Critical response Taran Adarsh of
Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, and stated "
Singh Is Kinng lives up to the hype and hoopla. At the box-office, the film will fetch a hurricane-like start and will be record-shattering. Notwithstanding the new oppositions in the weeks to come, it will rule the hearts of the
aam junta. Blockbuster Hit!"
Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and stated "The film has an entertaining first half. The second half does get cluttered, clumsy and loose with loads of wasted talent in the likes of Ranvir Shorey, Javed Jaffrey and a side-lined Om Puri." Gaurav Malani of
Economic Times stated, "This king doesn't quite rule your heart unconditionally."
Rajeev Masand gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, and stated "
Singh is Kinng celebrates the spirit of being a Sikh, and yet it completely disregards the most basic detail of Sikh identity – how can your Sikh characters sport turbans but not full beards?" Aseem Chhabra of
Rediff.com gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5, and stated "Akshay is the
Kinng". Lisa Tsering of
Hollywood Reporter stated, "
Singh Is Kinng is a rollicking late-night party you don't want to end - with a friendly, funny and generous host; gorgeous women; pumped-up bhangra music and an extravagant, booze-soaked scuffle or two." Shubhra Gupta of
The Indian Express stated, "Whatever else it notches up,
Singh Is Kinng will always and forever be known as the first Hindi film in Punjabi : everyone talks as if
sarson da saag is coming out of their mouths." Amodini of Friday Nirvana gave the film 0 out of 5 stars, and stated that it was a "dumbed-down masala". Janak of Cinema Online Malaysia gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, and stated "
Singh Is Kinng is a fantastic five-star movie with wonderful casts and beautiful songs. You may find all the elements of Hindi cinema in this film, from action to comedy, and drama to romance. This is a movie not to be missed, especially if you are a Punjabi and a Bollywood fan. I'm still buzzing from the soundtrack!" Wietske Uneken of Cinemagazine gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and stated, "Thanks to its humorous approach,
Singh is Kinng is an entertaining film." Sri of Frames N Pages stated, "The film lacks logic, but still a great entertainer." R. Paul Dhillon of
Georgia Straight stated, "The filmmakers seem interested only in manipulating the audience, with absolutely no regard for plot, characters, or believability." Molodezhnaja gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5. Rachel Saltz of
New York Times stated, "
“Singh Is Kinng” isn’t a great movie. But the immensely likable Akshay Kumar shines as a
Capraesque hero who spreads bedrock Indian values." Sonia Chopra of
Sify gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and stated "And there it is: yet another critic-proof film that the audience has pre-decided to like, such that you imagine them displaying the relevant finger to those who disagree.
" Sikh controversy Some members of the Sikh community had expressed their dissatisfaction over the portrayal of Sikhs in the movie. On 1 August 2008, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) wrote a letter to
Sheila Dikshit, the then Chief Minister of Delhi, asking her to ban the movie, as the trailer showed Akshay Kumar's character sporting a trimmed beard. According to their religious guidelines, male Sikhs should not trim their beards, and the DSGMC found this offensive. After negotiations with the DSGMC authorities, the film was given clearance on 7 August 2008. ==Awards and nominations==