Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan review: Loud and senseless, Salman Khan’s cringefest makes you say, ‘stop it, Bhaijaan’

Review of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan Salman Khan’s awful wig is perhaps not the worst part in Farhad Samji’s latest film.

There’s Salman Khan, Salman Khan swag, and Salman Khan action. Kisi Ka Bhai (Kisi Ka Bhai) Kisi Ki Jaan is a no-brainer family entertainer headlined by Salman that is only fit for cringe-binge watching. If you’ve missed watching Bhai in his truest form on Eid, pulling off some raw, intense action and distinctive hook steps with insufferable melodrama, Kisi Ka Bhai is for you. Farhad Samji directed the film, which has no reason, logic, or story to blow your mind, but it does have a lot of action, drama, emotion, and action. (Also see: Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan live updates: The first reviews describe it as “really mediocre.”

First and foremost, who chose Salman’s strange, unattractive long hair wig? Did his character truly require that hairstyle? Is it beneficial to the story? Most importantly, does it make Salman appear attractive? On every front, the answer is NO. I was so distracted by that distracting wig during the first half that I couldn’t see past it in any of the scenes. Thankfully, the torment is avoided in the second half.

KKBKKJ is loosely based on the 2014 film Veeram and follows Bhaijaan (Salman), who has committed his life to rearing his three brothers – Ishq (Raghav Juyal), Moh (Jassie Gill), and Love (Siddharth Nigam) – and has decided never to marry in the process. Things change when Bhagyalaxmi (Pooja Hedge) enters the picture, and he discovers a new purpose in life. However, when Bhaijaan learns that Bhagya’s brother Annayya Gundamaneni (Venkatesh Daggubati) is a nonviolent person and that their family is under threat from rival Nageshwar (Jagapathi Babu), he takes it upon himself to protect them. Meanwhile, Bhaijaan’s and his brothers’ lives are in peril because Mahavir (Vijender Singh) is out to kill them for a plot of land where everyone worships Bhaijaan.

 The film is excruciatingly long and extended at 144 minutes. Even if you remove all of the songs, the story, whatever little there is, stays the same, and it would make for a more compelling viewing experience. Actually, because the songs are so abrupt and loud (though upbeat), it would have been a better decision to release them independently as an album rather than as part of the film. However, it appears that the filmmakers were more interested with demonstrating everyone’s dance moves than with incorporating as many as seven tunes into the video. It’s no longer entertaining to watch Salman perform those embarrassing dance moves. They don’t look good on film, and they don’t make him seem good either.

 Farhad’s ability to direct has never been his strong suit, and he fails miserably in KKBKKJ. Even if you ignore the errors, you can’t get past the bad writing, particularly the conversations that make Salman appear so juvenile. Farhad co-wrote the picture with Sparsh Khetarpal and Tasha Bhambra, and it features a bad racism joke, a shameless Pepsi plug, and numerous one-liners that come out of nowhere and leave no lasting impression. There are numerous cliches, and you don’t even have to wait for them; they begin as early as Salman’s entrance sequence – jumping from the top of a building, wearing his jacket mid-air, and then having a humorous discussion with the bad guys before beating them to a pulp.

 V. Manikandan’s cinematography, on the other hand, is a saving grace. The way he creates the right atmosphere for an action sequence with camera angles to capture the flying guys, blood gushing on screen, and the overall magic with slo-mo images is simply amazing. These are some paisa vasool and seeti-maar scenes. The metro fight scene shortly before the interval, as well as the climactic action sequence, stand out as the film’s high highlights. There is also plenty of action in between, with up to five well-choreographed fight sequences. I’d want to highlight Vijender and Salman’s outstanding hand-to-hand action, which gives you an adrenaline rush. Vijender is extremely confident and believable as a terrible guy in his debut act.

Salman is in fine form and gave it his all in performing what he does best: raw action and full-fledged drama. In some parts, he is gentle, vulnerable, and kind, yet in others, he becomes incredibly violent. Except for his long hair, he looks excellent in both! His on-screen siblings’ camaraderie affects you, and he is noted for bringing a sense of comedy to his characters, which makes you smile. Venkatesh delivers another excellent performance as the calm in the midst of chaos. His interactions with Salman are adorable, and he steals the show even on his own.

Raghav, Siddharth, and Jassie, among others, are given adequate screen time to shine and demonstrate their action abilities. They all have a strong screen presence, even with Salman in the picture. In terms of screen presence, Pooja Hedge has never wowed me. Even though she has previously starred with Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, and Ranveer Singh, her lack of screen presence prevents her from playing a larger-than-life heroine. She tries too hard and goes too far with her expressions, which becomes grating after a while. Her connection with Salman is non-existent in KKBKKJ, and as a South Indian woman, she struggles to appear half as sincere.

 The most serious criticism I have about KKBKKJ is how the three debutants, Sukoon (Shehnaaz Gill), Muskaan (Palak Tiwari), and Chahat (Vinali Bhatnagar), were squandered. They each had a conversation in the first 20 minutes and then vanished for the next hour. Disappointing because Palak appeared to be quite confident, while Shehnaaz drew you over with her sweetness and innocence; Vinali, on the other hand, is just about ordinary in the limited screen time she receives. However, as an ensemble cast, it’s full of joyful vibes, colourful clothing, a bit loud surroundings, and everyone having a good time dancing, singing, and cracking jokes, as well as a few bones.

Salman’s character says this several times in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: “Jab dil, dimaag aur body bole ‘Bhai bas bhi karo,’ I say, ‘Bring it on.” I wish I could say the same thing, but it’s not going to happen! And ready yourself for a sequel; look for that blink and miss hint after the end credits. Meanwhile, watch KKBKKJ and judge whether it was your ideal Eid Mubarak present.