Kill/Dil: No killer this one

Did Yash Raj Films share with director Shaad Ali the discarded production notes of the studio’s earlier dud Gunday? Or do big film banners hardly read the scripts they receive?

Whatever, Kill/Dil is another typically puffed up YRF venture that makes a mockery of the talent it had at its disposal. They even got Gulzar to sing for them, and look at what they parade before us.

A big goon Bhaiyyaji (Govinda) finds two abandoned boys by the dump; they grow up to become sharp shooters Dev and Tutu (Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar). Naturally, they have a heart of gold although they kill without mercy. Incidentally, in Bhaiyyaji’s world, goons have promotions too. So Dev and Tutu will at one point become elevated as senior shooters.

When the two are not shooting around, they look at the stars and try to count the men whom they have killed. They also seem to leave pretty domesticated lives, cooking themselves, living on bunker beds overlooking the Delhi Metro and of course, dancing and singing whenever they can. They will also be joined by Bhaiyyaji, because after all, since we have Govinda, shouldn’t we make him dance!

How original indeed then that a girl who works to rehabilitate former prisoners (Parineeti Chopra as Disha) should come into their life? Even original, isn’t it that Dev must fall for her? But in a daring departure from norms, Shaad Ali does not make Tutu too fall for Disha. Thank God for small mercies.

As with all Bollywood goons who are in love, Dev also wants to be a ‘good man’ and ‘start a new life.’ Predictably enough for the entire Bollywood followers (except perhaps Shaad Ali), Bhaiyyaji is not happy. So what does he do? Break into a song, but of course. And so this celebration of ‘we have seen it all’ continues until a lot of gore is spilt (we even have a large fountain of blood, if nothing is enough) and some die and others live.

This sure-fire recipe for a yawn fest, however, gets a wee bit of life thanks to Ranveer Singh, who is a bundle of energy. Although his hyperactive restlessness can be creepy and discomforting at times, his uninhibited performance is a delight, and defines again that Singh is a man worth investing your money in.

Ali Zafar complements Ranveer effectively with the right gravitas needed although a little more attention to fleshing out his character would have done wonders to the movie. Parineeti breezes through a very undemanding role, while Govinda has arguably one of the finest moments in the film when he confronts Dev and Tutu. In other pluses, Kill/Dil is also beautifully shot and is just over two hours long.

But with a song thrown at you every so often, a very predictable script and absolutely no attempt at giving the characters some real life, Kill/Dil comes across as a film with no feelings at all. It is Bollywood at its cardboard-ish best.

At times an action thriller, at times a musical and at times aspiring to be the tale of two friends, Kill/Dil is one floater of a movie set in no milieu.

And if it aspired to be anything more, or even be an ode to the real Kill Bill at any remote level, we can only say: Quentin Tarantino, forgive Bollywood, for they know not what they do!

Kill/Dil

Director: Shaad Ali

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Ali Zafar, Govinda, Parineeti Chopra