The makers of Kick 2 had a tough task ahead of them — to match up to, if not outdo the first film. The protagonist Kalyan (Ravi Teja) with his devil-may-care attitude, taking up daunting tasks just to get a ‘kick’ connected with the audience. The super hit was remade in Hindi, became a blockbuster and despite that, a section that watched both versions felt the original was unmatched. No mean feat. In the second edition of the franchise, director Surender Reddy ups the eccentric quotient of the lead character hoping to make the film larger and better. Larger? Yes. Better? It depends on whether you are game for an overdose of the nonchalance of Kick .
Kalyan of Kick is now much older, a tad wiser and lives in the US. His son Robinhood (Ravi Teja) is eccentric enough to drive him crazy. Apparently he was born in seven months since he didn’t find his mother’s womb comfortable. That one nugget is enough to warn the audience of things to come.
The boy grows up harping on his comfort. He becomes a doctor so that he won’t have to depend on others to treat him. Probably Kalyan has met his match. The real test is for anyone in the proximity of Robinhood to put up with his quirks. Robin arrives in India to take back a piece of land that rightfully belongs to his father.
A huge aspect of what made Kick work was the Ravi Teja-Brahmanandam combination. The duo is back again, this time Ravi Teja as a tenant scaring the living day lights out of astrologer and house owner Brahmanandam, whose character is named Ravi Teja. The two bring the house down now and then.
Kick 2 stays faithful to formulaic films — there’s an introduction segment for the hero and villain, block of comedy and romance. Given that quirkiness is the trump card of the protagonist, to an extent the screenplay tries to break staid rules. Chaitra’s (Rakul Preet) initial portions have all the makings of an ornamental character but she isn’t what she seems to be. Rakul effortlessly makes a mark. The hero is idolised and looked upon as the only hope for a distant village in Bihar but the man in question isn’t a typical hero who takes up cudgels on others’ behalf. For a change, the oppressed villagers show some spunk even if they are counting on a saviour.
There are a few bright spots that get drowned in the constant need to sound smart. The decibel levels remain high throughout the film, from dialogue rendition to songs and background score. And no matter how unconventional the screenplay pretends to be, ultimately it boils down to the hero single-handedly taking on the high handedness of an oppressive village head (Ravi Kishan as Suleiman Thakur).
At 161 minutes, the drama seems never ending. In the end, the makers announce Kick 3. Whether you root for it or take it as a warning depends on which side of the line you are. For those who like the Kick format, there’s an excess of everything. Others would end up feeling like Brahmanandam who does a little jig and beats his bald pate each time he is irritated.
Kick 2
Cast : Ravi Teja, Rakul Preet Singh, Brahmanandam
Direction : Surender Reddy
Music : Thaman
Bottomline : Your ‘comfort’ depends on your love for mass masala.
