For producer-turned-debut director Sajid Nadiadwala, Kick was a way to “kick” (in a good way, of course) the audience with a realization of what they already knew to expect from a Salman-centric film.
Starting with Jacqueline Fernandez (the glam doll) to Nawazuddin Siddiqui (the intuitive actor) to Randeep Hooda (the only consistent factor other than Salman), each one of them seems to take Kick as that one mainstream film which could make them more saleable when it comes to a commercially successful Bollywood masala flick.
(Above): Salman Khan in “Kick.”
Thankfully, none of them depended on just Salman’s “kick” to take the film past that 100-crore milestone and mark their entry into that not-so-exclusive-anymore club. The game now has bigger stakes, more like a 200-crore milestone. [As of press date, Kick had already crossed the 200-crore milestone with its worldwide collections.]
Randeep finds himself appearing much before Salman makes his entry and shares screen space with him at the interval point as well as the very last scene of the film. No mean feat for any actor, be it Randeep or someone relatively inexperienced, to be enjoying a good enough characterization when a film has Salman Khan written all over it. As a cop, the love-hate camaraderie he shares is much enjoyable right through the last scene, which is a riot by all means.
(Above): Randeep Hooda in “Kick.”
What’s not really a riot are the first 30 minutes of the film that seem like a collage of Salman Khan’s act from the likes of Dabangg, Ready, Ek Tha Tiger to anything and everything else that he has done post-Wanted days.
Frankly, though it is entertaining in bits, one does wonder when would the real plot “kick” in. Oh yes, there are a couple of mandatory smile-through action sequences, a song or two (which may well have been done away with), a comic scene or two and then the usual wooing of the heroine. Naah, you wanted something that indeed goes with the title and the wait just becomes longer.
(Above): Jacqueline Fernandez in “Kick.”
However, once Randeep starts telling his tale from the past and gives Jacqueline knowhow of what he had gone through, the fun begins.
‘Devi Lal’ and ‘Devil,’ the two sides of Salman Khan, offer a jugalbandi on screen to Kick’s relentless pace. In fact the interval is brilliant and though there are a couple of mandatory “stoplight” scenes immediately into the second half, Sajid Nadiadwala puts the film back on fourth gear soon after.
From this point on the pace of the film accelerates all thanks to the characters of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vipin Sharma and Rajit Kapur who add a lot to the plot. Drama, action, humor -- all of this adds to the fun but beyond all that, my personal favorite is the emotional flashback sequence that establishes how Devi Lal became Devil.
(Above): Salman Khan (top) and Nargis Fakhri (bottom) in “Kick.”
Frankly, this is the best part of the film and also shows Sajid Nadiadwala’s hold over the medium as a debut director. The finale is a complete riot.
Salman does well and brings on good nuances to his characterization that sets his act apart from what he has done in the recent past. He is fun, but never frivolous, which brings in added credibility to his performance. Jacqueline is controlled, looks glamorous and comes up with a classy act. She looks extremely beautiful in each and every song with some stunning moves in “Jumme Ki Raat” followed by an enticing performance in her version of the “Devil” song. As for Nargis Fakhri, she looks delightful in the same song.
(Above): Nawazuddin Siddiqui in “Kick.”
Randeep seems a little out of his place in his train journey but then comes on his own once his story begins. From this point on, he gets to play much more than just a supporting actor and is very loveable in the last scene of the film.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui catches the mood of a commercial film well and while his laughter may see extreme reactions, he is superb in the climax. Immediately after that, Vipin Sharma brings the house down with the final scene, hence justifying his choice for doing the film. Saurabh Shukla is good as always though one has seen better from Sanjay Mishra. Mithun Chakraborty and Archana Puran Singh don’t offer anything extraordinary, just plain business.
Coming back to Salman Khan, he does what he does best – overshadow the character with his signature Salman Khan style. For diehard Salman fans that’s all the “Kick” needed to make it a success.
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