Khel Khel Mein REVIEW: Akshay Kumar back with a bang to his golden comedy era

MUMBAI: Khel Khel Mein, directed by Mudassar Aziz of Happy Bhag Jayegi and Pati Patni Aur Woh fame, stars Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Vaani Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Aditya Seal, Pragya Jaiswal, and Ammy Virk. Bhushan Kumar and Vipul D. Shah produce it under their T-Series and Wakaoo Films banners.

It's not often that we really go to theaters these days to laugh with unbridled inhibitions and uncontrolled verve. This year itself, only one film has achieved that — Madgaon Express. So, we've learned to temper expectations even when visiting cinema halls for supposed comedy movies as opposed to a time when such hysterical humor was the order of the day, especially in the mid-to-late 2000s. At the forefront of this golden period in comedy for Hindi cinema was Akshay Kumar, backed no doubt by the iconic Priyadarshan. So, it's only fitting that the superstar rekindles that promise with a much-needed throwback to his infectious comic era courtesy his latest release, Khel Khel Mein.

Adapted from the Italian film, Perfect Strangers — arguably the most adapted film ever (this marks its 29th remake) — Khel Khel Mein may just be the best of the lot if not the source material's hitherto most fun remake — that rare remake that goes beyond the original with its own stamp of authority. The premise is fairly obvious both for those who've seen the original or any of its subsequent remakes as also for those who've only seen this film's trailer. A bunch of middle-aged friends, some of them couples, who gather for a wedding, find their ties put to test as secrets unravel when they decide to play a nightlong game where all messages and calls on their phones would be privy to the rest of the group.

The setup is ripe for comedy gold, and kudos to writer-Director Mudassar Aziz and co-writer Sara Bodinar for doing full justice to the gift they had in their hands. Added brownie points for them not ignoring the heavy emotional toil such a game could have on its participants yet never allowing the film to dive into sloppy, melodramatic territory or a philosophical character study as the original needlessly did, seamlessly balancing understated humor whenever the plot threatens to dive deep into heavy tearful territory.

As mentioned in my title and the opening of this review itself, Akshay Kumar is at the front and center of the histrionics. He so reminds us of the Akshay of Garam Masala, Bhaagam Bhag, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, and Housefull 2 (before the franchise nosedived) from his expressions and body language to his quintessential dialogue delivery and inimitable quips. The rest of the ensemble cast gives him terrific support, with none of the actors putting a foot wrong (another hallmark of his heyday comedy zone), including his Heyy Babyy costar, Fardeen Khan, sketching out his best performance to date.

Manoj Kumar Khatoi's camerawork and the production design and outfits, too, are top notch, with the only major drawbacks being the annoying background score, editor Ninad Khanolkar not trimming the film by 15-20 minutes or so, the overall treatment of the film being directed primarily at a metro audience, and Aziz, inexplicably, somewhat succumbing to woke pressure by not balancing the dirty laundry of both his male and female characters in the film. Other than these negligible factors, Khel Khel Mein is a wonderful rollercoaster of belly-aching laughs subtly intertwined with a nice emotional core. Be sure to watch I with your loved ones this Independence Day weekend.

4/5 stars