Movie Review - Kick

A Tasty MASALA Dish

DIRECTOR: SAJID NADIADWALA

GENRE: DRAMA/ACTION/THRILLER

STARRING: SALMAN KHAN, JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ, RANDEEP HOODA, NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI, MITHUN, SAURABH SHUKLA

FINAL VERDICT: ***

DABANGG

READY

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KICK

The above mentioned films starring our very own Bhai are the one’s which are a part of my personal ‘First Day First Show’ Club. After spending approximately three hours in the cinema, I am glad to say that Kick, like the predecessors of my club, is indeed equally entertaining, if not more. Frankly speaking, after watching the first trailer of Kick, my perception of the movie was that of a genuine action-thriller. But Bhai being Bhai, he made Kick look like just another Bollywood action film. Still, it was surely worth the watch.

The title of the movie perplexed me greatly before the release, and finally after watching, I was able to comprehend the exact meaning of it. Kick refers to the ‘thrill’ which DeviLal (Salman) wants to undergo and relish. Needless to say, he puts the lives of several people in jeopardy for that. Its while experiencing one of his Kicks, where he comes across Shaina (Fernandez). Like they say in Bollywood:

A guy and a girl meet. (Though the guy may look atleast 20 years elder to her)

They annoy each other

They eventually fall in love

Their families finally make a mess of their love

Kick is no exception, and the above mentioned cycle is a chunk of the first half. The movie seems like a typical Salman film for the first 30 odd minutes, until the character of the Devil is unleashed. To eradicate the act’s of Devil, Himanshu (Hooda), a young and dynamic cop is assigned the case. What follows ahead, is like a typical B Town film, but the motive behind the acts of the Devil is really heart-melting. In the due course, several characters are shown. Saurabh Shukla, who plays Jacqueline’s father is there for a limited period, but entertains greatly.

The weirdest but the most entertaining character is that of Siddiqui, who is the Home Minister’s nephew. Siddiqui is one hell of an actor. Give him any role. Tough or easy. He will oblige you by effortlessly portraying it. Be it the sadistic Faizal Khan in Gangs Of Wasseypur, or the compassionate Shaikh in The Lunchbox; Nawaz is always at ease. This is Nawaz’s first try in a semi-comic role and he has indeed done justice to the role. In fact, his acting is the aspect which stands out in the film.

Apart from Nawaz, Hooda too has played his part with ease and grace. Playing an aggressive cop and a shy silly-romantic guy in one go will put several actors under stress. But mind you! Hooda is not of them. Randeep succeeds in playing the role of Himanshu with ease and leaves a positive impact in the heart's of the viewers. The lesser said about Bhai’s acting, the better. Bhai is Bhai in almost every film. Only in the emotional sequences, we see a different shade of Salman, which is of course a rare sight. Fernandez’s role isn’t worth bragging about. But she too does well in the limited screen time that she gets.  Her portrayal of the chicken-hearted  Shaina is a welcome sight and it’s a pleasure to watch her. She is one of those rare actresses who do not annoy the common cinema lover.  

The music and the soundtrack of the film by Himesh Reshammiya remains one of the strengths of the film. The track ‘Yaar Na Miley’ by Yo Yo Honey Singh (India’s best contender for a Grammy! Enough said) stands out and gets you grooving. Singh’s voice perfectly suits Salman and the so called rap by him is thereby pleasing to hear. The only aspect lacking is that of a better dancer in Singh’s track. Nargis Fakhri is strictly OK as a dancer. There are better dancers than her around! That’s for sure!

The locations shot are a massive asset to the film. The camera work and the cinematography department deserve a special mention for their excellent work. The photography done makes the film more pleasing to watch. Warsaw has been beautifully depicted and shot to say the least.

The one shortfall which remains though is that of the film diverting too much from the plot of the Devil. Rather than showing the typical lame Bollywood stuff, the director could have concentrated more on Devil’s character and his activities, which were galvanizing to watch. One would expect Mr.Sajid Nadiadwala, a man with more than 25 years of experience in cinema to direct more efficiently, but sadly that is not the case. Its an honest attempt at directing nonetheless.

Kick is a must watch for all Bhai fans, who genuinely feel that Bhai can do anything. For rational cinema lovers, it’s a one time watch flick!