For Bollywood fans, Eid is not complete without a Sallu film.
By Tathagata Mitra
BANGALORE: Eid-ul-Fitr has a very broad description in India. There is the food, the festival, the colors, the spirit of brotherhood and so much more. But to a Bollywood fan, the Eid at the end of Ramadan has a special meaning in particular: Salman Khan’s new release.
Khan, the controversial bad boy of Bollywood, always sees to it that on this one holiday season of the year he gives a grand gift of Eid to his fans. He has been successful in continually delivering one blockbuster hit after another in Eid season for the last few years, since 2009. Not only does his Eid films blow his fans’ minds, but they also earn more than handsomely at the box office. Last year, however, Khan released no films during the Eid season, leaving his fans rather disappointed.
This year, Sallu is back to grab his usual spot on the calendar with his new action comedy Kick.
Kick, directed by Sajid Nadiadwala, is the remake of the 2009 Telugu film of the same name directed by Surender Reddy, and starring Ravi Teja and Ileana D’Cruz. The 2014 remake of Kick will also star Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline Fernandez.
Eid this year falls on July 28 and Kick releases on July 25. Khan, who was on a downward slope in his career only a few years ago, turned around his fate with Wanted (2009) which was also the remake of a South Indian film. The next year came Dabanng, which was one of the biggest hits of Sallu’s career.
Unlike his other flicks, Dabanng was remade in Tamil and Telugu. Dabanng is also one of the first films in recent years to cross the 200 crore mark which a very few films have touched so far. The next year came Bodyguard which was also a big hit and then another blockbuster graced the silver screen the next year with Ek Tha Tiger, which was again the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2012. The sequel to Dabanng, Dabanng 2 was the second highest grosser in 2012.
Last year, however, Khan announced no movies for the Eid season. Instead, the biggest attraction of the season was Shah Rukh’s Chennai Express which was a major hit at the box office but it is needless to say, Sallu’s fans missed him dearly.
With Kick, Salman returns to take back the holiday season which in the hearts of his fans belongs to him. With funky songs, kick-ass action, tongue-in-cheek humor, and the coolest of one liners, which are the usual recipes of a Salman flick, this year too Salman will be likely successful in ruling the hearts of millions.