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Rahu Ketu Movie Review: This comedy trips over chaos and karma

‘Rahu Ketu’ aims to be a quirky mythological comedy but ends up feeling loud, confused, and far longer than it needs to be. Throughout its runtime, the film never finds a clear direction or purpose.

January 16, 2026 / 17:11 IST
Rahu Ketu review
Snapshot AI
  • "Rahu Ketu" is a fantasy comedy with weak writing and noisy execution.
  • Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma play karma agents in a chaotic, confusing storyline
  • The film offers few laughs and feels like a missed opportunity, rated 2 out of 5

‘Rahu Ketu,’ directed by Vipul Vig, released in theatres on 16 January and stars Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Shalini Pandey, Chunky Panday, Manu Rishi Chaddha, Amit Sial and Piyush Mishra.

A noisy idea that runs out of steam

'Rahu Ketu' is the kind of film that makes you wonder why it was made at all. At nearly 140 minutes, it feels more like a test of patience than entertainment. It combines weak writing and a noisy execution that leaves little to enjoy or marvel at.

The film sets out as a fantasy comedy inspired by mythology while also trying to work as a buddy film driven by chaos and banter. Directed by Vipul Vig, the idea sounds exciting on paper and clearly aims to break away from routine Hindi comedies. Sadly, the execution is so clumsy that it makes you question the decision to step into the theatre.

What follows is a film with a few scattered laughs, long stretches of confusion, and a climax that drags on far longer than it should.

Agents of Karma trapped in a bad story

The story centres on Rahu (Varun Sharma) and Ketu (Pulkit Samrat), two agents of karma sent to Earth. Their actions cause trouble, even though they are meant to restore balance in the end. Their lives are written by a storyteller, Churu Lal (Manu Rishi Chadha), in his book 'Atrangee Kahaniya.'

Once Rahu and Ketu step out of the book, they realise their fate depends entirely on what is written there. Problems begin when Meenu Taxi (Shalini Pandey), a local ganja grower, steals the book and starts rewriting events for her own benefit.

In their effort to recover it, the duo encounters an Israeli drug dealer, Mordechai (Chunky Pandey), a corrupt police officer (Amit Sial), and his foolish assistant, Bansi (Sumit Gulati). Their journey is packed with chaos, confusion, and slow self-discovery.

Big concept, weak writing

The film uses mythology more as a gimmick than as something emotionally meaningful, and this weakens the storytelling. The plot moves forward through coincidence rather than logic. While the central idea has potential, the screenplay is messy and unfocused. A few scenes do raise laughs, but many jokes feel forced.

Large portions of the film feel pointless and fail to move the story ahead. The fantasy elements are introduced but never explored properly, and the comedy often falls back on familiar tricks.

The pacing is another problem, with a sluggish first half and a stretched second half. It feels like multiple half-formed ideas pushed together instead of one clear film.

Few credible performances in a messy film

Pulkit Samrat gives a sincere performance and tries to keep things grounded by playing his role straight. Varun Sharma sticks to his usual slapstick style, which works at times but quickly becomes repetitive. Amit Sial stands out with a controlled and effective performance.

Manu Rishi Chadha brings energy whenever he appears, even though his role feels thinly written. Chunky Pandey seems to be enjoying himself, but the film barely makes use of him. Piyush Mishra’s character, with a look resembling a well-known spiritual figure, feels oddly placed, as if he is fully aware of where the film is headed.

Also Read: Happy Patel: Khatarnaak Jasoos Movie Review: Vir Das turns absurdity into strength in a bold, unruly comedy

Confused and messy

'Rahu Ketu' wants to be clever and different but ends up confused and uneven. This film tests your patience and is an assault on your senses for most of its stretch and is far from good. There are ideas, effort, and a few laughs, but they never come together as a satisfying whole. Viewers who enjoy chaotic comedies might find a moment or two to enjoy.

Anyone hoping for a tight story, hearty laughter, or a well-built fantasy will be disappointed. 'Rahu Ketu' feels like a missed opportunity, especially when another quirky release like 'Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos' shows how such ideas can actually work when handled well.

Rating: 2/5

Abhishek Srivastava
first published: Jan 16, 2026 05:01 pm

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