Singh is Kinng (Movie Review)

Apparently, the extra ‘n' in the title "Singh is Kinng" is for luck. Akshay Kumar's foray into production with Vipul Shah's "Singh is Kinng" directed by Anees Bazmee, probably won't need much luck, as it has all the formulaic makings of a solid entertainer, in the true Bollywood sense.

Music, action, dance, comedy and a love triangle make it a film that will be completely relished by the happy-go-lucky lot looking for good summer viewing.

The film starts off at a birthday bash for King aka Lucky Singh (Sonu Sood), who's an internationally renowned don based in Australia. We're introduced to his cronies - all turbaned Sikhs just like Lucky - including the blindish, deafish Mika (Jaaved Jaffrey) and Julie (Neha Dhupia). As his cake arrives an assassin pops out and sets the pace for what lies ahead - lots of action and chases, pretty slickly executed.

After the chase in Australia, we cut to a chicken chase, in which Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar) is introduced to us as the large-hearted Sikh from a Punjab village, who means well, but causes chaos everywhere he goes.

The villagers conspire to rid the village of Happy and convince him to set off to Australia and bring back Lucky, who hails from the same place.

And so, Happy goes to Lucky, with mate Rangeela, played by a marvelous Om Puri. The duo end up in Egypt after a mix-up, where Happy meets Sonia (Katrina Kaif) after yet another chase, to retrieve her empty hand-bag.

Happy in love with Sonia departs for Down Under and along with Rangeela tries to persuade a defiant Lucky to return to his parents in Punjab. Entrenched in crime, Lucky cannot leave.

However, he's soon injured in a fight and destiny and his cronies demand Happy to take Lucky's place as King.

Happy does so and transforms the mean King into a clean King. The good deeds take a crazy turn when the poor Kirron Kher shares her dilemma with King. Once rich, Kher's husband died leaving her bankrupt. As a result, her daughter Sonia - who hasn't returned home in 3 years - has no clue of the family's misfortunes.

Happy convinces her to pose as his mansion's owner, while he and Lucky's cronies act as her servants. Upon the arrival of Sonia and her beau Puneet (Ranvir Shorey), at the film's half way mark, the acting begins and we're taken on a roller-coaster ride of hilarity and feel-good frames.

It's an absurd story, but a heart-warming tale. Akshay Kumar's Happy is earnest and completely believable as the gentle giant, who believes that people aren't bad, it's their deeds that are bad. He indulges in comedy of the slapstick kind, while the others get the funny one-liners.

"Singh is Kinng" works incredibly well because it has clearly factored in the cast's strengths and capitalised on them. Even the often wasted Jaaved Jaffrey returns to the dance-floor and gets his own song announcing a twist in the plot.

The movie is not credible cinema, but it's a complete entertainer as it has every necessary aspect of a classic Bollywood film in the right doses.

Other members of the cast are lovely and shine in every frame. Ranvir Shorey, Om Puri, Sonu Sood and Jaaved Jaffrey live up to their regular dependability and so does Kirron Kher, who in her rich avatar looks more like a drag-queen than not.

Katrina Kaif continues her charming streak with Akshay Kumar and this pairing could be on its way to legendary status in Bollywood.

Pritam's music is used extremely well with Snoop Doggy Dogg's song appearing right at the end.

All in all, Singh is Kinng is not intelligent, witty or moving. But, it clearly has no pretensions of being so. It's loud, fast and funny. And it's certainly the stuff that blockbusters in Bollywood are made of.

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Om Puri, Neha Dhupia, Kirron Kher, Jaaved Jaffrey

Director: Anees Bazmee

Music: Pritam