It was a real pile story that has grabbed the world's national community. There is nothing we don't already know about India's multi-billion-dollar stock market scam,' as told in a best-selling book and a highly popular web series. So co-writer and producer Kookie Gulati was faced with the daunting task of condensing the peaks and lows of an iconic character into a two-and-a-half-hour feature film.

But, for a film that is "inspired by real events," Gulati only works partly because the true story is much more interesting and thrilling. We are easily taken through Hemant Shah's (Abhishek A Bachchan) journey from an employed middle-class man to a professional stockbroker, without ever seeing him participate in the stock market.

His success story from an ordinary man to Lord of the common man feels pressured and disappointing. Snippets of his humble life in a Mumbai Chawl, his relationships with his family, and Priya (Nikita Dutta), the girl he has a crush on, take a lot more resources than his stock market stunts.

The film's plot picks up speed in the second act, as Hemant Shah's rising popularity and wealth gain his name, fame, and rivals. Arjun Dhawan and Kookie Gulati, the writers, manage to build tension and suspense around various episodes of Hemant's take with police, politicians, and the media, as he publicly tries to manipulate each of them. Some scenes lookout for their contentious nature. The non-linear narrative also helps in breaking the monotony of repeated struggles. Though seeing Mumbai when it was Bombay is always a treat, the cinematography of the few south Mumbai places is just about acceptable.

Despite the reality that his character could've used a lot more complexity and detail, Abhishek Bachchan gives a good performance. For instance, his character appears steady from his youth to middle age, making it difficult to accept that his role has progressed significantly. The frequent shots of loud and artificial laughter seem forced, and his relationship with Nikita Dutta is seriously lacking. The sequences, as well as an unusual love song captured in Delhi, only help to slow the tempo even further.

The dialogues in the movie are also very weak, such as ‘hamare paas bhagwaan se bhi zyada paise hain.' Even when the scenes require it, most of the dialogues do not push the actors to appear solid. Ileana D'Cruz gave a real performance as reporter Meera Rao, who is exploring Hemant's scams. Sohum Shah, who plays Hemant's younger brother Viren, is good, as are the rest of the experienced character actors, including Saurabh Shukla and Ram Kapoor.

Broadly speaking, 'The Big Bull' is a decent attempt to convince the dramatic tale of one of India's biggest financial scandals, organized by a man who appeared more like a common person than a scam artist. If you like Abhishek Bachchan, you can watch it, but don't set your expectations too high.