Film Review - Kick

Just for Kicks

Film: Kick

Cast: Salman Khan,Jacqueline Fernandes,Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Directed by: Sajid Nadiadwala

Duration: 2 hrs 26 mins

Rating: * *

The similarity between Salman Khan’s film and a children’s animation film is that, irrespective of the content, the target audience is generally happy with whatever is thrown at them. In fact, a six or eight year old might have an alternative opinion about an animation film but rarely will you get to hear a varying opinion from bhai’s fans.

And it is not very difficult to see why. The man has a larger-than-life persona on and off the screen and some directors know better than others how to exploit it. From that point of view, producer turned director Sajid Nadiadwala is in full throttle in his debut venture Kick.Salman’s fans will surely be delighted. As the actor says, “Main dil mein aata hoon samaj mein nahin” – whatever that is supposed to mean.

For the rest, it is all about looking at your watch and counting the minutes. 

You don’t expect a Kurosawa or Bergman-like experience in a Salman Khan enterprise. If you come out with your marbles intact, it calls for a celebration.

Apart from Salman Khan playing Salman Khan, he also plays a badass named Devi Lal who likes to beat up eve-teasers – the audience has seen that drill several times before but yet they lap it up. And if you thought the grand entry of the hero was done away with in the 80s, then think again. You see him making an entry in super slow motion as his face appears on the screen. Trends in film making don’t apply to bhai - he is a trend unto himself.

In Kick, he is not exactly gainfully employed; his full time job appears to be pursuing his love interest Shaina (Jacqueline Fernandes) who is a psychiatrist and appears to be more exasperated than her patients.

Devi also has another avatar: he transforms into Devil, a Robin Hood character who also has full backing from his dad (Mithun Chakraborty). Randeep Hooda plays a cop in hot pursuit of Devil who is targeting the evil guy (Nawazuddin Siddique). It helps to have a villain who can hold your interest and who, at times, with his evil laugh and quirkiness, is more enthralling than the hero.

When it doesn’t take itself seriously, the film is watchable but the moment it switches to serious mode, as it does every now and then, you want to hit the fast forward button. A car chase on the streets of Warsaw shows the Rohit Shetty has serious competition when it comes to blowing up cars.

And just for the record, I haven’t seen a movie where the title is mentioned so many times in the film. As a part of the dialogue, if someone were to ask, “What did you have for lunch today?” am pretty sure the answer would have been “Kick”.

The film is well shot by Ayananka Bose and it is obvious that big bucks have been spent in making it. Even though I am far from being a Salman Khan fan, I can see why he has such a fan following – he aims to please and does it well. Now, only if someone could cobble together a sensible story for him rather than just rehash South Indian films. At times, Nawazuddin Siddique is one up on Salman; in some of the scenes he is deliciously evil.  

But all in all, this is just another Kick in the wall.

Published in The Navhind Times, Goa on 27th July 2014

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Film Review - Highway

The Good Road

Film: Highway

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt

Directed by: Imtiaz Ali

Duration: 2 hrs

Rating: * * *

Director Imtiaz Ali steps out of his comfort zone to make a film that attempts to stray away from the weekly Bollywood fare. The result is mixed, while you appreciate the attempt, the script doesn’t have enough fire-power to push it in to the big league. Nevertheless, here is a film that either you might love or ‘not like it so much’. There will be a few reservations but chances of detesting it are slim and not many films fall in that bracket these days.

On the positive side, there is a lot to be admired. This is one of the most beautifully shot films in recent times and Alia Bhatt as an actress springs up a surprise. She plays Veera Tripathi who gets abducted by Mahabir (Randeep Hooda) just before her wedding. The kidnapper with his gang (a terrific ensemble cast) keeps moving from one place to another giving ample scope for a road movie.                   

Even though she is captive, she starts enjoying her ‘freedom’ from her family and it is not too long before the Stockholm syndrome kicks in. In Hollywood we have seen more than a dozen films on this subject and though it is not a first in India (Subhash Ghai’s Hero is perhaps the most popular film), it is not explored in depth here.

Being a thoroughbred criminal she has no qualms about it; he is a hard nut to crack but gives in eventually. The two are on the run, moving from one place to another till they settle down in one place and the second half of the film is more like a promotion for Himachal Pradesh Tourism. Visually it does look gorgeous but it does not do the story a world of good.

The finale where some uncomfortable secrets are revealed also stretches on after the point is made and I wish the film had ended a few minutes before it actually did, at the high point.

But again, the film holds your attention even when it is not all gung-ho. There are some splendid set pieces, like the one where she breaks into an impromptu dance to an English song. If you dig deep into the issues brought up here, you might draw a few blanks (like the girl suddenly discovering a new world out there) but the point about the dangers at home and outside are well intended, a little subtlety would have helped though.

A.R. Rahman’s score is music to ears and veteran Anil Mehta’s cinematography is clearly one of the assets of the film. Add to it the cast - Durgesh Kumar (as the sidekick) and Saharsh Kumar Shukla (as the creepy gang member) are unknown names, but they deliver a remarkable performance. 

Randeep Hooda plays his part well, his character demands that he grimace for most parts in the film, which he does with conviction. Student of the Year was not an ideal film to show her talent but Alia Bhatt proves she has that spark in her and credit should also be given to Imtiaz Ali for extracting a superlative performance.

You may not go gaga over this Highway but overall, it is not a bad trip at all.

Published in The Navhind Times on 23rd Feb 2014 

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Film Review - John Day

 

                    Revenge is His                 

Film: John Day

Cast: Nasseruddin Shah, Randeep Hooda

Directed by: Ahishor Solomon

Duration: 2 hrs 5 mins

Rating: * *

John Day is a film that starts off with a promise but by the end, it fritters it away. If one were to trace a graph, it would be like a parabola. It goes up, up for a while and then the slide starts. It has an interesting premise albeit inspired by the Spanish film Box 507 (2002) but output is not very satisfactory.

  

Nasseruddin Shah plays the title role of John Day, a bank manager with permed hair trying to overcome grief in his personal life. His young daughter died a couple of years back under mysterious circumstances and his wife (Shernaz Patel) is grieving even more. While he is taken hostage during a bank robbery, it throws some clues about his daughter’s death. Day saab then takes up the full time job of investigating the matter.

The other main character is a police guy (Randeep Hooda) a very angry young man. Among other tragedies in his childhood, he was molested by a priest and as a result he is so bitter. As a cop though, he is running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.

While the film keeps you reasonably interested in the first half, it still moves like a driver on a highway who refuses to move into top gear. The plot which tries to be too smart for its own good falls apart considerably, later.     

The characterization is not very assuring – yes John Day is avenging his daughter’s death but the manner in which he goes about it lacks conviction.  Same with the cop, he is a vicious guy, doesn’t show much respect for his girlfriend yet he loves her a lot and she likes to drink like a fish. Then there is lot of violence, tongues are bitten off and heads are beaten to pulp.

Though director Ahishor Solomon has lifted the story, the attempt is to do something different but it turns out  to be gravely flawed. There are no songs but Sandeep Chowta’s background score goes into overdrive at times. And what was the point of the rendition of Silent Night used during that long and pointless chase sequence?

Vipin Sharma as the investigating police officer has his moments. Randeep Hooda does full justice and makes the best of his role. Nasseruddin Shah as we know can hardly put a foot wrong and delivers yet another remarkable performance. But the rest of John Day is not in the same league.

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