Film

Kick

Name: Kick
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller
Released: 2009
Cast: Ravi Teja, Ileana D'Cruz, Shaam, Brahmanandam, Sayaji Shinde

Action

A Telugu action-comedy about Kalyan, a thrill-seeking man who robs for the rush rather than riches, caught between his love for Naina and a cop on his trail. Ravi Teja's charisma powers a film that's equal parts slapstick, romance, and heist excitement—cheerfully indulgent, rarely subtle, endlessly enthusiastic about its own mayhem. For fans of high-octane Hindi masala films.

TMDb rating

3.4

If you liked this

Singham2011

Ajay Devgn as an unstoppable cop with the same invincibility and charm that makes Kick work. Slick action sequences, romantic subplot that doesn't derail the plot, and a protagonist you want to follow into anything.

But Heavily influences Indian action cinema after this, so if you've seen many recent masala films, it may feel like the template rather than the original.

Death Race2008

Saif Ali Khan in a glossy, twisty heist thriller with multiple double-crosses and motivations that stay hidden. Romance, crime, betrayal—everything Kick promises, compressed into a tighter 152 minutes and a more elegant frame.

But The plot occasionally ties itself in knots. By the final act, you may not care who double-crossed whom, only that it's over.

Main Hoon Na2004

Shah Rukh Khan balances action, comedy, and genuine emotion with effortless charm. It proves a masala film can be clever without losing heart or momentum. The romance feels earned, not just plot furniture.

But At 164 minutes, it's nearly as long as Kick and asks for similar patience. Some comedy beats will land differently depending on your tolerance for Farah Khan's sensibility.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kick

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Dil Chahta Hai2001

Same lead actor in the inverse register—comedy and romance without spectacle, proving charisma isn't dependent on scale.

Utterly different in tone and content—a friendship dramedy about three men navigating love and adulthood with humor, grace, and no action sequences. But it has Ravi Teja in it, playing a quieter, more layered version of charm. It shows what he could do when the film isn't asking him to also catch criminals.

But If you came for Ravi Teja's action-hero swagger, this will feel like an entirely different actor. It's slow-burn character work, not kick-seeking chaos.

Dabangg2010

Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey—a cop protagonist with personality for days, doing impossible things with swagger. Huge songs, clever action, and a film that knows exactly what it is and commits completely. Pure, unapologetic entertainment.

But The tone is uneven. It swings from slapstick to serious without warning, which some find jarring. The romantic subplot exists mostly to have a woman on screen.

Wanted2008

Salman Khan in a Robin Hood role—a criminal beloved for robbing the corrupt. If Kick's premise appeals to you (good guy doing bad things for the right reasons), Wanted executes a very similar idea with different energy and a sharper focus.

But Mathew's screenplay is straightforward to the point of simplicity. There's not much subtext; what you see is what you get, which some find refreshing and others find thin.

Policegiri2013

Kartik Aaryan in a comedy-action film that wears its influences openly. If you enjoyed Ravi Teja's comic timing in Kick, this shows how similar energy plays out in a Mumbai-set cop comedy with a lighter touch overall.

But The plot is often secondary to the comedy, which means if the jokes don't land for you, you're left with very little. The romance is genuinely underbaked.

Khiladi2023

Akshay Kumar's recent return to his thrill-junkie roots. If you want to see the template updated for contemporary action filmmaking and modern sensibilities, this is a direct line from Khiladi 1080 to now, acknowledging the journey.

But Updates can feel like hedging. The film plays both sides of current expectations and old-school masala logic, sometimes satisfying neither.

Andhadhun2018

Both feature a sympathetic protagonist committing crimes, but where Kick celebrates the adrenaline, Andhadhun examines the cost.

A twisty thriller where nothing is as it seems and the protagonist's morality is genuinely slippery. If Kick intrigues you because Kalyan is likeable despite doing wrong things, Andhadhun explores that moral ambiguity with far sharper teeth and genuine danger.

But It's a thinking film that demands attention. There's no comfort in rooting for anyone here; everyone is compromised. It's disturbing rather than fun.

A Prophet2009

Same runtime and thematic DNA—a rise through criminality—but transplanted to a completely different register and cinema, showing how the same story becomes tragedy instead of entertainment.

A French prison thriller about a young man climbing a criminal hierarchy through intelligence and charm. It has Kick's energy of a protagonist ascending through will and wit, but in a gritty, realistic register where consequences actually matter and the system itself is the real antagonist.

But It's 155 minutes of French-language dialogue in a prison setting. Visibly unglamorous. If you want spectacle and songs, this offers the opposite: slow, methodical, sometimes claustrophobic.