'Kick 2 scripting is in progress, and will be completed soon': Screenwriter Rajat Arora

Salman Khan as Devil in Kick. Pics/Instagram, Facebook

Keep Salman Khan's stardom in mind while writing. It's one of the mantras that Rajat Arora followed as he co-wrote the dialogues of Sikandar. Or for that matter, his next - Kick 2 - that marks his third project with Khan. "We are taking the story ahead from where Kick [2014] ended, with Salman's character [becoming] a police officer," shares Arora.

Kick saw Khan playing Devi Lal Singh aka Devil, a desi Robin Hood of sorts. While the actioner's success sparked many rumours of a sequel over the years, it was only last October that filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala officially announced Kick 2. Arora sheds light on its development, as he says, "If any character demands a sequel, it is Devi Lal from Kick. There has been a huge demand for the sequel, and we could have done it much earlier if we wanted to cash in on Kick's popularity and Salman's stardom. But we didn't want to make the film for the heck of it; we wanted it to have a new story and be perfect. That's why it has taken us some time. The scripting is in progress, and will be completed soon."

Rajat Arora

Rumours suggest that Kick 2 will go on floors by August. While Arora remains mum on the timeline, he asserts that Nadiadwala has ensured that the sequel is an all-out entertainer like the original. "Sajid sir knows all aspects of filmmaking, including storytelling. Salman sir's personality and stardom are legendary. So, I have to keep his stardom in mind while writing, but at the same time, the screenplay and dialogues come from the subject. Kick's popular line, ‘Main dil mein aata hoon, dimag mein nahin' came from Salman's persona," he explains.

If the trailer is any indication, Khan will dole out many power-packed dialogues in director AR Murugadoss' Sikandar - that tackles themes of power, politics and vigilante justice - as well. Arora says it's the director's treatment of these themes that made him co-write the dialogues with Hussain and Abbas Dalal. "When I heard the story from Murugadoss sir, I was blown away. It's a powerful subject, a socially relevant yet entertaining film. It was also challenging because it wasn't easy to [convey] the right emotions while perfectly aligning them with the [core] subject."

What's next?

Rajat Arora has also written the screenplay and dialogues for Tiger Shroff's Baaghi 4, which is currently being shot, and director Milan Luthria's yet-untitled next that features Akshay Kumar as a quirky cop.