Khel Khel Mein: Funny in parts, yet confused in its narrative

Despite some genuinely entertaining and funny moments, Mudassar Aziz's 'Khel Khel Mein' stumbles with uneven commentary and problematic portrayals.

It's always a pleasant surprise when a film exceeds the expectations set by its trailer, and ‘Khel Khel Mein’ is one such delightful surprise. However, part of what makes it work is the low standard for comedy in Bollywood these days. If a movie manages to make me laugh more than five times, I count it as a win.

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Rishabh Malik (Akshay Kumar), an experienced plastic surgeon, and Vartika (Vaani Kapoor), a young author, are living together and contemplating whether they should take the next step and get married. Samar (Aditya Seal) works at a company owned by his wife Naina’s (Pragya Jaiswal) father, which often creates tension between them. Harpreet aka Happy (female) (Taapsee Pannu) and Harpreet (male) (Ammy Virk) are trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, desperately trying to have a child. Kabir (Fardeen Khan) is a cricket coach. These seven friends reunite at a wedding in Jaipur and, to pass the time, decide to play a game: everyone must place their phone on the table for the entire night, with every text and call shared openly. As the night unfolds, secrets emerge, and their lives are altered- whether for better or worse remains to be seen.

The film opens on a problematic note- it's highly sexist and devoid of humor. Characters are introduced without any depth. Women are depicted as unintelligent, and sexist jokes about alimony are tossed around casually, while men justify infidelity. The characters Happy and Harpreet are reduced to a stereotype of bumbling Punjabis who struggle to speak English, an elitist trope. Rishabh's character is unbearably cocky, but it's Harpreet’s character that stands out as the most troubling- he constantly yells at Happy and belittles her at every opportunity. Naina and Happy are portrayed as different shades of foolish. Additionally, the jokes are tasteless and fail to land. Conflicts arise out of nowhere and are resolved just as quickly. Despite the weak material, the actors put in effort. Pannu, Kapoor, and Jaiswal shine in their roles, and Khan’s return is a welcome sight. However, Kumar disappoints- not because he’s the weakest of the cast, but because he once set a high standard for comedy that he now struggles to reach.

Despite a tiring first half, the second half of the film is surprisingly fun. It begins to inject humor into unexpected moments, with the dialogues and script noticeably improving. The film’s ability to subtly weave comedy into serious scenes and then seamlessly return to the main topic is impressive. "Khel Khel Mein" even takes a turn by advocating for women, challenging sexist attitudes, and making adequate commentary on homosexuality. It also attempts to address parenthood and marriage with decency. While I agree with and appreciate certain opinions the movie offers, it ultimately disappoints by falling short. The film seems confused about its own commentary. In the end, it suggests that women are to blame for men’s cheating, justifies age gaps in marriage, and excuses infidelity- all in the name of imperfect humanity and love. Instead of exploring the complexities of why people behave as they do, the film is more concerned with shifting the blame.

Khel Khel Mein tries hard to be morally appealing, but it’s overshadowed by the male gaze that it can’t seem to escape. The outcome is a film that’s fairly funny but ultimately comes across as pretentious.

Khel Khel Mein is currently running in theatres.