Movie Review : An Action Hero (2022)

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Action/Drama
Year: 2022
Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Director: Anirudh Iyer
Cast: Ayushman Khurana, Jaideep Ahlawat
Kid rating: PG-13

Bollywood is being grammatical; note the “An” in “An Action Hero”. Presumable, because he is the one and only? Ayushmann Khurana stars as super star Maanav who accidentally gets embroiled in a murder. He is forced to flee from the authorities and put his theoretical fighting skills to the test in the real world. 

Maanav’s forced flight comes with many surprises and twists and turns. Friends are turning the other way, and he is fast losing supporters who believe in him. The internet is alight with rumors about his crime, and his ties to the underworld. In addition to the pursuing police, there are now also relatives of the murdered man – in particular a brother, a Haryanvi, politician brother called Bhoora (Ahlawat), baying for Maanav’s blood. In short, things look bleak. Will superstar Maanav ever arise from the ashes?

An Action Hero is a fabulous Friday night entertainer. It’s taut, fast-paced and peppered with well-done action sequences. It is the kind of film that forces you to focus and won’t let go. Khurana carries the film on his now-well-built-shoulders. He is a good actor, but in this film is a bit theatrical, a tad affected, like he knows he’s on stage and is being watched. Also, what’s with the receding hairline? His hero-wala persona seemed to appear intentionally older.

There isn’t a heroine in the film, although maybe a smidge of a romance wouldn’t have hurt (a la James Bond, not that I’m comparing the two). Jaideep Ahlawat (we saw him as a good cop in the gorgeous Paatal Lok) is menacing as bull-like Bhoora, an aggressive, blood-thirsty nemesis who won’t listen to reason even as he acknowledges it.

Anirudh Iyer debuting as full-blown director here does a great job of sewing up this thriller. The film is pure tension-filled drama – there are like 2 songs. A fun watch – go see!

Kidwise: Film has violence and profanity.