He was one of India’s most sensational scamsters and Harshad Mehta seems to be the flavour of the season. After Scam 1992, a successful and critically acclaimed series that followed the story of India’s own wolf of Dalal Street, we now have a feature film that tells pretty much the same story. The Big Bull recently released on Disney+ Hotstar; suitably tweaked for a streaming platform but actually created for a theatrical release. So does Abhishek Bachchan as Harshad Mehta work?
Abhishek Bachchan plays Hemant Shah who is modelled after Harshad Mehta and Eleana D’Cruz is Meera Rao, a stand-in for Sucheta Dalal who reported on the scam in 1992.
Many have spoken appreciatively about Junior Bachchan’s performance as the regular guy and his meteoric rise to fame and unimaginable riches.
People have liked the performances and the style of storytelling of the film; a dramatic representation of a larger than life character.
Harshad Mehta lived a life more incredible than a lot of movies. His story is one that begs to be told which this film does – entertainingly, Bollywood style.
Inevitably, people are comparing the movie with Scam 1992 --- the limited series starring Pratik Gandhi that released on SonyLIV last October.
The series was better, feel many viewers and reviewers. The series is better made, more realistic and does a better job of telling a complex and layered story.
People who have watched the series would like to know whether they should watch the movie or not.
Some have the view that there is no need to waste time on the movie if one has watched the series.
The film is after all a Bollywood movie, complete with romance and songs, whereas the series simply tells the story better and seems more authentic.
There are many who feel that after The Scam was made, there was no real need for The Big Bull to be made. That said, fans of Abhishek Bachchan or those who enjoy the dramatic Bollywood style narrative have enjoyed the movie. For those who haven’t watched either, the series may be better. However, for those who don’t have the time or the patience, a movie may be a better idea than a ten-episode series.
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