Singh is Bliing Movie Review

Release date: October 2, 2015

 Director: Prabhu Deva

 Producer: Ashvini Yardi 

Music director: Pritam Chakraborty, Manjeet Singh Ral, Sneha Khanwalkar

Singh is Bliing's opening credits roll against a remix version of Sneha Khanwalkar's fantastically peppy "Tung Tung". We see a delirious Axay Kumar cracking out bhangra moves with such gusto that you might just feel your muscles ache on his behalf. There's only one word to describe Axay Kumar's performance as Raftaar Singh thats fabulous

Whether he's being the stereotypical empty-headed sardar or busting out dance moves or fighting bad guys, his energy is phenomenal. Axay Kumar is proof that ageing is a wondrous thing. He didn't have even a fraction of this onscreen charm when he was in the prime of his youth. It's not just that Kumar looks infinitely better  the death of the Nineties' mullet has been a boon in many heroes' lives but as a grizzled older man, he's also commanding the screen with far more confidence and grace than he did before.

Another Prabhu Deva film that operates on the principle that the world is still inhabited by Neanderthals, Singh is Bliing goes all out to redefine cinematic trash.

A blundering hero in search of a mission in life, a kickass female protagonist who packs a mean punch, a sleepwalking interpreter who is more than just an English-to-Hindi translator and a whole bunch of turbaned men run riot in Singh is Bliing.

But what on earth does Singh is Bliing mean? Whether on paper or in the context of the film, it means nothing at all. The title itself is a dead giveaway. Do not expect any sense, logic or finesse from anything that Singh is Bliing has on offer. The onus is entirely on the audience to figure out what is going on the screen.

Like its confused male protagonist, Singh is Bliing drifts along from one brainless scene to another, making an unbearable amount of noise in the process.

Does the film bring the house down? No, it doesn't come remotely close.

Jackson's Sara is a ninja warrior who can pummel a legion of men — including an Indian Khal Drogo lookalike named Boxer, who wears a locket with a boxer dog's face. In case he forgets his name, perhaps? — without smudging her makeup. Raftaar, on the other hand, spends most of the film getting beaten up. Dutta runs circles around the men and has a wonderful sleepwalking interlude. Ladies, let us a raise a glass of tender coconut water to the actresses, Prabhudheva and Grazing Goat Pictures, who are credited with having scripted Singh is Bliing.

It isn't particularly comforting to see the writing credit go to a company. Creative ideas are rarely churned out on an assembly line and it's a shame that the humans responsible for the onscreen fun of Singh is Bliing have to be reduced to Grazing Goat. That said, there isn't much by way of a plot or storytelling in this film. It's essentially a set of well-written comic sketches, featuring recurring characters. There's nothing evolved or sophisticated about this film, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a watch. Singh is Bliing is  — and it might be just what the doctor ordered to lift your spirits after watching Talvar.