Film review: Salman Khan delivers a Kick in the teeth

Cinemagoers won't glean much enjoyment from Salman Khan's latest, three-hour-long blockbuster, which is full of faults, writes Aarti Jhurani

Salman Khan plays an adrenalin junkie in the movie Kick. Courtesy Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
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Kick
Director: Sajid Nadiadwala
Cast: Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandes, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
One star
Let's be honest: no one watches a Salman Khan movie for its plot or groundbreaking performances. If you've seen the trailer, and still want to see the movie, there can only be two reasons: you love Khan or you don't mind spending three hours on mindless entertainment.
The film starts out in picturesque Warsaw, where the brooding Shaina (Jacqueline Fernandes) is a lovelorn and heart-broken psychologist, who puts on her glasses to let the audience know when she's sad and miserable. She meets a cop, Himanshu Tyagi (Randeep Hooda), who her family is trying to get her to marry and she decides to open up to him about her ex, who happens to be the thief that Tyagi is after, which he only figures out two hours into the movie.
Rewind to the by-lanes of Delhi a year previously, where we meet Salman Khan's character (Devi Lal Singh), who would go to any length to get an adrenalin rush - get into fights, end up in jail - and yet he has a heart of gold. Expect a lot of cheesy lines, overacting and unnecessary characters in the first half, which, as you'll later discover, is actually much better than the second, where Devi becomes Devil.
During the extremely long second half, Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes an appearance and it's interesting to see an actor who typically opts for more "arty" films be a part of the cast for an out-and-out entertainer. It's probably the most disappointing performance of his career, especially with his earache-inducing laughter, but he still manages to pull off a better act than Khan at his best.
Even with all its faults, there are a few aspects that stand out - the cinematography, for example, is fantastic. No cost has been spared as far as production is concerned and the songs and action scenes look slick. Saurabh Shukla and Sanjay Mishra shine in their small roles, as does Hooda as the smart (and extremely good-looking) cop who is the real hero of the film.
Khan has owned the Eid slot through the years and Kick has all the elements of being a blockbuster - chart-topping songs, an item song featuring Nargis Fakhri, a good dose of action, comedy, drama and the biggest driving force, Khan himself. With such a great ensemble cast, this film had so much potential, but I walked away with a headache and left behind three hours of my life that I'll never get back.
ajhurani@thenational.ae