Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (?)

quick review:

It’s not the worst thing you will see. Only because Bade Miyan Chote Miya starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda exists. The action is crores combusting into prime meaninglessness. My cousin who is a PJ star cracks better PJs, just please don’t tell him.

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Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Running time: 155 minutes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-fi
More Movie Info

What do I feel more sorry for? My ₹400 and 3+ hours or crores blasting into flames scene after scene after scene? It is a tough call. I guess some part of the money is churning a part of the economy. The time, I will forever mourn.

The women were put down for being smart.

Experiences such as these make it difficult for me to spend more time writing the review. But, hey the least I can do for the time and effort spent on the film is to tell you what didn’t work for me—all of it.

The main points—the CGI is sub-par, to say the least, and the action, I am convinced, existed for the sake of action. The supplementary points—the humour is like that of that one person in every group, that uncle, that friend’s partner, who laughs at their own poorest of poor jokes. And all the eye-rolling only encourages them. The banter between Bade Miyan (Akshay Kumar) and Chote Miyan (Tiger Shroff) is so mundane that it feels forced. Or maybe it is so forced that it feels mundane. All the same.

The story, I am not even sure was a supplementary point, but was laughable. All I have to say is just because a movie is science fiction doesn’t mean the world has no rules. I mean, they slap a microchip on the cervical area* neck and read a robot’s code.

Is there no redeeming point then? Well, it can thank its namesake for existing.

And then it did this one thing that stood out. For a film of this genre and scale, the women had actual jobs. They weren’t objectified too badly. In fact, the men took pleasure in sexualising themselves or the other men. Having said that though, the women were put down for being smart. Repeatedly. In fact, over half of Bade Miyan’s communication with Dr Pam (Alaya Furniturewalla) is him chiding her for speaking beyond his vocabulary. *That is why I struck out ‘cervical area’, supposedly that is too technical for our heroes.

Speaking of Dr Pam, there was spark in her lines and Alaya delivered them with spunk. Her character and lines stood out and were about the only thing I enjoyed in this long, long film. That’s as telling as much as it is not saying much about the film.

- meeta, a part of the audience

27 reviewers(?) - 5 yays 6 so-so 16 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Nikita Thakkar, Bollywood Life : ...Watch Bade Miyan Chote Miyan if you are a die-hard fan of action thrillers. The movie hits the theatres on Eid and it certainly brings a treat for all.... full review

Thumbs up, by Kritika Vaid, india.com : ...The first part of the movie is fast-paced with lots of exciting action and impressive stunts by Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. In the second half, there are surprising twists that might lead to a sequel. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is full of energy and excitement, and it’s great that the female characters also have strong roles and important things to do in the story. This is a perfect Eid entertainer, a full-fledged package of style, mass and performances.... full review

Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...In a nutshell, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan has everything from a big cast to larger-than-life action, patriotism, dialoguebaazi, bromance, eye-catching visuals, splendid locations, music, a deadly villain, two fancy lead heroes doing comedy and real stunts, and unexpected twists. So let’s not waste any time and make this Eid bigger and merrier with Bade and Chote in cinemas near you. Have a blockbuster experience at the movies.... full review

Thumbs up, by Roktim Rajpal, The Guardian : ...To sum up, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is a well-packaged action entertainer that caters to the mass audience and makes for a good watch this festive season.... full review

Thumbs up, by Ronak Kotecha, Times of India : ...Director Ali Abbas Zafar, who is known for giving explosive entertainers like the ‘Tiger’ series, once again displays his expertise in the genre. ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ goes out all guns blazing to make for an entertaining potboiler with heart-pounding action, cheeky humour and barely a dull moment.... full review

So-So, by Rohit Bhatnagar, Free Press Journal : ...Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is a typical single screen film that might suit Akshay and Tiger fans, and in fact, it is a lot better than those forgetful patriotic films.... full review

So-So, by Monika Rawal Kukreja, Hindustan Times : ...Each time we see Chote has to introduce Bade, we hear him say, 'Mera ego mere talent se bada hai, unka sabse bada talent hi unki ego hai'. That's about it. If you can leave you ego aside and watch this without thinking much, give it a shot.... full review

So-So, by Jaya Dwivedie, India TV : ...Music and choreography also play an important role in the film, where the story becomes weak, they act as a shield. There are many good dance numbers in the film wherein amazing choreography can be seen. The songs of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan may not interest you much but in the film, they have been included as per the situation between the scenes, hence they do not seem boring.... full review

So-So, by Garima Das, Outlook India : ...This tried and tested template of hero/heroes on a mission to take down a villain is nothing new. It is like old wine in the new bottle. Except for Akshay and Tiger's camaraderie, there isn't anything new to offer. If you are a fan of Akshay and Tiger, give it a try or else you have another option to watch in theatres which won't disappoint you. I am going with 2.5 stars.... full review

So-So, by Anuj Kumar, The Hindu : ...Targeted at the galleries, the film follows what Azad says in the film: intent is more important than talent. One advice for Akshay, though. It is high time he starts growing a real moustache for fictitious roles. It distracts!... full review

Thumbs down, by Aman Wadhwa, DNA : ...With a solid interval point, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan sets itself up for an interesting second half. But, as the lights go down, the film too starts sinking. The film tries to look at how latest technologies such as AI and cloning could prove to be a calamity in the hands of the ill-intentioned people, but the execution isn't affective enough. Also, the film is a tad too predictable and a bit too lengthy in the last hour. Some less action and more bromance between Akshay and Tiger is what this film essentially required.... full review

Thumbs down, by Rahul Desai, Film Companion : ...Bade Miyan Chote Miyan lives and dies on one side of that line. If you can’t guess which side that is, Batman-Bane will have a not-so-quick word with you about world politics, global warming, India not being ruthless enough (in cricket), and Rocky and Freddy’s habit of running even after the film has ended.... full review

Thumbs down, by Murtuza Iqbal, Filmi Beat : ...Overall, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan fails to deliver what we expected from it. It is entertaining in bits and parts, and has some funny dialogues; that's it! Akshay Kumar, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Sonakshi Sinha fans can give it a try (only if you are a die hard fan of these three actors). But, others can skip it.... full review

Thumbs down, by Ganesh Aaglave, FirstPost : ...On the whole, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan could have been a perfect Eidi treat but missed the mark due to its strictly average execution.... full review

Thumbs down, by Zinia Bandyopadhyay, india today : ...At a point in the film, a character says ‘hell will be unleashed’. We do not know how much of it was unleashed on the antagonists, but it surely was on the audience.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...But she also does have the best line in the film, when she gets to tells Tiger – ‘biceps ki jagah brains ka istemaal karo’. That lands. As does this one, which could be a good descriptor for the whole thing: ‘hamaara ego hamaare talent se bada hai’. This, good people, is an actual line in the film. They should have censored this unfortunate dialogue, not blurred the middle finger our Bade and Chote miyaans are fond of sticking. Nope, not kidding.... full review

Thumbs down, by Lekha Menon, Khaleej Times : ...There was one moment that made this film seem true to its description. During a tense exchange between a senior Army officer and the two soldiers, the former explains how a hostage situation had arisen because the militants were demanding the release of the son of a famous terrorist. “Terrorism mein bhi nepotism?” questions Tiger. It’s one of those few lines that elicits a chuckle.... full review

Thumbs down, by "Pooja Darade ", koimoi : ...Overall, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is not an easy watch. If you take a shot every time Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff walk in slow motion, you’ll be drunk, and that’s the best state in which you can tolerate and survive the movie. It’s disheartening to see that despite having the lead actors known for delivering watchable and enjoyable action scenes, their fight sequences are completely uncharismatic.... full review

Thumbs down, by UDITA JHUNJHUNWALA, Live Mint : ...If only the producers had spent a quarter of their action and explosions budget on a script and devoted a percentage more thought to giving the female characters more agency. In one scene, Bade and Chote are tied to the gallows flanked by captive women helplessly crouched at their feet. This summarises the testosterone-fuelled machismo of a movie that the dialogue writers themselves may have described best when, in a moment meriting some urgency, Pammi snaps at Rocky saying, “Sometimes use your brain instead of your biceps.”... full review

Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...The actors stand no chance at all here. The two male leads huff and puff their way through the film, Prithviraj Sukumaran strives in vain to make the nonsensical passable and Sonakshi, Manushi and Alaya are at best moveable parts of the backdrop.... full review

Thumbs down, by TITAS CHOWDHURY, News18.com : ...Occasionally, a little glass of champagne between bottles of red wine, white wine and rosé shouldn’t hurt anyone.... full review

Thumbs down, by Avinash Lohana, Pinkvilla : ...I genuinely believe that Ali Abbas Zafar is one of the most promising filmmakers of our times and his sleek and stylish sense of direction is truly classy yet massy. Somehow that seems to be missing in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. For me, it's a lost opportunity for everyone involved.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...But at the cost of viewers feeling like their eyeballs are being pulled out of their sockets by the nonstop beating and badgering of senses.... full review

Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is stuffed with set-pieces in which the Freddy-Rocky combo spray bullets in all directions, flex their muscles, and blow up everything in sight. The relentless action pauses only to allow Kabir to expound on his dastardly plans.... full review

Thumbs down, by SUPARNA SHARMA, The Week : ...His stunts are super cool, he carries the dead weight of the film with a spring in his step and though his dancing lacks rhythm, his dimples make you want to dance.... full review

Thumbs down, by Abhilasha Rawat, Times Now : ...Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is a one-time watch, only if you are a fan of action-packed thrillers or the lead actors. While the film had a promising storyline and an ensemble cast, it suffered from cringe-inducing dialogue, overly unrealistic action scenes and illogical decisions.... full review

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This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: Loads and loads and loads
  • Language: Clean
  • Nudity & Sexual content: None
  • Concept: A psychopath has a thing against his country
  • General Look and Feel: Bleh

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

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Bade Miyan Chote Miyan - Cast, crew, links

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Running time:
155 minutes
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Comments (2)

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Raj

Dear Meetu, whatever the movie, it is always so interesting to read your reviews because you bring along your balanced, progressive and gender sentsitive outlooks

Thank you :)

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