Khel Khel Mein Movie Review: Akshay Kumar starrer ensemble comedy is mostly forgettable

Khel Khel Mein movie review: If you are looking for a film which offers nuanced exploration of marriage, Khel Khel Mein is not it.

Khel Khel Mein is best described as a bottle episode-turned-feature film. In a bottle episode, the cast members are limited to a confined space. The space causes tension, which in turn leads to revelations and shocking confessions.

Star rating: 2 / 5 stars

That's exactly what happens in Khel Khel Mein, but these revelations (though intriguing), don’t really force the viewer to question the institution of marriage or think about it critically. After being remade a record 28 times, the Italian film Perfect Strangers has inspired a Desi remake. Mudassar Aziz keeps the sensibility of the original intact, even if a lot of it rests on lame jokes and comic punches with don't really land.

Khel Khel Mein: Plot

A gray-haired Akshay Kumar plays a plastic surgeon Rishabh whose wife Vartika (Vaani Kapoor) has given him an ultimatum—if their marriage doesn't work out in three months, it will end in a divorce. Besides being an aesthetician, Rishabh is also a typical husband who keeps secrets from his significant other—which Vartika isn't too happy with.

The couple arrive at the wedding of Vartika's sister where they meet with their friends. There is Harpreet Kaur (Taapsee Pannu), who is being pressured by her mother-in-law to have a baby. Ammy Virk is Harpreet Singh, an entrepreneur struggling with confidence issues. Aditya Seal is Samar. He works at the firm of his wife Naina (Pragya Jaiswal) father's firm. While Samar is being subjected to workplace issues, Naina is struggling with her mental health and shopping ddiction.

Also Read: Is Akshay Kumar ready for a smash hit with Khel Khel Mein?

Khel Khel Mein: Performances

Initially, Akshay's character is difficult to root for, until he comes across as a progressive man.It is a welcome change, since Akshay Kumar comedies are missed these days.

Ammy Virk, much like Bad Newzz, is overshadowed by the other members of the ensemble cast because they are given meatier roles. Again, the blame here isn't as much on Virk as it is on the writers.

Khel Khel Mein: Writing And Direction

Taapsee is finally breaking out of her mould and playing a light-hearted character, even if Harpreet Kaur comes across as a ditzy, air-headed woman. Most of the times, you don't laugh with her, but at her.

Much of the humour in the film is dry and unintelligent. That a lot of jokes don't land is a different thing. Khel Khel Mein isn't really an intelligent analysis of marriage either. Much of its commentary on the institution is from the lens of “mard jooth bolte hain (men are liars)” and “auratein shak karti hain (women harbour suspicion)”.

Is there no aspect of marriage the film could have critiqued? Granted, Aziz touches on fertility, sexual abuse, workplace harassment but the treatment is strictly surface level.

Khel Khel Mein: What Works, What Doesn't

What I absolutely shook this critic was Fardeen Khan's role as Kabir, the only bachelor in this couple kitty. I was pleasantly surprised with how Aziz introduced homosexuality in the script, even if the treatment of the subject was based more on shock value and less on exploring what it means to be gay in a homophobic world.

What works well in the film are the cameos. Bhumi Pednekar's voice is heard in one scene while Chitrangada Singh makes an appearance in another. In the beginning, there is also a Desi boys reference (shoutout to John Abraham whose film ‘Vedaa’ is also in theaters this week).

At 2 hours 30 minutes, Khel Khel Mein is simply too long. While the first half keeps the momentum high with comic punches, the second half might just put you to sleep. The climax on the film is overdrawn. If you are looking for a nuanced exploration of marriage and what the institution stands for, Khel Khel Mein is not the film for you. But it is just the perfect long weekend watch if you are looking for some cheap laughs and lowbrow humour.

Khel Khel Mein is now playing in theaters.

Star rating: 2 / 5 stars