Heropanti Hindi Movie

Feature Film | 2014 | UA | Action, Romantic
Critics:
Audience:
Heropanti is predictable. But it does spring two talents to look out for. Average fare.
May 22, 2014 By Noyon Jyoti Parasara


Every time a star kid is launched there is a whole lot of expectation that is built. But much before the anticipation, a script is woven to showcase every possible salable quality of the debutant. Or in this case, a script was borrowed from a superhit Telugu film. Quite obviously it has all the elements of entertainment to ensure the best packaging of the star-to-be. Heropanti is clearly about Tiger Shroff - his style, his dance and most importantly his action.


Expectations are raised outright. Will he score? Is he the next big star? Eyes try to scan every minute expression, every possible movement that Tiger makes - judgmentally. And it is not difficult to find that he has a long way to go. Tiger needs to work on his histrionic abilities, his voice modulation and a lot more. Evidently he has worked much harder on his footwork than his expressions - so you see him fight like a superhero and dancing like magic.


Faults detected, now back to the film. Heropanti is a about Babloo and his charisma. He is a winner. He has helped his friends elope. And now the girls family - quite a rowdy one at that - has him along with some friends hostage till they find their eloped daughter. Babloo could beat 50 of those men at one go and escape; he is an 'army' as one of his friends remark. However he catches a glimpse of his love in the same village and decides he would hang on just to be around her, much to the dismay of his friends who are kept hostage. The girl turns out to be the second daughter of the same family. The story refuses to move for entire first half before finally giving some dimension to the characters.


Director Sabbir Khan in his second attempt, after a painfully bad Kambakkth Ishq, tries working on many of the things he got wrong the last time. However he leaves a much to be desired with absolute predictable writing. So unsurprising that you could start betting on the next scene, or dialogue, and you might actually win it! The film however is shot well. The background score works better than the songs.


Heropanti could have been humdrum had it not been for some extraordinary work in the second half by Prakash Raj, who plays the lead girl's father. This one scene between Prakash Raj and Tiger, as the father talks about the love for his daughter and his grief at her decision to elope, connects. Suddenly emotions are added to a film which felt too shallow till then. A father's justification to his expectations brings around a change in viewpoint. The penultimate scene works better, though it reminded me of Dilwale Dulhaniya Leh Jayenge. Also an attempt at making a commentary on the honour killings in Haryana is not gone unnoticed - though way too over-the-top.


Bringing in some freshness is Kirti Sanon. The actress, also a debutant, is clearly someone to be looked forward to. She not only looks gorgeous but is equipped to perform.


Heropanti has its drawbacks but manages to hold the audience in the second half. And more importantly, it does spring two talents to look out for. Tiger, with his innocent looks, should work well with the girls while he could be a valid action star. He may not have his father's voice but he has his style for sure. It would be up to him to make the right moves from here.

Noyon Jyoti Parasara

   

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