Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone in Anees Bazmee's next

After Chandni Chowk to China, the not-so-hit jodi of Deepika Padukone and Akshay Kumar will be seen in Singh is Kinng director Anees Bazmee's next for UTV.

"I'm thinking of casting Akshay Kumar but things are yet to be finalized as yet but UTV and I am interested in casting him. Everything is at a preliminary stage right now. Besides Akki, who is my favourite actor, I am in talks with Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor, so let's see how things will work out. I am currently busy with 'It's My Life' and I want it to be as successful as Singh is Kinng," says Bazmee.

But does he think Harman Baweja will be successful after Love Story 2050 and Victory have bombed?
Anees replies, "It's not necessary as every film is different and I'm not interested in Victory and Love Story 2050's result as this time he will deliver a hit through my film as I'm confident enough about the script and it has been shot in Norway, Bangkok and New Delhi. I want everything in my film to be done perfectly. Now the film is near completion and then I will start working for Anil Kapoor's production "No Problem" sometime in March which stars Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. This film will have everything from action, comedy, thriller to romance."

It will be interesting to see Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone to sharing screen space but Akshay should not forget the debacle of Chandni Chowk to China.

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Singh Is Kinng bombs in Bihar

This has never happened before. A film that does extraordinary business all over the country and overseas has bombed in one specific area. Anees Bazmee's Singh Is Kinng is a flop in Bihar, an area where Akshay Kumar's films from Jaanwar to Hey Babyy have acquired a blockbuster status without batting an eyelid.

The reason for this incongruous occurrence? According to on one of Bihar's primary exhibitors, Suman Sinha, "The Punjabi dialogues songs and dances went against the film. The Bihar distributor paid a whopping amount of money to buy Singh Is Kinng and is now going to lose a hefty amount."

Producer Vipul Shah is aware of his blockbuster's tainted spot in Bihar. "I've heard that the 'Punjabiyat' and Sikh theme have gone against the film's success in Bihar. But I don't understand why. We were aware that some areas would reject the film's USP, namely the Sikh ambience. Surprisingly, the film has done extremely well even in Bengal where we thought the audience would've trouble connecting with the theme. There's really no explanation for what has happened to Singh Is Kinng in Bihar."

Interestingly, there have been instances of films that have bombed in the rest of the country doing well in Bihar like Hamesh Malhotra's Dulhe Raja and Riteish Deshmukh's debut film Tujkho Meri Kasam. But never has a world-wide hit been rejected in Bihar. Vipul Shah's and Anees Bazmee's films have always done well Bihar. And Jab We Met which also had large dollops of 'Punjabiyat' was a hit in the State.

Says Suman Sinha, "But Jab We Met didn't thrust the Bhangra culture up audiences' throats. Like it or not, the rest of the country is not as fond of Punjabi culture as Bollywood."

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B.O. update: Unprecedented, unparalleled, unheard of start for 'SIK'

The much-awaited SINGH IS KINNG has arrived like a thunderstorm. The craze for the film was evident last night, when paid previews across the nation were performed and the response was electrifying. Friday morning too opened to an overwhelming response. The morning and noon show collections everywhere, in Punjab, Rajasthan, C.P. Berar, Delhi-U.P., Nizam, Bengal, everywhere has been terrific. The distributors of all these circuits personally spoke to this writer and each of them was ecstatic, jumping with joy.

SINGH IS KINNG has had the widest release ever for a Hindi film. It has opened at 1700 screens worldwide [as per Studio 18], 1400 in India and 300 in Overseas. The opening weekend, as things stand now, should be in the range of Rs. 23cr. to Rs. 25 cr. nett in India and the first week should close at Rs. 42 cr. to Rs. 45 cr. nett in India. All signs of a Blockbuster!

Meanwhile, the film had a stupendous start in U.K. last night, when paid previews were held. The film collected close to £ 60,000 on Thursday night. Fabulous!

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Singh Is Kinng - Movie Review

Just a word of caution before you watch this film: SINGH IS KINNG is not for the intellectuals or those pretending to be one. It's not for the hard-nosed critics either.

Now read on…

Vipul Shah. Anees Bazmee. Akshay Kumar. Katrina Kaif. Four names for whom success has become a habit. That makes SINGH IS KINNG the most awaited movie of the season. Must add, the wait was worth it!

You know the rules when you watch a hardcore entertainer: Just don't look for logic. If you do, too bad for you, for you would never enjoy a film of this genre and more specifically, SINGH IS KINNG.

Anees Bazmee's films are very high on entertainment. The plotline may be paper-thin, perhaps ludicrous and farcical, but when did Bazmee ever promise a SCHINDLER'S LIST or a SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? SINGH IS KINNG works because it delivers what it promises: Full on entertainment!

Bazmee has the knack of making immensely watchable fares that cater to the aam junta. SINGH IS KINNG isn't a laughathon in entirety. Comedy, romance, action and drama, everything is well synchronised in those 2.10 hours here.

But, wait, SINGH IS KINNG isn't a foolproof product. It has its share of flaws, the turn of events aren't captivating at times, but SINGH IS KINNG moves so fast and packs in so much, there's no time to think or analyze.

The final word? SINGH IS KINNG is a delicious and scrumptious pav-bhaji served in the finest cutlery. Your taste buds are sure to relish it... and ask for more!

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky [Sonu Sood] is the King of the Australian underworld, accompanied by his associates [played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande]. Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him - Happy Singh [Akshay Kumar].

The village is fed up of Happy's magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip [that will keep him out of the village for a while!] to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey, accompanied by his friend, Rangeela [Om Puri], who hates Happy for dragging him into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia [Katrina Kaif], with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady [Kirron Kher].

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky's life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy, who fights off the attackers by risking his own life. Following the altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new King.

Few minutes into the film and you know that SINGH IS KINNG is a lavish spectacle that's high on entertainment. Sonu Sood chasing a gora assassin at the very start or minutes later, Akshay chasing a hen - SINGH IS KINNG starts with gusto.

And Bazmee doesn't let you wear your thinking caps all through the first hour. From India to Egypt to Australia, from the comforts of his home in Punjab, to the humble abode of a woman selling flowers in Sydney [Kirron Kher], SINGH IS KINNG involves you in the journey.

And then Akshay becomes the King. Oh, how he becomes the King is equally hilarious. The sequence at the hospital [Sonu Sood is diagnosed with a weird disorder] is simply hilarious. There's a twist in the tale at the intermission point and the second hour, therefore, shifts gears - it changes from kabhi funny, kabhi drama to a prem kahani.

It's smooth sailing till there's another twist towards the pre-climax [wouldn't like to reveal it, since it would act as a spoiler]. But, frankly, the film could've done without this track. The narrative, thankfully, is back on tracks soon after.

Anees Bazmee has a flair for writing great entertainers that work big time with the masala-loving junta. If you've loved NO ENTRY and WELCOME, you'd love SINGH IS KINNG too. This time, Bazmee shares the writing credits with Suresh Nair and the duo come up with some real wacky episodes. In terms of production design, this is Bazmee's most lavish fare so far. It's a grandiose product.

Pritam's music is already popular and it compliments the goings-on completely. 'Bhootni Ke', 'Jee Karda' and the title track stand out, while 'Teri Ore' is easy on the nerves. Ben Nott and Sanjay Gupta's cinematography is top notch.

Akshay Kumar takes rapid strides with SINGH IS KINNG. Sure, you've seen him in comic fares time and again and perhaps, there might be a doubt, Will he carry it off yet again? Oh yes, he does! There's no saturation point as far as this actor is concerned. He holds your attention in every sequence, irrespective of how strong the scene is, and that's the biggest compliment for any actor. SINGH IS KINNG without Akki is like an ocean without marine life. Akshay rules!

The camera loves Katrina Kaif and it shows in SINGH IS KINNG too. She looks bewitching and enacts her part with tremendous confidence. Kirron Kher is superb and so is Om Puri. Terrific performances! They compliment Akki so well. Ranvir Shorey is first-rate. Sonu Sood is another actor who's finally getting his due in Hindi films. Javed Jaffrey's character works big time till he does a somersault in the pre-climax. Neha Dhupia is engaging. The nok-jhonk between Sudhanshu Pandey and Yashpal Sharma is perfect. Manoj Pahwa is good.

On the whole, SINGH IS KINNG lives up to the hype and hoopla. Want a joyride without taxing your brains? Board the SINGH IS KINNG wagon. At the box-office, the film will fetch a hurricane-like start. The paid previews, the opening weekend, the first week business, everything will be record-shattering. Notwithstanding the new oppositions in the weeks to come, SINGH IS KINNG will rule the hearts of the aam junta [whose verdict matters the most] as also the box-office, proving a record holder in the final tally. Blockbuster Hit!

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Akshay's 12 hr Jet-Ski class for an action sequence in Singh Is Kinng

While shooting a scene in Singh Is Kinng on the Gold Coast, Akshay Kumar had to Jet Ski in deep water but realized that he would not be allowed to do so without an official license.

Producer Vipul Shah reveals, "It takes three days to get a jet-ski license but Akshay explained the time constraints. He did a three-day course in 12 hours. He got up at 6 am and got his license by 7 pm. He had to give a written and practical test. The action scene we have shot is one of the most expensive ones that Bollywood has ever seen and has been directed by Danny Baldwin." Akshay laughs, "Going through a theory and practical exam was like going back to school!"

Danny Baldwin is an incredibly popular stunts coordinator in Australia with over a hundred films and television series to his credit. He is even said to have worked with Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai and Michael Douglas in The Ghost And The Darkness.

Commenting on how he was approached, Shah says, "When we went for a reccee to Australia, we saw a lot of show-reels and met a lot of technicians. But we saw a clear synergy with Danny as his style of action was exactly what we needed. The beauty about the action in Singh is Kinng is that not only is it great to look at but makes the audience laugh as well."

Reacting to rumors that the glamour action in Singh Is Kinng resembles that of Dhoom 2, Vipul adds, "It is similar only in quality. These are very high-end action sequences. Akshay had to be very careful in certain sequences, for instance, the scene in which he had to jump from one moving lift to another without supporting cables. But Akshay is Akshay! He did it with much panache and agility. Enjoy watching it in the film!"

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Press conference of Singh Is Kinng

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