Kick: How Salman Khan’s Action-Comedy Turned a Thief into a Hero

DPIFF’s Instagram video revisits Kick, the 2014 Salman Khan action-comedy built around Devi Lal Singh, a man whose appetite for excitement eventually becomes a mission to help children in need. Directed by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film combines spectacle, romance, comic set pieces and emotion in a distinctly mainstream Bollywood format.

Released on 25 July 2014, Kick marked Nadiadwala’s directorial debut after his long career as a producer. The film was produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and featured Salman Khan opposite Jacqueline Fernandez, with Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in important supporting roles.

From thrill-seeker to masked benefactor

At the centre of Kick is Devi Lal Singh, played by Salman Khan. Devi is not driven by money or conventional ambition. He is addicted to the emotional rush of doing something extraordinary, describing that sensation as his “kick”. His restlessness affects his relationship with Shaina, a psychiatrist played by Jacqueline Fernandez, and shapes the film’s early romantic and comic conflicts.

Devi’s character takes a decisive turn when his search for excitement becomes connected to a larger social purpose. Under the identity of Devil, he carries out elaborate thefts and uses the money to support poor children. This transformation gives the film its central contrast: the law sees Devil as a criminal, while the children he helps experience him as a protector.

That moral tension gives Kick more than a conventional hero-versus-villain structure. The film asks whether an unlawful act can be judged differently when its purpose is charitable, while still presenting the question through the heightened language of commercial Hindi cinema rather than a realistic social drama.

A film designed around scale and genre variety

Kick moves across several popular genres without settling into only one. Its romantic track follows Devi and Shaina’s contrasting personalities, while the action narrative introduces heists, disguises, pursuit sequences and confrontations with the police. Comedy remains an important part of the film’s rhythm, particularly in the exchanges surrounding Devi’s unpredictable behaviour.

The film’s emotional core emerges through its treatment of children who lack access to essential support. Devi’s criminal identity is therefore presented alongside a philanthropic motivation, allowing the screenplay to position him as an unconventional hero. This combination of spectacle and sentiment is one of the defining features of the film’s appeal.

Randeep Hooda plays Himanshu Tyagi, the police officer tasked with pursuing Devil. His presence gives the story an investigative counterpoint and creates a recurring conflict between official duty and the mystery surrounding the masked thief. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Shiv Gajra, whose criminal ambitions make him the principal antagonist.

Salman Khan’s star image and the character of Devil

The role of Devi Lal Singh was closely aligned with the qualities that have long shaped Salman Khan’s mainstream screen persona: physical confidence, comic timing, emotional directness and an ability to carry action-led narratives. However, Kick also gives the character a concealed identity and a more complicated public image.

Devi is presented first as an impulsive man who is difficult to understand. The reveal of Devil’s purpose changes the audience’s reading of his earlier choices. His eccentricity is no longer only a source of comedy; it becomes part of the disguise that allows him to operate outside conventional systems.

The film’s use of a masked alter ego also places it within a familiar tradition of popular Indian storytelling, where a larger-than-life figure works beyond the limits of the law to protect vulnerable people. In Kick, that tradition is updated through modern heist mechanics, polished action staging and a hero whose defining motivation is the pursuit of excitement.

Why Kick remains a notable Bollywood action-comedy

Kick is significant as the film that introduced Sajid Nadiadwala as a director and as a major Salman Khan vehicle of the 2010s. It also demonstrates how Hindi commercial cinema can combine multiple audience-facing ingredients—romance, humour, action, music and sentiment—within a single star-led narrative.

For viewers, the film’s lasting identity comes from its central idea: a thrill-seeker discovers meaning by using his abilities for others. The social purpose does not replace the entertainment framework; instead, it gives the action and heist elements an emotional justification.

DPIFF’s video spotlight offers an opportunity to revisit that blend and the film’s place in contemporary Bollywood popular culture. Rather than presenting Devi simply as a criminal or a traditional superhero, Kick builds its entertainment around the contradiction between those two identities.

DPIFF Instagram Reference

The film is featured in DPIFF’s Instagram video, which highlights Salman Khan’s role as Devi Lal Singh and the story’s combination of action, comedy, romance and emotion. View the original post on DPIFF’s official Instagram account.

About Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival is an Indian film and entertainment platform that celebrates creative achievement across cinema and related screen industries. Named after Dadasaheb Phalke, widely regarded as the father of Indian cinema, the festival recognises the contribution of artists, technicians and institutions to the medium. DPIFF also uses its digital platforms to highlight notable films, performers and developments from Indian entertainment.

With its masked protagonist, high-energy set pieces and charitable mission, Kick remains a clear example of Salman Khan’s action-comedy era and of Bollywood’s ability to turn a familiar heroic idea into a large-scale popular entertainer.