- Date of Release: 15 August 2024
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Khel Khel Mein
Introduction
Another month, another Akshay Kumar film! But the twist to that tale is that I can’t remember the last time that I have enjoyed a comedy film by Khiladi Kumar, this much. Khel Khel Mein, the Hindi Film Industry’s latest offering is yet another adaptation of the 2016 Italian film Perfect Strangers, that itself has been remade in over 15 languages across the globe. Solely in India, Khel Khel Mein is the third Indian adaptation, having previously been adapted in Kannada and Malayalam. The main thing to note about the success of Perfect Strangers and its subsequent adaptations is the format of the film. Seven friends assembling to play a game of secrets is in itself an indulging format, wherein you can easily tweak the tone of the drama by either taking it in the dark territory, or going the other extreme in the comedy space. The format is adaptive which means it almost guarantees a success either way, if the writing is sharp and crisp. And one look at the trailer of Khel Khel Mein, and the first thing that I noticed was the tonal shift that the film had from the original film. While Perfect Strangers was a dark comedy almost unfolding like a thriller with undertones of tension, Khel Khel Mein was more in the comedy space. And this genre which had guaranteed success every single time for Akshay Kumar, was perhaps his go-to genre too given the fate of his films recently. So it hardly came as a surprise that Khel Khel Mein did spring a surprise for me as far as the writing was concerned. Does the film manage to impress in its entirety, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
An official adaptation of the Italian film Perfect Strangers, Khel Khel Mein follows the story of seven friends as they decide to play a seemingly harmless game wherein each one of them has to be transparent about the calls and messages that they receive through the night. But what starts off as a harmless game on banter, soon puts their relationships at stake. The story here is a perfect template story that the writers choose to divulge in the form of a comedy. And the story here is wonderfully adapted to the Induan setup with the story unfolding against the backdrop of an Indian wedding. This was a far cry from the original that had dark themes of adultery to explore, whereas here, adultery has a tinge of humour to accompany the narrative. And even though I was familiar with the beats of the screenplay given that I had previously watched the original, I not only found myself invested in the screenplay standing at 130 odd minutes but also thoroughly enjoying the banter and the conversations that the characters indulge in throughout the night.
The drastic different from a screenplay perspective here is that each character is given a little more time to breath with a brief backstory, unlike the original that accustoms the viewers with the characters that are grounded while just about giving a hint of their secrets through their character traits. So early on, you are introduced to Rishabh(Akshay Kumar) in a hilarious sequence beginning at the airport and ending in the flight, wherein he is shown to casually flirt with a woman despite being married. Elsewhere, his wife who happens to be an author tries to strike a friendship with her step-daughter but to no avail. Likewise, Harpreet(Ammy Virk) and Harpreet(Taapsee Pannu) are a couple who have been trying for a baby unsuccessfully, only for cracks to appear in their relationship. Samar(Aditya Seal) and Naina(Pragya Jaiswal) are a seemingly happy couple but traces of their traits do paint a slightly different picture. And all of them along with Kabir(Fardeen Khan) meet at a wedding, only for them to assemble in a room for a night of fun and games. This until the game turns on its head with the relationships at stake.
I remember watching Perfect Strangers and thinking that there is a certain beat or a rhythm to the screenplay. And should anyone wish to adapt it, picking this rhythm would be an important ingredient. And credit to the writers here for identifying this trait and weaving a story around it. So, you see the tempo of conversatioms slowly begin to rise with each revelation being passed off as light banter before getting into serious territory, even though never losing sight of the tone of the drama. Yes, one odd flaw lay in the first half wherein a needless song appeared out of nowhere only to divert the drama to a mini flashback before returning to base. But, kudos to the writers for gathering that mojo again immediately, almost as if the drama had never drifted away. There are plenty of moments that evoke laughter, even as the synergy of the group is infectious to begin with before slowly disintegrating along the way(that is the format, done to perfection) wherein the art of a situational comedy was executed really well.
There is a considerable shift in the mood of the film with intense moments that are deliberately reserved for the second part. And while the stakes in the drama are raised, the sense or the tone of comedy is always there, be it in a startling revelation of a friend that is treated with sensitivity(with humour kicking in after the episode is discussed), or a potential argument leading to suicidal repercussions between a couple that ends on a hilarious note. That said, the portion that the film drifts away from the original source material was in its final act that meandered for a good 20 minutes without any purpose in particular, wherein the same could have easily wrapped up sooner. But despite this glaring flaw, the film manages to score in its quieter moments too(the scene in which Rishabh talks to his daughter heart to heart over the phone just had my heart❤️) seamlessly switching to drama before switching back to comedy. Overall, the screenplay here is well adapted and provides ample portions of laughter along the way.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are peppy and written with a lot of zeal, and filled with one-liners that ensure that there is a smile on your face at any given point of time in the film. The music is good and goes well with the mood of the drama but having said that, the use of a couple of the songs in the midst of the format slightly puts breaks on the narrative. The BGM is playful and perfectly blends with the vibe of the drama. The cinematography comprises of frames that have a brighter tone to them as compared to the grim setup of the original, and the frames definitely are in sync with the playful vibe of the drama. The editing barring the final tedious 20 minutes, is sharp and crisp while maintaining the tempo of the drama really well. Director Mudassar Aziz does a brilliant job with this desi-adaptation by centering it around a grand Indian wedding. That little tweaked opened new doors with new dynamics entering the fray, that helped keep the entertainment quotient quite high. I also liked how he was willing to give a little baggage to each character that helped familiarize the viewers with them, as a part of the characterization. The direction is pretty solid here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Ishita Arun as Malti, Diljot Chhabra as Radhika and Gaurav Manwane as Varun, all have their moments to shine. Maahi Raj Jain as Anaya has a little emotional streak to her character that she exploits wonderfully well. Fardeen Khan as Kabir is quite good and his much talked about comeback is finally here(as opposed to Heeramandi wherein he was underutilized). His slightly off sense of humour(as tapped wonderfully in No Entry and Heyyy Baby) is evident here as well and he also shines in some of the quietly dramatic scenes of the film. Aditya Seal as Samar is commendable and definitely makes his presence felt with his character that was more than what met the eye. Pragya Jaiswal as Naina looks beautiful and makes a confident debut here(in a Hindi film). She does pull off her character with a lot of panache and looks at ease in front of the camera.
Ammy Virk as Harpreet has an impeccable sense of comic timing and he puts it to full use by nailing his one-liners. Taapsee Pannu as Harpreet(yes, both have the same first name) is incredibly good in extracting humour as well as shining in dramatic scenes towards the end. Vaani Kapoor as Vartika delivers a very well restrained act that is well measured and filled with poise and grace. She is such a wonderful actor who speaks a thousand words even in silences within the act. But it is Akshay Kumar on his return to familiar grounds of comedy that steals the show. There is something about him and his impeccable ability to extract humour at the most unexpected places. Seldom have I seen an actor who is absolutely pitch perfect with his comedy, and here as Rishabh(in a George Clooney look), he absolutely nails his character. Only time will tell whether or whether not this film breaks the jinx at the Box Office, but this is definitely a step forward in a genre that he must stick to a little more.
Conclusion
Boasting of amazing performances, Khel Khel Mein is a hilarious and entertaining rendition of the original film Perfect Strangers, that ends up being a wonderful watch. Available in a theatre near you.
