Remaking old classics is the latest trend to hit Bollywood. The release of HERO (directed by Nikhil Advani), which is a remake of the Subhash Ghai’s 1983 cult film by the same name. With minor changes as per the present times, the basic plot of Hero remains the same. Pasha (Aditya Pancholi) is held up in prison and is finding ways to irk the IG of police Shrikant Mathur (Tigmanshu Dhulia) who is responsible for his arrest. Sooraj (Sooraj Pancholi) is Pasha’s right hand whom he has grown up as a son.
Sooraj is a local goon 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.
Being the IG’s daughter, 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 kidnapper. His breath-taking looks and courteous behavior makes her fall in love with him. Sooraj too falls for Radha and eventually confesses the reality to her. On her supportive stand and persistence to fight for their love, Sooraj surrenders himself to the police and is imprisoned for two years. Radha is sent off to Paris for her further studies and with the hope that she will forget Sooraj by her strict dad.
Sooraj is granted a leave on parole for his behavioral improvement in the prison and is let off six months before. Radha returns to welcome him back and decides to help him become a better person so that she can convince her dad.
In the acting department, even though there’s nothing much to appreciate; debutante Sooraj Pancholi has a nice screen presence and a solid physique. Though he carries only one expression throughout, he is reasonably good in the action scenes.
The Music of Nikhil Advani’s HERO is a total let down. The only saving grace in the music department is the much publicised ‘Main Hoon Hero Tera’ sung by Armaan Malik, which is reasonably good, but is mostly used as a filler. And, then there’s the much talked about Salman Khan’s version of the same in the end (for his fans of course).
On the whole, HERO fails the litmus test of rehashing a classic for the Generation Next .Only half-entertaining, the film is more like a promotional video for Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty that doesn’t require a solid plot.
Hero – Romance, Action & Drama
Director – Nikhil Advani
Cast – Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Tigmanshu Dhulia
Rating – 2.5/5 Stars
