Bollywood during the 80’s was a decade of experimental cinema with changing trends, style of cinema and varieties of music. In 1983 the original Hero by director Subhash Ghai’s gifted the film industry two new stars Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Seshadri. Thirty two years later Nikhil Advani revisits this archetypal love story with two fresh faces Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty.
Hero is a literal throwback to 80’s Indian Cinema. It transports all the magnetism of the original! Director Nikhil Advani who brought you hit films such as D-Day and the timeless classic Kal Ho Na Ho brings you an archetype 80’s love story with your Handsome Hero, a beautiful Damsel, and a Villain with a revenge tale interlaced together with a dreamlike love story. The story has nothing new to offer cinema goers but brings forth a reminiscent love story. Although the film has nothing new in terms of story to offer audiences, Director Nikhil Advani ensured that this film has all the swag required to draw in modern-day audience complete with modern-day cultural influences like catchy music, style, breath-taking action and actors with perfect features and physique, Hero is the perfect product for the young cinema goer.
This 2015 adaptation of Subhash Ghai’s 1983 musical blockbuster captures the unrestrained impulsiveness of first love from the original with the deeper and darker feel of today’s world. It is 2015, Love at first sight is no longer plausible and a lifetime of togetherness rarely exists therefore Nikhil Advani’s remake of a film about a highly melodramatic love story may be rendered as ahypothetical parody of passion pain and rebellion.
The basic plot of Hero remains the same as the 1983 Film. Pasha (Aditya Pancholi) is in prison and is finding ways to exasperate the IG of police Shrikant Mathur (Tigmanshu Dhulia) who is responsible for his arrest. Sooraj (Sooraj Pancholi) is Pasha’s right hand man whom he has grown up as a son. Sooraj is a local gangter and on insistence of Pasha, he agrees to kidnap IG’s daughter for Pasha’s release. Pretending to be a police official who is sent for her security, Sooraj asks Radha (Athiya Shetty) to leave the town with him and his support staff for safety purposes.
Radha is under the impression that her life is in danger and hence her father has sent Sooraj and his team. She happily agrees to accompany him. Even though she is being held captive, Sooraj never makes her realize that he is a abductor. His handsome and courteous behaviour makes her fall in love with him. Sooraj too falls in love with Radha and eventually admits the reality. On her supportive stand and persistence to fight for their love, Sooraj surrenders himself to the police and Radha is sent off to Paris for her further education with the hope that she will forget Sooraj. He is granted a leave on parole for his behavioural improvement in the prison and Radha returns to welcome him back and chooses to help him become a better person.
Sooraj and Athiya share an extraordinary chemistry. They look beyond perfect on-screen and will surely be remembered as pair in years to come. Sooraj encapsulates the perfect modern day film hero with his brazen looks, outstanding physique and onscreen presence. He is natural on-screen. Athiya is truly beautiful, she possesses avant-garde looks which is endearing and captivating. She delivers her dialogues with finesse and expresses with ease. When watching them on screen you would never realise that Hero is their debut film. They both have the ability to reach stardom.
The film is a remake and has all the elements of the original. The cinematography is surely a highlight of this film. The Music of Hero is surely a winner! The film remains crisp in its run-time and that needs to be praised. Advani makes sure there is no waste of time and hence there is not much beating around the bush but the editing could have been more seamless. The music is timeless and adds soul to this film. In my opinion this is Amaal Malik’s best work to-date. Khoya Khoya, Yaad Teriyaan and Dance Ke Legend and Jab We Met and O Khuda and not to forget when Salman Khan appears to present his Main Hoon Hero Tera track we are awestruck although we are already swept away by Sooraj and Athiya’s magnetic chemistry .
Many will criticise Hero for being old-fashioned and unevolved but in the same breath claim to love the classic of 80’s cinema. Hero simply recreates the magic of an archetype Bollywood film. It transports a classic love story to a younger audience. On a final note Hero is an old-world love story balanced with contemporary swagger and style. You will instantly fall in love with Sooraj and Athiya’s beautiful chemistry and the soulful music of Hero.
Rating 7/10 | 3.5 Stars