Multiple intro scenes in slow motion. Weird dialogues. Action sequences that defy gravity and logic. A little old school romance. Elaborate and colorful song and dance sequences that can make you want to dance. Some fun yet memorable hook steps. A shirtless superstar with washboard abs who can make an entire auditorium jump with joy. it’s a formulaic blueprint of each Salman Khan movies. And Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, as expected, is no different.
What will immediately catch your attention is their entry sequence. Salman enters flying 70mm screen which will remind you of Race 3 (2018). He falls to the ground amid a flurry of hooting and whistles, and the next thing you know, he flashes his characteristic smile and starts thrashing punks. Only this time, he sports long hair. And it’s way better than her Undertaker-inspired hairstyle in Saavn The Love Season (2006). Forget anything else, you will not be able to get over Salman’s blow dry, bouncy, thick and enviable hair. The balayage highlights really pop whenever she has her back to the camera.
Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan has all the elements that every Bollywood Films made in the 1990s spontaneously stood out. It is packed with drama, romance, comedy, action and music. It also boasts the story of four orphans and how a brotherhood born of choice eventually took precedence over blood relations. Nostalgia rides high in this film. It features the incomparable actor late Satish Kaushik doing what he does best. He’s funny, warm, and adventurous. You can’t help but think of Tere Naam (2003) as the film brings Salman and Bhumika Chawla together after a full twenty years. But the one that stays back with you is the flashback from Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). With the iconic music of Mere Rang Mein Rangne Wali’s voice by late singer SP Balasubrahmanyam playing in the background as Salman and Bhagyashree come together after 33 long years, it is a treat for sore eyes. This is perhaps the best thing about Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan with the much-awaited cameo by Ram Charan which got the audience excited.
Going down memory lane, in January this year Salman co-starred Shahrukh Khan Pathan and the duo did some high-octane action sequences on a moving train, which are likely to stay etched in the minds of movie buffs. In a crucial scene, Deepika Padukone’s Rubina asks Shah Rukh’s Pathan if he is a ‘Muslim’. On this he says, ‘Don’t know who I am…’ This idea of secularism is widespread even in one’s brother’s life. Everyone refers to Salman as ‘Bhai Jaan’, even his girlfriend initially. But he is also seen praying to Jesus. And again and again he is heard saying that there is only one God who sustains all. Salman says many times, ‘Insaniyat me Bada Dum, Vande Mataram’. To add to this, the verses of the Bhagavad Gita help him bond with Bhagyalakshmi.
The plot of Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is as thin as paper. Salman’s brother Jaan, an orphan, plays an almost fatherly role to the three other orphans he has adopted as brothers. He names them Luv, Ishq and Moh, which is probably Mohabbat’s nick name. Bhai Jaan has sacrificed his love life to take care of his brothers and purposely stays away from any potential love relationships as ‘no one is needed in our life who breaks the bond of our brothers’. But Luv, Ishq and Moh fall in love with Chahat, Sakoon and Muskaan respectively. Bhagyalakshmi Gundameneni, an ancient mentor, enters their lives and Bhai Jaan’s single status soon changes. They all go to Hyderabad together to meet Bhagyalakshmi’s family. What disrupts this happy union is a villainous Shakti named Nageshwar Kodhati – introduced to us as a psycho sadist – who has a decades-old enmity with the goondamanis.
The rest of the story is as predictable as it can get. Needless to say, the writing is extremely sluggish and the direction, indifferent. The songs come out of nowhere but on a serious note, some of them are quite catchy. If there is a euphemism for Salman’s leg work in Naiyo Lagda, Balle Balle and Jee Rahe Di Hum, it would be interesting. In one scene, Bhagyalakshmi asks Bhai Jaan how he would react to emotions ranging from humor to anger, to emphasize that South Indians are more outspoken and animated than Delhiites. And that’s when the line between real and reel gets blurred. The narrative might be predictable but Salman’s parochial expressions will keep you guessing. Whether he feels angry, sad or romantic, we don’t know. This guessing game will keep you hooked.
Like any other film, Salman also stars in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Gesture may not be his forte but boy, does he look handsome! His onscreen dynamic and banter with Pooja Hegde’s Bhagyalakshmi makes you root for him. With several references made about his single life, Bhai Jaan appears to be an extension of the real-life Salman Khan. Another thing is, he is extremely comfortable in taking action and taking on the whole gang of ‘miscreants’. However, the flashback scenes of Maine Pyar Kiya will make you pray for his chocolate boy avatar to be brought back. It’s really been a while, hasn’t it?
Venkatesh Daggubati as Ananya, the quintessential family man, is charming and charismatic. But when he brings his other avatar, Rowdy Anna to the table, what would you like to see. He wields the sword like a true-blue action hero and turns all the gritty (recalling Rana Naidu) into pulp. Siddharth Nigam, Jassi Gill and Raghav Juyal try their best to leave a mark but their poorly written characters prevent them from exploring their true potential. After carving a niche for himself in the Punjabi film industry and winning hearts especially with his stellar performance in Panga (2020), one thing you will hear yourself is that Jassie deserves better.
The women in the film have nothing to do. Pooja does provide some respite from the blood and gore but her character has no meat to chew. Rohini Hattangadi, who plays Annayya and Bhagyalakshmi’s mother, is the prototype of the Indian mother we saw on celluloid in the 1970s and 1980s. She spends most of her time praying to God to save her son from the goons. So while men are hesitating to defend themselves, women and their collective honour, women are busy in worship. Like Bhumika, Palak Tiwari, Shehnaaz Gill and Vinali Bhatnagar hardly get any screen time. In fact, all three are hardly given complete dialogues. Whenever they speak, they take turns contributing words to complete a sentence. As the wounded and bloodied men engage in the violence, they stand by as wonderfully poised mute spectators, showing anxious expressions from time to time.
When the film ends, the male actors take their turn to inform the audience that the film has indeed ended. While Salman says ‘mera kaam ho gaya’, others join him as he chants ‘game over’, ‘the end’ and ‘knockout’. Unsurprisingly, Kisi Ki Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan doesn’t require you to use your gray matter and the makers are unapologetic about this. It is simplistic and routine and lacks innovation and even a purpose. It’s sheer sparkle and an out-and-out popcorn entertainer. Put aside your judgment and logic and may it not frustrate you.
read all latest movie news And Entertainment News Here