Heropanti Movie Review by Taran Adarsh

Heropanti Rating: 3.5

I sometimes wonder, what facets remain to be explored in the romance genre by dream merchants here? Right from MUGHAL-E-AZAM to BOBBY, EK DUUJE KE LIYE, HERO, QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK, MAINE PYAR KIYA and DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, to the love stories attempted by new-age directors of late, just about every facet of love and romance has been explored and presented on the silver screen. Every film-maker, from K. Asif, Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra to Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, have delivered some memorable love stories that hold tremendous recall value.

But pyaar, ishq, mohabbat can never go out of fashion. Besides, every film-maker has his/her individualistic style of interpreting a love tale…

Ironically, when a star-kid takes his first step in Bollywood, his launch pad, intuitively, is designed as a love story. Tiger Shroff’s debut vehicle HEROPANTI is no exception. A remake of the Telugu Hit PARUGU [2008; starring Allu Arjun, Sheela, Prakash Raj], which was remade subsequently in other Indian languages, HEROPANTI has been modified in its Hindi avatar [albeit slightly] to suit the North Indian sensibilities. It’s a vintage love story that gives its lead actor ample scope to depict heroism and waltz into your heart. Does it work, let’s find out!

Let’s enlighten you about the premise of the film, before we proceed ahead. Chaudhary’s [Prakash Raj] eldest daughter [Sandeepa Dhar] elopes with her boyfriend minutes before her marriage. Resultantly, Chaudhary’s relatives and henchmen start searching for the guy in question and kidnap his friends, including Bablu [Tiger Shroff]. Apparently, Bablu has lost his heart to Dippy [Kriti Sanon], who happens to be Chaudhary’s younger daughter. What happens next?

Director Sabbir Khan brings all his tropes to the table — ample twists, turns and melodrama, striking action pieces, ear-pleasing music, eye-filling locales and of course, the crackling chemistry of the lead pair. Borrowing a page out of the contemporary masala movies re-invented by Prabhu Dheva specifically, Sabbir presents an absorbing fare that hits the right notes as far as love stories are concerned. The ecstasy of first love, the stern father and the wall of opposition, the never-give-up attitude of the lovers… it’s a familiar world no doubt, but Sabbir makes sure he keeps you absorbed and engaged at the same time.

In a first of its kind on the Hindi screen, HEROPANTI offers some daredevil stunts that would leave you awe-inspired — the martial arts, the back flips, the parkour sequence, the aerial moves and the kicks… all filmed without a body double. That’s Tiger’s core strength and the director capitalises on it completely. As a matter of fact, Tiger, well-trained in gymnastics and martial arts, fills the ‘action hero’ slot that had been lying vacant for a while now. The naysayers may scoff at this aspect being given too much importance, but, hello, that’s the boy’s USP, so why not capitalise on it? Also, HEROPANTI is an unapologetic commercial masala fare that also happens to be the launch vehicle of a star-kid, so why not press all the buttons?

Hiccups? The problem with this genre is that you need to constantly offer riveting stuff to the viewer. Since one can guess the direction the story is heading, it becomes imperative to be on the go constantly. The writing hits a rough patch after a point, with the conflict between the lovers and the girl’s stubborn parent being stretched slightly. Also, inserting a party song [while the search mission is on in Delhi] looks weird in the scheme of things. Additionally, the emergence of the jealous groom [Vikram Singh] in the climax takes the film to the predictable zone. The finale has traces of DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, but looks completely justified here. Having said that, HEROPANTI is shades much, much better than the lazy entertainers we’ve been subjected to in the recent past.

Most debut vehicles of star-kids are embellished with a lilting soundtrack and the songs of HEROPANTI, one must admit, are peppy, youth-centric and fit the context well, especially ‘Whistle Baja’ [the signature tune of HERO is the icing on the cake], ‘Rabba’ and ‘Tabah’. For a film that makes no qualms about being an entertainer, the dialogue are punctuated accordingly. They are aimed at the hoi polloi, soaked in energy, power and acid, as the situation demands. The background score is top notch.

Tiger Shroff flaunts his chiseled, well-sculpted physique with six packs et al uninhibitedly and scores brownie points in action and stunts. As an actor, Tiger registers an impact in several sequences. For a first-timer, he exudes supreme confidence — he looks the tough guy he has been entrusted to be, yet enact the romantic with conviction. This should make the spectators connect extremely well with his character. Kriti, who debuted in a Telugu biggie earlier this year [1: NENOKKADINE, starring Mahesh Babu], looks gorgeous and handles her part with certainty and confidence. She has the trappings of a star, no two opinions on that. Prakash Raj, who had performed the same role in the original Telugu film, is a seasoned actor who gets his character spot-on.

Sandeepa Dhar is effective in a cameo. Vikram Singh is alright. The actors portraying the part of Tiger’s friends perform well.

On the whole, HEROPANTI is designed as a launch pad for Tiger Shroff and it gives him ample opportunity to prove his credentials in his debut film. The good news is, he delivers a striking performance. Additionally, what works is the masala quotient — melodrama, music and action. An entertainer that hits the right notes!

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17 Comments
  1. aryan 10 years ago

    Heropanti Movie Review by Paloma Sharma/Rediff

    Heropanti is an amusing yet bland modification of the classic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, says Paloma Sharma.

    Sab ko aati nahi, meri jaati nahi,” says Tiger Shroff time and again.

    Now you might think that he’s talking about pimples or loose motions, but its really heropanti that he has in mind.

    What is this heropanti, one might ask; and if we were on KBC, this is what the answer would look like

    Heropanti is:

    1. The title of the film

    2. The quality of being a reckless smart alec

    3. A dialogue forcefully repeated throughout the film

    4. All of the above

    Not only does Heropanti borrow half its title from Shroff Sr’s breakout film, it also has the signature tune from Hero (1983) playing in the background repeatedly.

    Sabbir Khan’s second directorial venture after the infamous Akshay-Kareena starrer Kambakkht Ishq (yes, you may cringe now), Heropanti is a remake of a Telugu film — which is pretty obvious — and follows in the footsteps of the original, Parugu.

    Heropanti is set in what is referred to as “Jattland” in the film, and as news broadcasts will have informed you by now, love outside of caste/class and inside of gotra only results in death.

    When Chaudharyji (Prakash Raj’s) older daughter, Renu (Sandeepa Dhar) runs away with her lover, named Rakesh/Rajesh (since nobody could figure out what his name really is), he launches a manhunt to track them down and eliminate them.

    Because izzat.

    Chaudharyji’s men round up Rakesh/Rajesh’s friends on the suspicion that they would know where Renu is and one of the friends turns out to be (drumroll, please) Babloo (Tiger Shroff).

    Yes, this Tiger’s debut film.

    And yes, his name really is Babloo in it.

    I kid you not.

    Babloo, on the other hand, does what every star son (and some aam sons) have the tendency to do in films — fall in love at first sight with a pretty girl.

    Soon enough he finds out that said girl is none other than Chaudharyji’s younger daughter, Dimpy (Kriti Sanon).

    Babloo must now use his superpowers (aka heropanti) to figure out a way to be with his true love without either offending her father or getting both their butts honour killed.

    The suspense of it all is just too much for me.

    Oh my, somebody hand me my smelling salts.

    *Swoons*

    Tiger Shroff isn’t exactly a bad actor, per se.

    It’s just that he would have been so much more believable in an all-out action film with minimal dialogue, since, not only is he an amazing martial artist but he also seems most comfortable in that space.

    Currently balancing between the Puru Raajkumar and the Uday Chopra schools of acting, Shroff Jr could also do well with wiping that ever-present smirk off his face.

    It just makes some serious scenes really awkward.

    Kriti Sanon, on her part, might be the next Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

    Sanon has garnered much acclaim for her good looks but as far as acting goes, her forte seems to be shedding tears, being vulnerable and all other emotions that go with being the damsel in distress.

    For all the pseudo-feminist gyaan that Tiger Shroff gives during the film, Sanon’s character keeps shuttling between father and lover without much motivation or even a thought process of her own.

    Prakash Raj is back in his element, delivering on of the finest performances of his career. It was great to see Raj’s usual bad guy act have some shades of grey this time around as he plays a man torn between the brutal traditions of his people and his undying love for his daughter.

    Heropanti tries to deliver a highly confused sermon on love and freedom of choice, which ultimately comes down to much sasur-damaad (b)romance.

    Babloo and Chaudharyji indulge in more heart-to-heart discussions and handholding than Babloo and Dimpy do.

    Perhaps it was unitentional, naive writing but there comes a point towards the end of the film where you lean forward in your seat with your fists clenched tight, just waiting for them to kiss and get over with it.

    Seriously.

    You can’t make these things up.

    Heropanti follows the Bollywood formula and includes 5873 random songs which, if devoid of visualisation, are a good, time-pass listen.

    Over all, Heropanti is an amusing yet bland modification of the classic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengey, featuring some of the most fake Haryanvi accents this North Indian has ever heard.

    The film could do with more action and less drama. The most masala-less masala movie I’ve watched in a while, it will have you echoing the second most (over)used dialogue in the film,

    “Kab jayegi teri heropanti?”

    Rating: 1.5/5

    https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-heropanti-could-do-with-more-action-and-less-drama/20140523.htm

  2. the comparisons with ddlj is scaring me

  3. Mihir Fadnavis of Firstpost said: “The best thing that could be said about Heropanti is that it is not as terrible as Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar films. The second best thing about it is that Tiger Shroff may be effeminate, but he’s a likable guy who can do some truly amazing stunts. This is where the positive aspects of Heropanti end, because everything else in the movie is a raging river of stupidity.”

    https://www.ibtimes.co.in/heropanti-review-roundup-tiger-shroff-impresses-stunt-man-600851

  4. it seems even the bad reviews are appreciating the action skills of tiger shroff. its a good achievement after the bashing he received in first trailer

  5. komal nahta: Tiger Shroff makes a wonderful debut and will become a darling of the girls. He has chocolate looks, a supremely endearing smile and an extraordinary physique to make the girls go weak in the knees. He acts well, is outstanding in action scenes and stunts and also dances very well. The audience may take a while to get accustomed to his unusual facial features but it is certain that Tiger is here to stay!

    https://komalsreviews.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/317/

  6. Chaalu-Chaiwaala 10 years ago

    I want a dark action film with Akshay, Tiger and Vidyut in lead. A no nonsense film without any slow-mo.

    • undisputed 3 remake will be good or raid 2.

      • Chaalu-Chaiwaala 10 years ago

        Question is who is the capable director/producer in India? THe people who make dark films like Vishal or Anurag etc are caught up in more emotional subjects than action. And the ones who spend tons of money from Sajid Nadiadwallah to Karan Johar to Aditya Chopra – still want to produce goody goody films.

        Someone like Shekhar Kapoor can do it. But he takes 30 years to make film!!!

  7. Author
    sputnik 10 years ago

    Heropanti Movie Review by Rajeev Masand

    Rating: 2

    May 23, 2014

    Cast: Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon, Prakash Raj

    Director: Sabbir Khan

    In a not-particularly-significant moment in Heropanti, the film’s leading lady is transfixed to her television set watching Maine Pyar Kiya. Ironically that love story from 1989, also featuring newcomers, still feels fresher and more sincere than many films made today, including this one.

    Directed by Kambakht Ishq’s Sabbir Khan, Heropanti is a remake of the Telugu hit Parugu, and is modeled as a throwback to those old-fashioned films of the 80s in which a tough-as-nails hero could vanquish a dozen enemies without breaking a sweat. There’s a damsel in distress, a selfish control-freak father, and a never-ending supply of menacing uncles who exist only to keep the hero and heroine apart. The film ticks all the usual boxes, but to be fair Khan occasionally puts an interesting spin on rusty formulas, delivering what is at best a frustratingly inconsistent film.

    Babloo (debutant Tiger Shroff) is picked up from the city with his two friends and locked away in a shed when a Haryanvi crime lord’s daughter elopes with their best buddy on her wedding day. The bulging-eyed village don, Chaudhary (Prakash Raj) won’t let the boys go till they’ve revealed the couple’s whereabouts. Inevitably, Babloo falls for Chaudhary’s younger daughter Dimpy (Kriti Sanon), complicating matters further.

    This plot is sandwiched between numerous scenes of action, in which Tiger takes on multiple armed bullies, kicking, punching, whacking them into pulp even as he displays a whole range of impressive flips, cartwheels, splits, and somersaults. The same flexibility comes in good use for the film’s many dance numbers, but it’s in the dramatic bits that his rawness is exposed. There’s a little too much posturing and not enough genuine feeling when Tiger delivers the film’s clunky lines, almost always followed by an eager smile on those pink lips, as if awaiting a pat on the back for not fumbling his words. Still, Tiger is likeable and earnest, and deserved a better debut than this.

    For Heropanti, with its regressive themes, sexist humor, and stock villains wears you out early on during its 2 hours 26 minute running time. As a constant reminder that Tiger is Jackie Shroff’s son, the signature tune from Shroff Sr’s own debut film Hero pops up in the background every five minutes. There is the odd scene of inspired humor – like one outside a court where Prakash Raj, on a desperate hunt for his runaway daughter, encounters another young couple that has eloped – but for the most part, the comedy here is unintentional. An otherwise fine actor, Prakash Raj sticks to hamming through his scenes in this film, particularly in the later portions where he reveals his insecurities to Tiger, and at one point asks him in all earnestness: “Tum mein aisa kya hai jo meri beti ko dikhta hai lekin mujhe nahin dikhta?”

    Culminating in a Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge-inspired climax, the film’s conflict is quickly resolved, but not before someone conveniently rips the shirt off Tiger’s back for a glimpse of his rock-hard abs. Subtlety is not this film’s strength. Newcomer Kriti Sanon looks lovely and makes an impression despite her harebrained role. We’ll just have to see both these kids in better films to give them a fair chance.

    I’m going with two out of five for Heropanti. We’ve been there, seen that, and bought the T-shirt already!

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  8. just back from heropanti. mihir fadnavis has got it quite right. there is nothing much beyond the likeable leads. its a same old crap regular debut film like himalaya putra, barsaat etc etc as sputnik had said during 1st trailer. its a love story and there is hardly any action scenes. there is just one scene in the intro but it is ruined by slo mos so much that an undiscerning viewer may think it has been done by cables and not in real. so tigers skills have not been used effectively at all. his acting is similat to salman of 90s . kriti sanon looks beautiful and acts very well. sabir khan is the director of the film who last directed that bullshit called KI and its no surprise that he has made another terrible film and wasted two good talents.

    rating 1/5

    1 star for the leads else 0/5

  9. very good song, been hearing in repeat mode

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