• Friday, August 08, 2008

• Language:

  Hindi

2008

Singh Is Kinng, the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl...

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 his 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, Tony Singh (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) who helps him meet Lucky.

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 hilarious 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 'kinng'!

The series of chaos, shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!

Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh Is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar's re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008.
Character Sketches:

AKSHAY KUMAR as Happy Singh
He's truly a King at heart - brave, compassionate, noble and helpful. But he's an equally flawed human - gullible, foolhardy and accident - prone. Circumstances often overwhelm him and his efforts to do good almost always have the opposite effect. In fact, each time he sets out to help somebody, his entire village shudders at the prospect of impending disaster, when they send him on a mission that's seemingly impossible, they underestimate his ability to not just overcome the odds but also transform those he encounters on a journey that takes him halfway across the world.

KATRINA KAIF as Sonia
She is a chirpy, fun-loving student of law who loses her cool only when confronted by criminals. But nothing prepares her for the twist fate has in store for her when she finds herself surrounded by some of the most dangerous gangsters in Australia!

OM PURI as Rangeela
He's Happy's best friend and also his worst enemy. An ageing bachelor who finds that his friendship with the village's most notorious do-gooder has cost him marriage alliances; a reluctant Rangeela is forced to accompany Happy on a mission that was his brainchild to get rid of his friend for good.

SONU SOOD as Lakhan Singh aka Lucky
The King of the Underworld. This wasn't the way Lakhanpa hoped his life would turn out when he arrived in Australia. But now as he dodges assassins and runs his empire, Lakhan aka Lucky has accepted that there is now no turning back from this violent way of life... until Happy arrives!

JAVED JAFFERI as Mika
For years, Lucky has shielded his younger brother and kept the secret of his failing eyesight and hearing from the rest of the gang who mistake his handicaps for selfless love for Lucky. Especially when every bullet that Lucky dodges finds its mark on Mika who is at the wrong place at the wrong time or at the receiving end of a gunman's trigger.

KAMAL CHOPRA as Guruji
He's the oldest and wisest member of the gang. A loyalist who believes in a code of conduct that stresses on following every command of the King, Guruji is the one to whom Lucky turns for advice and the only person who knows about Mika's handicaps.

MANOJ PAHWA as Dilbag
His job is to eliminate evidence from the scene of crime. And he usually does that with a butcher knife he carries with him. It's the only thing he's ever done in the gang... until Happy gave him the unenviable task of cutting vegetables and becoming a cook!
SUDHANSHU PANDEY as Raftaar
He's a speed junkie who drives the getaway car and spirits out the gang from sticky situations. It's a lifestyle that has cost him his love life. But nothing prepares this hot-headed driver when reduced to a chauffeur who is forbidden to step on the accelerator.

YASHPAL SHARMA as Udhas
The saddest man in the world. For every occasion, Udhas, who prefers to call Pankaj, has a sad personal story, with absolute disregard for a birthday or an engagement, he promptly spoils it with his penchant to dig into his past and narrate a tragic tale from his past, until Happy finds him the right place far away at the gates as a watchman.

NEHA DHUPIA as Julie
She's a Lucky's Bollywood obsessed Girl Friday. An aspiring actress who hopes that her boss would make the requisite calls and land her a plum role in a movie. It's not until Happy appears that Julie finally gets to play the role of her lifetime!

KIRRON KHER as Rose Lady
The feisty florist whose roses are believed to bring good luck. Ironically, they haven't done the same for her. A former millionaire of Gold coast who fell on hard time after her husband's death, she's kept her daughter away from poverty and brought up her to believe that she is still just as rich. Little does she expect her good deed to Happy would be repaid a manner she could have hardly imagined as she finds herself living once again like a queen!

RANVIR SHOREY as Puneet
He's the man of Sonia's dreams and a living breathing testimony to the fact that love is blind. After all, she's failed to notice how finicky, fussy, competitive and cranky he is until Happy enters her life. And then it's cupid's favourite chapter in geometry - triangle!

Maxabout Review

Hardcore Entertainer

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.

 Blame it on the charisma of Akshay Kumar, but Singh is Kinng is going to find its audience despite being a no-brainer. And, the audience isn't going to be just the Singhs, spilling across the globe. It's going to be people like us who are suckers for corny comedy that breeze across the screen in a string of unstoppable gaffes, demanding nothing from you, other than a bunch of goofy grins. 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 film has an entertaining first half which sees some great camaraderie between the village boys, Om Puri and Akshay Kumar. The second half does get cluttered, clumsy and loose with loads of wasted talent in the likes of Ranvir Shorey, Javed Jaffrey and a side-lined Om Puri. Even some of the songs get deafening and inarticulate in a bid to celebrate Punjabiyat . But hey, there's that crackling chemical equation between the missy and the munda (Katrina and Akshay) to keep the hungama high, as they did in Namastey London and Welcome . Don't go looking for king-size entertainment and this King con might just end up as breezy time-pass.

The magic of Munnabhai , this time in a turban, seems to have worked again. There, in distant Australia, with a short song-dance trek to Egypt, this desi joker win hearts and influences people with his rustic charms. The gangsters end up as good guys, the lonely flower seller (Kiron Kher) finds a foster son and the tattoo-flaunting law student (Katrina Kaif) finds a pucca Hindustani husband, a la Namastey London. Easy to understand why Akshay is proving to be King Midas at the box office. His rustic, anti-urbane heroics in film after film instantly raise the underdog on a pedestal and strike a chord with the aam janta , the way Govinda did in the 1990s with his red pants, purple jackets and nonsensical lyrics. (Remember 'what is mobile number?')

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!

Taglines

• Summer 2008: The gang of Punjab arrives with a bang!

Trivias

• Akshay Kumar who plays a Sardar in the movie Singh The King will be sporting a real expensive turban that costs a whopping Rs 65 lakh
• The idea was to develop the coolest Sardar one has ever seen on screen. It's a designer pagdi, but the real cost is that of the diamond
• Akshay Kumar ran into trouble for his Sikh look in Vipul Shah's film Singh Is King. The clean-shaven face under a trendy turban did not really make Akshay look like a true Singh. Locals from Punjabi community in Australia expressed their displeasure over the way Akshay was wearing a turban in the movie
• On the sets of Singh is King in Gold Coast, fitness freak Akshay Kumar found a unique way to make up for missing his gym routine. He decided to exercise by walking up and down the stairs of the 80-storey building every day. In fact, his enthusiasm was so contagious that even co-actor Sonu Sood joined him on his daily workout. Akshay and Sonu were staying at Q-1, the tallest residential tower in the world