The movie's hare-brained plot is not surprising, but the two main leads, slick action and some fun moments, make the movie palatable.
The Good
- Slick action
- Prithviraj Sukumaran's role
- Comic capers of Akshay and Tiger
The Bad
- Predictable
- Over the top plot
Director Ali Abbas Zafar has the yen to blend action, romance, and social commentary in his films. We saw that in Sultan (2016), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Bharat (2019). All these movies also had a dose of patriotism and some deadpan humour.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, in that sense, is right in his comfort zone. And you get in it what Ali Abbas Zafar has so far known for. In that sense, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is nothing new. These masala movies are not known for novelty but provide whistle-worthy fun and massy moments that can be relished within the confines of fans-filled cinema halls.
By the way, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has nothing to do with David Dhawan’s film of the same name in 1998, except that in both, the lead male acts share an easy camaraderie and a sense of mirth.
Here, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff bring a Beverly Hills Cop kind of swagger and fun to their work. One is Captain Freddy ‘Firoz’ (Akshay), and the other is Captain Rocky ‘Rakesh’ (Tiger). Of course, they have the respective monickers, Bade and Chote. They are no-nonsense and devil-may-care army officers who don’t exactly play by the rules. And they are court-martialled and placed outside the official force.
Captain Azad (Ronit Roy) understands the courage of the duo, and when a major crisis erupts, he brings the intrepid two back into the force. They have to take on Dr Kabir (Prithviraj Sukumran), whose company is the major supplier of arms and ammunition to the defence teams.
But he turns antagonistic as the Indian authorities shoot down his ambitious plan of AI-based robots for the army. He is thirsting to let loose a vengeful retaliation. He kidnaps Captain Priya (Sonakshi Sinha), who has the highly classified codes that shield India from nefarious attacks. Freddy and Rocky have the backing of intelligence agent Nisha (Manushi Chillar) and the smart hacker Pammi (Alaya F).
The plot is hare-brained, which is not exactly a point of surprise in such movies. The action pieces and the breezy narrative that traverses across countries (Afghanistan, Britain) hold the attention. The characters are merely in service of the masala moments. Hence, depth and discernment are ruled out.
Akshay, as Freddy, is full of enterprise, bringing his experience to play a role that he can play in his dream. Tiger is full of impish energy, and his character has some interesting and fun lines. Manushi Chillar and Alaya F have nothing much to do. Sonakshi Sinha has an underwhelming cameo.
Prithviraj has the meatiest of characters in an evil-dripping role. Even if patchily written, the Malayalam star shows why he was preferred for the role. He brings to the character a certain conviction that makes it all work. The vengeful scientist out for revenge on the army is not exactly new (we saw Danny in such a role in Endhiran), but Prithviraj gives it a fresh flavour.
All in all, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is a predictable ride. But in a typical Eid release, such an over-the-top offering is par for the course.