Main Tera Hero Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating
Until sometime back, the masala film space was dominated by Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Govinda. Subsequently, Shah Rukh Khan stepped in. Just when you thought that the young brigade would look the other way, abstaining from non-stop entertainers, Ranbir Kapoor green-lit BESHARAM, Shahid Kapoor gave his nod to R... RAJKUMAR and Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor gave the go ahead to GUNDAY. Now Varun Dhawan, a relative newcomer, opts for the tried and tested genre in his very second outing -- MAIN TERA HERO. Interestingly, he teams up with his father, David Dhawan, a veteran at masalathons, who has worked with the above-mentioned seniors [except SRK].
David Dhawan's filmography tilts heavily towards remakes and the veteran's latest endeavor MAIN TERA HERO is a remake as well -- of the immensely successful Telugu film KANDIREEGA [2011]. A lot is riding on MAIN TERA HERO, since it teams up the father and son Dhawan for the first time. Will Dhawan Sr.'s magic wand work again, like it did in the past?
Let's enlighten you about the premise of MAIN TERA HERO. Seenu [Varun Dhawan] is terrible in studies. When his father [Manoj Pahwa] cites instances of Seenu's friends enrolling in various universities and emerging toppers, Seenu decides that he too would enroll in a university and make his parents proud. Seenu encounters Sunaina [Ileana D'Cruz] in the university and it's love at first sight for him. However, Angad [Arunoday Singh], a cop, is also in love with Sunaina and intends marrying her, much against her wishes.
Seenu throws a challenge at Angad that he will win Sunaina's heart and as luck would have it, he makes Sunaina falls in love with him within three days. Just when everything seems to be sailing smoothly for the couple, Sunaina gets kidnapped by a don based in Bangkok [Anupam Kher], whose daughter Ayesha [Nargis Fakhri] -- whom Seenu had saved from eve teasers -- is in love with Seenu.
Seenu is in a dilemma. What happens next?
Watching a David Dhawan movie is akin to having your fav fast-food, which may not be high on nutrition [read meaningful content], but you relish it with glee since it whets your appetite. And MAIN TERA HERO does that to you. Packed with just about every mass-friendly ingredient available on the shelf, which the hoi polloi laps up with delight, David designs an entertainer that keeps you amused for most parts. Sure, there's nothing you haven't watched before, but the trick is to keep the viewer completely absorbed in the proceedings and David has mastered the art since decades.
Writer Tushar Hiranandani adapts KANDIREEGA for the Hindi movie audience, making sure there's no room for boredom for most parts. The twists in the tale, the aimed-at-masses humor, the witty and comical dialogue [Milap Zaveri], which are one of the highlights of this film, the assorted characters with over the top acts, the appropriate situations for songs and action pieces... the packaging of MAIN TERA HERO is just precise -- a formula that seldom goes wrong, if handled correctly.
In addition, David presents Varun as the *young* mass-friendly hero. He makes Varun do stuff that sends front-benchers into raptures, which includes Varun flaunting his torso and flexing muscles. Moreover, David, very smartly, makes Varun slip into the shoes of his peers by making him do stuff that had worked big time with Sanju, Salman, Akshay and Govinda in the past. And Varun carries off the antics adroitly.
The sole blemish I can point out is the excessive length towards the post-interval portions, with a few sequences appearing stretched without any reason. The entire episode involving Shakti Kapoor also appears forced, while the journey to the culmination could've been taut and crisp.
The soundtrack [Sajid-Wajid], much like David's earlier ventures, fits the genre of the film seamlessly. 'Palat', 'Besharmi Ki Height' and 'Shanivaar Raati' are foot-tapping compositions. Action sequences are well orchestrated.
Varun steals the show with an act that's sure to multiply his fan-following by heaps. Not just in metros, but beyond metros. The film offers Varun abundant scope to play to the gallery, own every sequence he features in. His energy levels coupled with his self-assured act and striking looks fall wonderfully in place here. He's terrific, the show belongs to him, no two opinions on that! Ileana pairs off very well with Varun and does a reasonably good job. Nargis Fakhri looks great, but needs to polish her acting skills. Anupam Kher is in super form. His mafioso act with reverberating dialogue is sure to be loved by the junta. Saurabh Shukla is superb, especially towards the latter part of the film. It's a delight to watch Arunoday Singh in a mass entertainer. He seems most comfortable in the given space. Rajpal Yadav manages to raise a few good laughs. Evelyn Sharma, Manoj Pahwa, Raju Kher and Supriya Shukla are just right. Shakti Kapoor is wasted.
On the whole, MAIN TERA HERO is a wild, wacky, madcap entertainer that has the unmistakable stamp of the master of entertainers -- David Dhawan. An over the top plot, humor quotient and performances are three aces the film stands on. The film should work well with admirers of typical Bollywood masalathons, also because Varun Dhawan pulls off the act with flamboyance and bowls you over with an uproarious act in this zany entertainer. Go, have fun and laugh out loud!
