Film Review: 'Kill Dil' fails to connect with the audience, should have had more of Govinda!

Film: Kill Dil 
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Govinda, Ali Zafar, Parineeti Chopra, Alok Nath
Director: Shaad Ali 
Rating: ** 

What's it about: 

Shaad Ali's Kill Dil is a mismatched story of love, revenge, betrayal all mixed up in a heady cocktail that looks pretty but doesn't give you the promised high. Dev (Ranveer) and Tuttu (Ali Zafar) are Bhaiyyaji's (Govinda) protégés. Picked up from a roadside dustbin, they grow up to be hit men who live by Bhaiyyaji's rules and worship the ground he walks, until Dev meets Disha (Parineeti) who changes the direction of his life. Disha, a self made girl who allegedly reforms criminals quickly, falls in love with Dev in the backdrop of a track that looks like a commercial for a high end fashion brand! The climax is abrupt and the build up to it is wafered down to meet the commercial aspects of the project. Kill Dil struggles to make a solid impact due to lack of a strong plot and characters that seem too chilled out to be taken seriously. 

What's hot: 

Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar manage to raise the tempo in their introductory scenes. Their banter doesn't seem forced or rehearsed and there is no attempt to overshadow the other. Despite having the popular role, Ranveer lets Ali who has a more docile demeanour take the front when required. Just for that, the two deserve a nod. Shaad manages to create interesting visuals, the set decor is a blend of cool meets traditional. For instance the bunk bed open air pad where Dev and Tuttu live has a kitchen table that could be the set of the next Master Chef while props surrounding it match the mood of the characters. Govinda makes a solid comeback with Kill Dil. He makes Bhaiyyaji seem menacing yet entertaining at the same time. His dance number in 'Bol Beliya' reminds us why he are fixated on him despite there being two other actors in the same frame. The LOL joke scene works, so do the small references to Alok Nath who runs an Insurance company with a photo of Bollywood's first mother Nirupa Roy adorning his wall. If you pay attention to what's happening in the backdrop there are plenty of cool things Shaad has put together. Parineeti takes a risk with her styling that pays off, although we wish she paid more attention to her character sketch than the heels she's made to wear. 

What's not: 

Kill Dil's biggest glitch is that it fails to connect with the audience on a basic level. We get the camaraderie and back story of Dev-Tuttu, and then the change of heart that follows, we sympathise with Disha's situation when it comes to trust, and Bhaiyyaji's temper tantrums seem real, but they work as stand alone scenes. As a cohesive piece, Kill Dil seems like a jigsaw puzzle that has the right parts put in the wrong places. Also, this two hero story of turning criminals from orphans has been done multiple times, with the same production house churning out Gunday with Ranveer and Arjun Kapoor in the recent past. Even if we buy that part, the love story track that follows doesn't create any impact. The vulnerability of Dev and his need to bury his past seems more as a gimmick to rush to the climax than a natural character progression. Also Parineeti's character is hugely flawed. She starts off as a self made, tomboy who loves driving a bullet and then moves to being a song and dance prop who comes in when the story gets too serious or there is a glamour deficiency. The writers of Kill Dil could have invested more time in building a solid story line than writing the punches and one liners. 

What to do: 

With style trumping over substance, Kill Dil fails to win over our hearts. We wish we got a better story line and more of Govinda!