Doing a film with an action hero comes with a lot of expectations: Ali Abbas Zafar

When there are two action stars like Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff shouldering a stunt-intensive film, the pressure to deliver is more, says Ali Abbas Zafar, who has directed the duo in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan.

While Akshay cemented his position as an action star in the 1990s with the Khiladi films, Tiger is the new-age hero in the genre with movies such as Baaghi (2016) and War (2019) to his credit.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan will see Akshay and Tiger perform death-defying stunts as they play two elite soldiers who embark on a mission to recover a stolen AI weapon from a notorious enemy. The film hits the screens on Thursday.

Ali, known for stylised action in films like Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Bharat (2019), said he felt compelled to present the actors in a never-before-seen avatar.

"There's actually more pressure when you make an action film with an action hero as the expectation is already very high. So, with them (Akshay and Tiger) the idea is to show the audience something that they've never seen before, whether it's hand-to-hand (combat), or a chase sequence. So, the bar was higher," the director told PTI.

Having already directed superstars like Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Anushka Sharma in separate films, Ali said working with a popular actor these days comes with its own set of challenges.

"Today, my biggest worry is that all of them are such big superstars and with such a huge fan base. You can't do frivolous work with any of them. The script needs to be good and it should be of their level,” he said.

"For me, that wow factor needs to be there in a script, whether I go to Akshay Kumar sir, Salman Khan sir, SRK, Aamir Khan or anyone. They should feel that the material I brought to them is 'worth their time',” he added.

Ali recalled when producer Jackky Bhagnani asked him to helm the movie, he immediately accepted the offer.

''He served the best dish on the platter. When he offered me this story, I was in the middle of writing a two-hero theatrical action spectacle post Bloddy Daddy,” he said, adding, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan is a completely new film and has nothing to do with the 1998 action-comedy of the same name, except the title.

The film releases in theatres on April 11.