Kites is flying high already. The press screening of Kites was packed. No one disliked the film. Last heard, the paid previews were truly houseful and the pricey tickets were selling like hot cakes.

Kites revolves around Jay (Hrithik Roshan), a smooth conman who decides to marry Gina Grover (Kangna Ranaut), daughter of casino owner and mafia lord Bob Grover (Kabir Bedi) for her money. Her mean brother Tony (Nicholas Brown) is engaged to Mexican hottie Linda/Natasha (Barbara Mori) who is after his money. Linda and Jay fall in love and run away, with the Police and Tony in hot pursuit.

Kites is a masala film with all the required elements: romance, comedy, action, thrills, good-looking actors, superb locales, and drama with a crime caper element to round it off. The Spanish language and Mexican heroine give it a firangi twist. It has an amazingly international and classy appeal. The locales and production values are splendid and enhanced by the lavish and flawless camerawork by Ayananka Bose. The music is woven beautifully into the narrative and is very melodious. It grows on you. Salim-Sulaiman keep getting better with every film. Their edgy background score is at par with any Hollywood film and enhances the narrative. Like most films these days, Kites has a non-linear narrative which makes it engaging and interesting. There isn’t anything new about the story but yet the film feels fresh and different, thanks to Anurag Basu’s sensitive direction. The action by Spiro Razatos (of Bad Boys, Face/Off fame) is top-notch with superb chase sequences.

Kangna Ranaut has a special appearance and manages to looks pretty and dance fairly well. There is nothing new about her psychotic and unstable character which she plays with ease. Nicholas Brown plays baddie effortlessly making you despise him. Yuri Suri, who had a small role in Jodhaa Akbar, makes an impact in a small yet significant role. Kabir Bedi is as charming as ever. Anil Tewari, as Jay's friend Robin is aptly cast.

It is a delight to see Hrithik Roshan in action after more than two years. He has an amazing screen presence and is endearing, sexy and charming as conman Jay. He brings out the layers of his character beautifully. Not once does he go over the top in his emotional scenes. He is perfection personified. Romance, action and dancing; he does it all with equal élan and panache. Kites is his international show-reel and Mr. Roshan has all the makings of an international star.

Barbara Mori is cute, pretty, sexy, innocent, and has a pleasant screen presence. Her natural performance and effortless chemistry with Hrithik justifies all the hype around her. She has very few lines initially but her expressions make an impact. She connects with audiences. And you can almost understand all the Spanish she speaks. You can feel the love between them even and you root for their characters. That alone makes Kites a winner!

The movie seems slow at certain points. Some dialogues are silly and cheesy. ‘Money can buy happiness if you know where to shop,’ for instance. It also gets filmy; a train-jumping scene and a dance sequence are incorporated simply for Hrithik to show off his versatility. The producers wanted to make an international Bollywood film and they have incorporated or modified every element for that purpose. The end is pegged at making the film an epic romance and is likely to get mixed results.

Kites may not have the repeat value of Hrithik’s previous movies but there is something for everyone and it is probably the nicest commercial film this year. If you are wondering why the Kites is titled so, it is a good idea to figure out for yourself.

Janhvi Patel/Hill Road Media