It’s one of those occasions when you don’t look for the names of the story or screenplay writer. Because there is no story and no screenplay. Not even a refreshingly new character or situation. That’s the outcome when Hindiwalas look at the south that’s winning at the box-office and attempt to merge the two cultures. Why it boomerangs is because director Farhad Samji doesn’t get it – that the south is winning because they slog on a story and screenplay and not by stitching together different cultures to spout, ‘Insaniyat mein bada dum, vande matram’. Sample another meaningless dialogue that’s supposed to be heroic: ‘Inke dar se zyada mera khauf ho gaya’. Huh?
Beginning and ending with boxer Vijendra as an MLA-villain in Delhi, out to grab some land which is protected by you-know-who Bhaijaan (Salman Khan), an assortment of songs and fights circle around his three brothers (all unemployed spare parts), three girlfriends (ditto, like their men) and one of his own, Bhagya Lakshmi Gundamaneni (Pooja Hegde) from Hyderabad.
The action (and endless songs) shift from Delhi to Hyderabad but all that’s new is that Bhaijaan cuts his hair twice and switches from trousers to a dhoti.
Despite sentimental references to how this “amazing” Bhaijaan brought up three orphans as his own in Delhi, a mansion full of good-hearted Gundamanenis led by Annaya (Daggubati Venkatesh) with a villain of their own called Nageshwar (Jagapathi Babu) in Hyderabad, it’s just more of action and songs.
The humour too is hardly crackling and rollicking. Weak jokes about OCD fall inaudibly flat, even a sequence with Bhagyashree, hubby Himalay and son Abhimanyu with a flash of Maine Pyar Kiya as a reminder, barely raises a smile.
As for romance, breaking Bhagya’s fall and getting her hair entangled in his, is so last millennium. Couldn’t the writers (whoever they are) have created at least a fresh introduction for Salman’s entry or for his romantic encounter with Pooja? And what were those irrelevant tracks about a grandma in a coma all about? Or the imaginary scene of the entire Gundamaneni family being wiped out?
There are decent songs like ‘Tere bin bina jeena nahi’ and the much-hyped ‘Billi Billi’ but this is not a chartbusting album especially when the situations themselves are so wan.
V Manikandan’s cinematography is first-rate. But can’t say the same for the writing or the performances.
Salman labours to live up to his image of the golden-hearted, family-oriented soul who’s violent only to combat the unjust. He takes his shirt off too in the last sequence. But it is like a bhai without jaan.
There’s an entire last fight where he’s bludgeoned silly while his brothers and others look on uselessly. All they can do is to whistle to stir him into getting up and Vijendra inexplicably waits for him to wake up and hit back.
There is an attempt to borrow the ‘whistle podura’ theme of the Chennai Super Kings IPL team by having everybody whistle in unison. But it doesn’t have the same energy.
Pooja Hegde is birdlike pretty and dances well but effete when it comes to dialogues and drama.
The end titles sum it up. With a recitation of ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ and ‘Jack n Jill’ topped with ‘Row row row your boat’ by Salman and the cast, it is kindergarten time.
Watch the trailer of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan:
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