NOT VERY long ago, in a show of
Tashan (remember? well, how can one forget it!) as soon as Akshay Kumar came, there were wolf-whistles and cat-calls. Mind you, the audiences had been bored by then and felt let-down. Only a ’real’ star could have evoked such frenzy and I was surprised Akshay Kumar did. Considered a B-list star in early 90’s, written off in the mid-90’s, his is the most spectacular comeback (if we discount Big B’s after
Mrityudaata, remember?).
With reports that Singh is King is the highest sold movie in Bollywood, is he the performer number 1? Yes, he is. Singh is King proves once and for all. The film does have an ensemble cast, but the fact is, Katrina is there merely for two songs and two scenes in the first-half! That means Akshay dominating the first-half through his sheer screen-presence. No mean feat for an actor.
Having said that, the film is not for cerebral audiences (Bheja Fry, Cheeni Kum types) or even for fans of Shahrukh Khan (the derogatory SMS’s on Akshay - a handiwork of fans bitter with the reported acrimony of Akki and Shahrukh with Akshay’s rise and rise and rise). SIK is for the typical Bollywood masala audiences.
Happy (Akshay Kumar) is a good at heart, village bumpkin whose all good deeds turn into mis-deeds to the horror of the beneficiaries. Naturally the beneficiaries want him out of the village. A plan is cooked by his best friend Rangeela (Om Puri) to assign Happy a job, to get the pind ka munda (village boy) Lucky (Sonu Sood) from Australia as he is bringing bad name to pind (you know, he has become Aussie underworld’s king).
The journey to Australia starts on a wrong note; a mix up sends Happy to Egypt. Where he meets Sonia (Katrina Kaif). One look at her and he is enamoured by her, but the meeting is short-lived as he has to go to Australia.
Once in Australia, he finds that getting Lucky back to village is next to impossible as Lucky doesn’t want to give up a life of crime.
To complicate matters, his love for Sonia hits a patch as it is revealed Sonia is soon to marry her boyfriend (Ranveer Shorey).
To complicate matters further, in a bid on the life of Lucky, Happy saves him but Lucky has turned into a vegetable and the gang declares Happy the ’king’.
Thereby starts Happy’s journey not only to get Lucky back to his pind, but also win the love of Sonia. The story is nothing novel, the logics are put aside; but it is the ’one man show’ of Akshay that keeps the audiences enthralled, as witnessed in the packed audi.
Anees Bazmi has succeeded in keeping the narrative pacy. A particular sequence, where Lucky is used as a bar-trolley deserves special mention.
The purists might find the gags in the film foolish; but then the film is not pretentious. Cinematography and editing are good, though action sequences could have been much better considering they had khatron ka khiladi.
Akshay is first rate. From Khiladi to King, he seems to be unstoppable! Katrina Kaif complements Akshay and their chemistry sizzles in yet another film! Sonu Sood yet again, makes an impact, as does Jaaved Jaaferi in a double role. Rest of the cast is apt.
The final verdict: Though it is better than Welcome and Namastey London, it is no patch on No Entry.
4.67 / 12 votes 
