Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota

Don't waste time reading this, go watch the film it's worth it!

Woah!!! this one is surely one heck of a ride. Too much fun. Bring every element of 90 including a song from Balasubramanium. Humour is top notch and so is the action. The mani brothers especially evil mani needs recognition he is too damn good. Best entertainer of 2019

Dont miss this.

The love for actions films from 80s Bollywood, South Indian films, Chinese and Japanese action films and even the present Hindi and American films can be seen not just from the references and homages but it can be felt from each shot and dialogues. As the protagonist sets out to stand against everything evil as he has learnt from the numerous action films from his childhood which is his only real interaction with the outside world we also see how much heart was behind making this film in a way that the story can be viewed as a metaphor for the making of this film itself. Hearing lines like "You are a Kamal fan and not Rajini fan which is why you have grown this beard and started drinking" in between all the madness going on in this film was a golden moment for me. Only a South Indian film buff would be able to find all the references and homages in this film. The action choreography is so well done in this film. Unlike usual Indian action films in which most of the Villain's goons are just there too run and roar here each of them made it felt like they know what they are doing. We also got a legitimate action heroine in Radhika Madan who did all her stunts herself and was an actual powerful and believable character. Making fun of cliches never felt this respectful before. I already want to see this film again and I want that sequel they promised at the end.

Vasan Bala's incredibly funny and action packed 'Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota' is his love letter to all the action movies we watched growing up. In this superhero origin story from Matunga, he has managed to insert tiny references to all these movies in unlimited amounts. Be it the costume of Hammer Girl from 'The Raid 2', the tournament from 'Enter the Dragon', a water backpack used as a McGuffin and even the cliché twin brothers plot device used in countless Bollywood commercial potboilers.

Surya is a boy suffering from congenital insensitivity to pain, meaning he can't feel pain and has to keep drinking water to keep himself alive. Raised in captivity for 12 years by his idiotic but controlling father and a cool liberal grandfather, he has spent most of his time watching Kung-Fu movies and looks up to Karate Mani, a true legend in his city. He also has a childhood friend Supri who fights with everyone to protect Surya but can't stand up against her abusive father. These are very relatable characters and you start caring for them instantly. The innocent and childlike performance by Abhimanyu Dassani makes him even easier to care for. He is an actor with superb physicality along with acting skills, unlike say, Tiger Shroff who can't act to save his life. Radhika Madan deserves accolades for carrying such a layered and difficult role effortlessly. Surya and Supri deserve to be a part of the MCU. Special Mention to the scene stealer Gulshan Devaiyah in a double role, whose backstory is told in by far the most hilarious flashback scene since Bejoy Nambiar's 'Shaitaan'. Writer and Director Vasan Bala has finally proven himself to be an adept storyteller. His script is brilliantly detailed and filled with jokes and movie references that are left for the audience to grasp.

'Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota' is a film-grain VHS fueled package of insanity coupled with masterful action and Edgar Wright styled editing. There's a scene towards the end that hints clearly at the jingoistic clichés of movies like 'Kesari'. "You have to go to the next screen" Surya says. I strongly suggest you to go to a screen where this absurdist action comedy is playing.

Being an Indian, who watches a lot of movies from Bollywood as well as from Hollywood productions ; I must say as a Bollywood film it surprised me a lot! The concept and the execution is top notch and nothing ever seen before type! Kudos to the director and the producers to invest courageously in a project which might have simply become a failure! They took the risk and it worked out pretty amazing!

As the performances go, the debutant Abhimanyu (Son of Bhagyashree) has done an amazing job! I applaud him for choosing this kind of out of the box concept rather than some stereotypical Bollywood movie in his very first work in the industry. A GREAT START, I must say!

Radhika Madan, A Famous name in TV Show industry done an pretty awesome job too! Her action sequences as well as the conversation scenes were a pleasure to watch! She justified her character as 'Supri' fully.

Now comes to Gulshan Devaiah! What a performance man! Hands down! Doing two different personalities simultaneously is a daunting task and he played it brilliantly!

On the other side the Action sequences, editing, the retro style of soundtrack all mixed up pretty well with each other and was a perfect fit for the movie as well!

Although there are some pacing issues in it, especially in the middle parts but it is negligible as long as you are invested in the characters and the action scenes (There's a bunch of)!

Overall a really great film, something fresh and brilliantly executed! Go watch it and support these kind of movies more, they need the deserved exposure! :)