements that include science, AI and some lab-designed antagonists which, aside from giving a chance to Alaya F‘s tech expert to mouth specific terms, make no real impression.

Performance wise, Akshay Kumar is decent enough and Tiger Shroff shines as he showcases his impressive martial arts skills and delivers his signature intensity on screen. However, their banter, a crucial element in the success of the original, doesn’t quite reach the same level of wit and playful jabs. While there are moments where their contrasting personalities create comedic tension, but the camaraderie feels a little forced at times. There’s a sense that the actors are still finding their groove together.

Manushi Chhillar also gets to show off some feisty moves but other than she has nothing else to do. Alaya F is likable as the talkative, flirty tech genius. Sonakshi Sinha too is thoroughly wasted in role that is important to the plot, but just remains straight faced. Ronit Roy continues to sell the stock character of an army man with incredible charisma.

Finally, there’s the magnificent Prithviraj Sukumaran, one of the brightest lights of the best film producing industry in India i.e. Malayalam, who looks imposing enough to seem like someone to be scared of even though the characterization is working against him. His earnest effort are visible as he goes from charming to diabolic. On the whole, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ is a colossal disappointment that fails to standout from similar films in the genre.