Top critic
IBNLive
Film review ·
This is lazy, indifferent filmmaking, and a colossal bore for most of its running time. A video featuring Salman Khan singing the terrific title track at the end is too little too late.


A hollow remake saved only by its debutants' charm and Salman's title track.
Verdict tier Unfavorable, most critics didn't like it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Hero is largely negative, with the majority of reviewers finding it a tired, unimaginative remake of the 1983 original that offers little in the way of script, direction, or meaningful updates to the source material. The most consistent praise across reviews is directed at the two debutants, Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty, whose earnest performances and perceived potential are acknowledged even by critics who panned the film overall. Salman Khan's title track in the end credits is frequently singled out as a highlight, with several critics noting it generates more energy than the film itself. Common criticisms center on a weak, predictable script, poor direction from Nikhil Advani, and the film's failure to justify the remake's existence beyond providing a launch pad for star kids.
13 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 37 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
This is lazy, indifferent filmmaking, and a colossal bore for most of its running time. A video featuring Salman Khan singing the terrific title track at the end is too little too late.
Top critic
Film review ·
The new Hero is a mess; the new kids are too dull ...Nikhil Advani's Hero remake follows the template of the original, which may not have been the wisest course of action...
Top critic
Film review ·
The only reasonably enjoyable moment is in the end credits, when co-producer Salman Khan shows up to sing a song. Don't get carried away, though. Even that's not worth sitting through the rest of it.
Top critic
Film review ·
The end of Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty film brings relief, with Sallu Bhai working the end credits, exuding more star power in two minutes than we've seen in two hours. This 'Hero' is a zero.
Film review ·
Sculpted as a full throttle masala entertainer, Hero is plot-heavy. And while you are well acquainted with the story, Nikhil and Salman's sensibility works as midas touch, giving the film a different texture. It is slick and never allows its viewers to feel restless. For its 132 minutes' crisp runtime, Hero offers bucketful of entertainment and victoriously conveys that commercial movies needn't be puerile to show people a good time.
Film review ·
Sooraj and Athiya show immense promise. Unfortunately, Hero doesn't do justice to their potential.
Film review ·
Despite a shoddy story line and a weak script, Hero will be worth your money. And it's majorly Sooraj and Athiya's earnest efforts that will set the ball rolling for the film. Here's to Bollywood's two new discoveries!
Film review ·
...the camera work has used certain innovative techniques, and it was a good decision to use slow motion for fight chase, as it doubles the effect on viewers. 'Main Hun Hero Tera' by Salman Khan will definitely rush you to the cinema halls, we are sure. So, grab a ticket a watch this one to see the new-age 'hero' and 'heroine'.
Film review ·
Hero is not Kal Ho Na Ho or D-Day, it is a rather faulty film made by the same director. Only half-entertaining, the film is more like a promotional video for Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty that doesn't require a solid plot. Nonetheless, for Bollywood buffs this is a decent watch with great music and the typical 'Hindi cinema' storyline.
Film review ·
The best thing comes at the end. When you see Salman Khan crooning 'Main Hoon Hero Tera'. You wish some of that easy charm had rubbed off on the film.
Film review ·
Overall, this Hero is below mediocre fare except for the lead pair's straightforward performances.
Film review ·
HERO fails the litmus test of rehashing a classic for the Generation Next. It appeals in very small measures and is not an ideal weekend entertainer. If you a die-hard Salman Khan fan, you may want to patronise, else avoid.
Film review ·
Hero rhymes with zero and it's tempting, for the sake of the headline and because in the first five minutes of the film my hand went lurking about in search of an eject button, to just write off this film as a big, fat zero.
Film review ·
Unfortunately even as the anticipations and expectations from Nikhil Advani's 'Hero' were very high, it fails to deliver what was expected from it. Frankly, Advani's 'Hero' comes nowhere even close to original 'Hero' directed by veteran Subhash Ghai in any department. We are going for two stars for 'Hero'. Watch it only if you have nothing better to do this weekend and if indeed you have something very special to do, you can easily skip this one.
Film review ·
There are action scenes in the start and towards the end of the film which are unreal and highly dramatic. Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty's Hero is strictly meant for all those who have grown up on a diet of Bollywood movies and are fond of those typical romantic love stories.
Film review ·
The Hero that catapulted Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Sheshadri to instant stardom had songs like Lambi Judai and Tu Mera Hero which can be partly credited, as they'd factor in the success of films then. But the predictable plot featuring a union of partners from disparate conditions: rich and poor, cop and robber, coolie and client, was passable even though over-utilised then. Today, this photocopy with no plot tweaks seems little more than a tired effort.
Film review ·
Unsurprisingly, this struggle to fit a modern-day romance in a dated template prompts a patchy, wobbly, bizarre, humourless drama proving an uphill task for two rank newcomers to tackle.
Film review ·
apart from launching new 'stars' these remakes actually serve no purpose. To begin with, the filmmakers don't have enough grounds to believe that they will better or even come close matching the original. So if that is the case, why bother in the first place?
Film review ·
Aditya Pancholi has a dialogue in the film which goes like, "Khota hai par apna hai." This sums up the idea behind presenting Sooraj Pancholi as 'the' hero. Yes, I know, I said that in the beginning as well. Then who's the real hero of this 131-minute film? Salman Khan. Why? Haven't you heard his soulful number 'main hoon hero' yet?
Film review ·
Producer Salman Khan, who is also the singer of the only tolerable track in the film, continues his rather poor innings as a supporter and encourager of new talent in Bollywood. Pancholi and Shetty will hope that they get a second shot at glory. Hero is a debut film that makes Saawariya and Student of the Year seem good movies. That says a lot about the film itself.
Film review ·
Nikhil Advani has mostly stuck to the original story with some unimaginative changes that only misfire. Expecting a strong plot and powerful performances in a masala film was asking for too much but Hero fails to deliver even on basic levels. It challenges the viewer's intelligence with its incoherent script, poor direction and below par performances.
Film review ·
Bad writing, poor direction and average performances make Hero forgettable.
Film review ·
Nikhil Advani is no Subhash Ghai when it comes to handling potboilers. Hero is a botched up film in effort to provide two reasonably good star kids a launch pad.
Film review ·
After watching three hours of this torturous film, a thought came to mind. It's a plea actually. To Salman Khan and all other producers who actually have the power to shape the cinema that reaches us. If you have the resources, filmmaking expertise, and an obvious passion for cinema, why not back good films that take us forward and not a hundred steps behind? Would someone be so kind as to answer this question, please?
Film review ·
Hero has a terribly weak script and ridiculously written dialogues. Except for the cinematography and the unwittingly funny end there is precious little we can cheer for. We want the lovers to unite and we want them to make it fast because it is after all an excruciating watch. No wonder inspite of having worked so hard in the gym Sooraj and Athiya fail to charm us. So I'm going to try my best and not be mean to the newcomers. Let's judge them on their next outing. Till then let us make a pact and forget about Hero. That would be the smart thing to do.
Film review ·
The same movie still gets made. New faces, but no value addition to the film, no new stories. So used to expecting the same thing over and over again have we gotten, that we have even stopped getting bored watching them. You shrug, "what else did you expect" and move on.
Film review ·
Watch 'Hero' if you are a huge Salman Khan fan and want to catch his rendition of the title track with the end credits.
Film review ·
If you are planning to watch this movie, I suggest you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE on your desire to do so.
Film review ·
If you've always loved masala Bollywood films, this is for you. Go and see the newcomers, especially Sooraj, who has a lot of potential. Also, go watch Salman Khan sing on the big screen- it is obviously worth it!
Film review ·
Advani's 'Hero' ends up a lengthy, unimaginative remake. Stay away, if you prefer movies that are easy on our senses.
Film review ·
While there's nothing new on offer in terms of story, the fresh new faces and a brisk runtime of 131 minutes make Hero a breezy entertainer.
Film review ·
Its' a known aspect that Hero is an old wine in new bottle but is it worth drinking this new wine? A one time sip only! Hero is a one time watch movie with nothing worth getting a special mention, apart from Salman Khan's song!
Film review ·
It's difficult to say what debutants Pancholi and Shetty are capable of because Advani's remake of Subhash Ghai's Hero starts off as awful and ends as boring. There are about two genuinely emotional moments in the film's 131 minutes.
Film review ·
With an equally lacklustre soundtrack, Hero is old wine in older bottles. One is better off, sipping the original one with the unforgettable Lata Mangeshakar's, "Pyaar karne waale kabhi darte nahin".
Film review ·
Hero is a vacuous and self-indulgent exercise, akin to taking star kids on a field trip in order to show them the ropes. Do it, by all means, but why must you subject an audience to it?
Film review ·
Ghai may no longer be relevant to today's film-making scene, but there was one thing he was undeniably good at—spotting talent in young actors and taking a chance on them. It's what made the original Hero and so many of his other films exciting for audiences at the time. Modern-day Bollywood, packed to the gills with star sons and daughters, may have to adopt some of his pioneer spirit if it wants a fresh set of idols to replace the Khans.
Film review ·
That comic relief, though unintentional, is welcome in a film that otherwise provides no entertainment. It is only in the closing credits of "Hero", when co-producer Salman Khan appears on screen, do you get the feeling that there is a star in the film.
Film review ·
An ineffective remake of a 1983 box office hit mislabelled as a classic, Hero is yet another instance of the resilience of the ancient Indian tradition of nepotism.
Film review ·
Oldfashioned? Yes. But this Hero conveys all the charm of the original, plus the newly-acquired swagger of the modern times.
Film review ·
Could have been a frothy entertainer for teenagers but the bubble bursts mid-way.
Film review ·
It's rather surprising that Salman Khan, given his present form, has chosen to produce such an insincere film. What do you call a film even Salman Khan can't save? Hero.
From our readers
4 ratings · user score 4.8
Best of this year n sallu brought another blockbuster m
Newcomers have a tough time staying afloat in the volatile entertainment industry. In 2020, when there will be no trace of either of the lead actors of this film, we can finally corroborate that the previous statement is, in fact, true. After he's done with his theatrics, heroics, and groovy dance moves, Sooraj (Pancholi Jr.) is assigned the task of kidnapping the daughter (Shetty) of the city's Inspector General (Dhulia) by his gangster-turned-politician father (Pancholi Sr.) on grounds of political vendetta. Soon idiotic dialogs encapsulate the drama that has the power to put off its viewers, because in here arguments turn into long-winded sessions of romance, and kidnappers fool around with their captive. Just because the original villain is the real life father of the so-called hero of the film, he's not sent to the gallows at the end. But worry not, because we have some random villains kicking the bucket. It is basically a love story where the characters use words like "calculate" & "alt+shift+delete" to describe the situations. You now know what you're looking at. Pancholi Jr. has a long way to go if he wants to stick to acting that is not solely driven by his toned body, and Shetty may want to check her options. Taking a French bath and screaming your lungs out is not considered acting. Dhulia is the only good man in the film which eventually drags the hell out to reach a point of stagnancy. BOTTOM LINE: Hero has a tried and tested story, but the actors playing the characters are like a bunch of toddlers who are yet to grow milk teeth. GRADE: F Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Credits
Sooraj PancholiSooraj
Athiya ShettyRadha
Anita HassanandaniRadha's sister-in-law
Aditya PancholiSuryakant Pasha Ranade
Sharad KelkarMathur - Radha's brother
Tigmanshu DhuliaShrikant Mathur - Radha's father
Vivan BhatenaRanvijay Shekhawat
Kishor KadamShantaram
Salman Khancameo appearance
Suresh MenonBBMHindi films like Hero