Review : Kick

Cast: Salman Khan (Devi Lal), Jacqueline Fernandez (Shaina Mehra), Randeep Hooda (Himanshu Tyagi), Navazuddin Siddiqui (Shiv), Saurabh Shukla (Mr. Mehra, Shaina’s father), Mithun Chakraborty (Devi Lal’s father), Archana Puran Singh (Devi Lal’s mother)

Genre: Comedy, Action, Thriller

Direction: Sajid Nadiadwla

Production: Sajid Nadiadwla

Screenplay : Rajat Arora, Keith Gomes, Sajid Nadiadwala, Chetan Bhagath (Additional Screenplay and writer)

Story: Vakkantham Vamsi

Cinematographer: Ayananka Bose

Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Meet Bros Anjjan, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Julius Packiam (Background score)

Editor : Rameshwar S Bhagat

Distribution: UTV Motion Pictures

Release Date: 25^th July, 2014

Language: Hindi

Duration: 2 hours 26 minutes

Kick a movie by Sajid Nadiadwala (he is donning the role of a director for the first time, otherwise, generally he produces movies) turns out to be an average flick as a collage of tids and bits of Dabbang, Jai Ho, Tiger and gets us to meet the same Salman Khan, whom we have seen so much. The beginning of the movie with Jacqueline’s   entry with a soothing background song seemed to be promising, but the impact fizzles down. The movie is about what gives Salman Khan the ‘Kick’ – the adrenaline rush for which he keeps experimenting with his jobs, adventurous things till he finds the real ‘Kick’. It seems that Salman’s movies these days are afflicted with forced Social Responsibilities, his good Samaritan activities, dialogues with the mention of his brand ‘Being Human’ (even Jai Ho had the same shades). There appears to be some conscious effort to build an image. Lot of unrealistic scenes. The first half of the movie is dead slow. The pace in the second half of the movie picks up a bit but the end leaves me confused. I wonder, is it a cue to the audience that the sequel Kick 2 is in process. I am clueless, what and how does a movie gets into 100 crore club. Either we love our actors so much that, let whatever be the movie, its plot or presentation, we definitely want to watch the same. And this sensitivity of ours makes the movie a blockbuster.

Devi Lal Singh (Salman Khan) loves kicks in his life, for which he keeps exploring. The kicks during his journey from mother’s womb till adulthood are shown through digital animation. A psychiatrist Shaina’s (Jacqueline) encounter with Devi Lal happens in a dramatic scene where he is trying to help Shaina’s friend (Samona Chakravarty) flee with her boyfriend (Kavin Dave) and get married. Devi Lal has kept Samona’s mother (a MLA) and other people also informed regarding the couple’s whereabouts. Shaina finds him completely crazy. Shaina decides to make Devi Lal a case for her studies to understand his ‘kicks’. Devi Lal gets the kicks out of strange acts: beating the eve-teasers (oh yes, this is still great), jail doesn’t bother him, rather he ends up giving headache to the inspector (Sanjay Mishra- who keeps wondering, why did he arrest him at all). And there is the quintessential Mithun chakroborty as Salman’s father continuing to do so since his ‘Veer’ days and Archana Puran Singh pitching in as his mother still under the spell of her TV show ‘Comedy Circus’.

A bond strikes between Devi Lal and Shaina but soon it goes through a rough patch and Devi Lal gets the kick to make money and moves away from Shaina. Shaina’s parents are interested in her match with Himanshu Tyagi (Randeep Hooda). He is a Police officer, reaches Poland following ‘Devil’ – a masked mysterious thief, who keeps robbing rich people on festival days and also goes around pulling off spectacular stunts. There is a cat and mouse game between Himanshu and Devil.

And there is Shiva Gajra (Nawajuddin), who says –“aakhir main bhi to dekhum ki mujhse jyada devil kaun hai?’ He is into healthcare business with no ethics.

How does the story move further? Does Himanshu able to nail down Devil? Is he able to confront and finish the Devil? What happens to the relationship between Himanshu and Shaina, does it ever grow? Though you can guess very easily, does Devi Lal comes back to Shaina ever? What choices Devi Lal makes to fulfill his kick for making money? What is the intention of Devi Lal behind trying to fulfill his kick? What role Shiva plays in the movie and is he also in search of Devil?

Salman Khan, otherwise an entertainer, fails to give something new. Oh, there is Salman in different styles – with / without French beard, in hoodie at times… lot of styles are tested for him. Jacqueline looks good on screen, but then, that is not sufficient. Talented actors like Mithun, and Sanjay Mishra are wasted in the movie. Nawajuddin, although in a short role, seems to make his presence felt, superb as usual. I just wished, he could have got more screen time.

And there the movie ends – Main samajh me nahi aata, sirf dil me aata hum…

Kick throughout doesn’t ‘kick’. Even, Dhoom’s bike and Krissh Mask clubbed with Sallu Bhai may not save Kick. Watch it, if you are a diehard fan of Salman Khan.

Rating: 2.5/5 (Average+)