Salman Khan is back on the big screen with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The big Eid release, brings the superstar back in full of swag avatar after four years. His last full-fledged releases were Bharat and Dabanng 3 both in 2019, with an OTT release Radhe in 2021 and Antim (extended cameo) in the same year. We recently saw him in Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and fans of the superstar have been waiting for an out and out Salman Khan entertainer ever since. And the wait is finally over. Salman Khan is back and he is not alone. He brings with him an ensemble cast of some young talent that enjoy great fan following on social media. Pooja Hedge, who is now a Pan India sensation to reckon with, Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari, Raghav Juyal, Siddharth Nigam, Jassie Gill and more with a special appearance from South superstar Venkatesh Daggubati and a menacing villain from South – Jagapathi Babu and another from North – Vijender Singh, Salman has tried to make the experience of this Bollywood big screen movie a celebratory experience to be enjoyed with the whole family. But is Salman Khan starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan worth the wait and the hype? Read the review to know.
Film: Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
Cast: Salman Khan, Pooja Hegde, Venkatesh, Bhumika Chawla, Jagapathi Babu, Raghav Juyal, Jassie Gill, Siddharth Nigam, Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari, Vinali Bhatnagar, Bhagyashree, Abhimanyu Singh, Vijender Singh
Director: Farhad Samji
Release date: April 21, 2023 in theatres
What’s it about?
Bhaijaan (Salman Khan) lives in Delhi with his three brothers Moh (Jassie Gill), Love (Raghav Juyal) and Ishq (Siddharth Nigam). He has built a family, despite having no one to call his own and now this family and their safety and happiness matters to him the most. He is happy in his life with his brothers and his is the Bhaijaan of the entire basti that they stay in. And each time there is threat to them or anyone around them, Bhaijaan and his three brothers resort to gruesome violence to settle it. An MLA (Vijender Singh) has been after his life, but has been failing each time. Soon, a pretty South Indian girl, Bhagyalaxmi (Pooja Hegde) from Hyderabad who comes to Delhi for work, falls in love with him. She thinks Bhaijaan (her Jaan) is just like her big brother Annaya (Venkatesh Daggubati), non-violent and calm and she is sure her family will instantly approve of him. However, Bhaijaan’s reality doesn’t stay hidden as Bhagya and then her family in Hyderabad are attacked by their past rival (Jagapathi Babu) and it is Bhaijaan who comes to their rescue. Their nemesis in Delhi and Hyderabad unite to end Bhaijaan and Annaya. How new bonds are created, old ones change and how two families from North and South come together for love, forms the most part of the story of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.
Watch the Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan official trailer below:
What’s hot?
Salman Khan promised a big screen celebration and that’s what he delivers with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. And the songs play an important part in this. The songs are upbeat – be it the Punjabi numbers Billi Billi, O Balle Balle or the South number Yentamma. As a producer if Salman wanted the songs to look grand despite not shooting them in real or foreign locations, then his director Farhad Samji and cinematographer V Manikandan successfully delivered the same. The way most songs are shot have a celebratory mood to it and are sure to rule the upcoming wedding season. Talking about action, it is an integral part of Bhaijaan’s life and so the film, and action director Anal Arasu proves why he is one of the best in India. The fight scenes are raw with a dash of heroism which is in sync with Bhaijaan’s character and personality.
The casting is done well by Mukesh Chhabra and the writing by Farhad Samji, Sparsh Khetarpal and Tasha Bhambra needs special mention here for dialogues that may not be seeti-maar but are raw, real and relatable (barring the Vande Mataram one-liners that looked forced). They have also handled the ensemble cast very well, giving everyone justified screen time. Shehnaaz Gill is gorgeous, Palak Tiwari is chirpy and confident, Vinali Thakur shows promise. Raghav, Siddharth and Jassie play their parts well. Jagapathi Babu is menacing in his role and deserved more screen time, Vijender Singh surprises with his acting chops and looks the perfect dapper Haryanvi. Venkatesh as a head-strong Hyderabadi man is amazing and will remind you of Rana Naidu. There should be a fan petition to have more of Venkatesh in Hindi films and series. His scenes and songs along with Salman are a delight to watch.
There are few moments in the film that will stand out. There will be scenes that will leave a smile on your face and even make you chuckle, some that will leave a lump in your throat, a solid kick of nostalgia with a Maine Pyaar Kiya throwback with Salman and Bhagyashree and a Naatu Naatu 2.0 with Salman, Venky and OG Naatu Naatu star Ram Charan. Farhad Samji is certainly getting his groove back. After an entertaining Pop Kaun for Disney Plus Hotstar, he has delivered yet another entertainment package in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.
What’s not?
The story has loopholes that could have been easily avoided. For instance no one knows what Bhaijaan and his three brothers do for a living. The revelation of Annaya’s real identity, which had the scope of being very dramatic and action packed, is treated as just another scene in the film. Though shot at a large scale, the choreography is some of the songs is truly laughable. Jani Master and his team does well on the peppy dance numbers but the slow romantic ones had immense scope of improvement.
BL Verdict
A complete family entertainer with perfect portions of romance, action and drama. Salman Khan brings back his swag and big screen massy entertainment to add to Eid festivities. Must-watch for Salman Khan fans and for all those looking for some fun, safe big screen experience with the family.