The trailer, unfortunately, gave away too much of the plot and the film itself falls flat on its objective. It was an idea that had potential but wasn’t executed very well. If Bachchan Pandey only wanted to be a mass entertainer, then it achieves that but it could’ve been so much more.
This is not Akshay Kumar’s best performance. This is mostly because his character is not properly fleshed out so not his fault. How his character develops from start to finish is the problem. The character Akshay played was menacing and fulfilled that gangster vibe but then we are forced to see his good side without any developments in terms of regret or remorse for his barbaric acts before. And even though Kriti’s character forces him to change in the end because of ‘a comedy film’ about him could’ve been good, it comes as tasteless because at no point does she does anything to change him. She only did everything for herself in order to get respect, or at least, that is how it’s presented. That’s good but she’s not the main character. Her character doesn’t learn anything major. Akshay’s character does. But that lesson feels forced and inorganic, leading to a somewhat disappointing finish.
Arshad Warsi should have been used better, especially with the amazing comic timing that he has. This may sound harsh, but how Jacqueline still gets work is beyond me. The other supporting cast are great though. I just wish we saw more of them, especially Sanjay Mishra.
Overall, the film is a hit and miss, with some good comedic sequences. If you’re looking for a good laugh, then Bachchan Pandey might be a decent choice. Don’t have too many expectations and you will survive. But it was quite all right to be fair because it’s just a typical Bollywood film. Nothing more, nothing less.
