*Exclusive*
Just a word of caution before you
watch this film: SINGH IS KINNG is not for the intellectuals
or those pretending to be one. It’s not for the hard-nosed
critics either.
Now read on…
Vipul Shah. Anees Bazmee. Akshay Kumar. Katrina Kaif. Four
names for whom success has become a habit. That makes SINGH
IS KINNG the most awaited movie of the season. Must add, the
wait was worth it!
You know the rules when you watch a hardcore entertainer:
Just don't look for logic. If you do, too bad for you, for
you would never enjoy a film of this genre and more
specifically, SINGH IS KINNG.
Anees Bazmee's films are very high on entertainment. The
plotline may be paper-thin, perhaps ludicrous and farcical,
but when did Bazmee ever promise a SCHINDLER’S LIST or a
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? SINGH IS KINNG works because it
delivers what it promises: Full on entertainment!
Bazmee has the knack of making immensely watchable fares
that cater to the aam junta. SINGH IS KINNG isn’t a
laughathon in entirety. Comedy, romance, action and drama,
everything is well synchronised in those 2.10 hours here.
But, wait, SINGH IS KINNG isn’t a foolproof product. It has
its share of flaws, the turn of events aren’t captivating at
times, but SINGH IS KINNG moves so fast and packs in so
much, there’s no time to think or analyze.
The final word? SINGH IS KINNG is a delicious and
scrumptious pav-bhaji served in the finest cutlery.
Your taste buds are sure to relish it… and ask for more!
Lakhan Singh aka Lucky [Sonu Sood] is the King of the
Australian underworld, accompanied by his associates [played
by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma,
Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande]. Far away, in a small
village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists
someone more notorious than him -- Happy Singh [Akshay
Kumar].
The village is fed up of Happy’s magnanimity, which has
resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations.
Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip
[that will keep him out of the village for a while!] to
bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were
maligning their image in Australia.
The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too
seriously, embarks on his journey, accompanied by his
friend, Rangeela [Om Puri], who hates Happy for dragging him
into it.
The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with
Sonia [Katrina Kaif], with whom he falls in love, but upon
reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as
he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him
penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in
an elderly lady [Kirron Kher].
In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is
foiled by a well-intentioned Happy, who fights off the
attackers by risking his own life. Following the
altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed and Happy,
unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is
expected to assume the role of the new King.
Few minutes into the film and you know that SINGH IS KINNG
is a lavish spectacle that’s high on entertainment. Sonu
Sood chasing a gora assassin at the very start or minutes
later, Akshay chasing a hen -- SINGH IS KINNG starts with
gusto.
And Bazmee doesn’t let you wear your thinking caps all
through the first hour. From India to Egypt to Australia,
from the comforts of his home in Punjab, to the humble abode
of a woman selling flowers in Sydney [Kirron Kher], SINGH IS
KINNG involves you in the journey.
And then Akshay becomes the King. Oh, how he becomes the
King is equally hilarious. The sequence at the hospital [Sonu
Sood is diagnosed with a weird disorder] is simply
hilarious. There’s a twist in the tale at the intermission
point and the second hour, therefore, shifts gears -- it
changes from kabhi funny, kabhi drama to a
prem kahani.
It’s smooth sailing till there’s another twist towards the
pre-climax [wouldn’t like to reveal it, since it would act
as a spoiler]. But, frankly, the film could’ve done without
this track. The narrative, thankfully, is back on tracks
soon after.
Anees Bazmee has a flair for writing great entertainers that
work big time with the masala-loving junta. If you’ve
loved NO ENTRY and WELCOME, you’d love SINGH IS KINNG too.
This time, Bazmee shares the writing credits with Suresh
Nair and the duo come up with some real wacky episodes. In
terms of production design, this is Bazmee’s most lavish
fare so far. It’s a grandiose product.
Pritam’s music is already popular and it compliments the
goings-on completely. ‘Bhootni Ke’, ‘Jee Karda’ and the
title track stand out, while ‘Teri Ore’ is easy on the
nerves. Ben Nott and Sanjay Gupta’s cinematography is top
notch.
Akshay Kumar takes rapid strides with SINGH IS KINNG. Sure,
you’ve seen him in comic fares time and again and perhaps,
there might be a doubt, Will he carry it off yet again? Oh
yes, he does! There’s no saturation point as far as this
actor is concerned. He holds your attention in every
sequence, irrespective of how strong the scene is, and
that’s the biggest compliment for any actor. SINGH IS KINNG
without Akki is like an ocean without marine life. Akshay
rules!
The camera loves Katrina Kaif and it shows in SINGH IS KINNG
too. She looks bewitching and enacts her part with
tremendous confidence. Kirron Kher is superb and so is Om
Puri. Terrific performances! They compliment Akki so well.
Ranvir Shorey is first-rate. Sonu Sood is another actor
who’s finally getting his due in Hindi films. Javed
Jaffrey’s character works big time till he does a somersault
in the pre-climax. Neha Dhupia is engaging. The nok-jhonk
between Sudhanshu Pandey and Yashpal Sharma is perfect.
Manoj Pahwa is good.
On the whole, SINGH IS KINNG lives up to the hype and
hoopla. Want a joyride without taxing your brains? Board the
SINGH IS KINNG wagon. At the box-office, the film will fetch
a hurricane-like start. The paid previews, the opening
weekend, the first week business, everything will be
record-shattering. Notwithstanding the new oppositions in
the weeks to come, SINGH IS KINNG will rule the hearts of
the aam junta [whose verdict matters the most] as
also the box-office, proving a record holder in the final
tally. Blockbuster Hit!
   
|