As suggested by its title and its trailer, Khel Khel Mein makes no bones about the kind of film it is going to be — a light-hearted comedy about a reunion of friends at a big fat Indian wedding, but, of course, with some surprises thrown in. Written and directed by Mudassar Aziz, whose flair for comedy has found validation in films like Pati Patni Aur Woh and Happy Bhag Jayegi, this is a film whose core purpose is entertainment and which comes with the promise of a good time at the movies.
And that is exactly what it sets out to do from the very outset, where Akshay Kumar’s exchanges with two women at the airport, completely unknown to him, make it clear that the actor is back doing what he does best — comedy. We get ready to watch a vintage Akshay in action, already offering flashes of the crackling form he displayed in hits like Hera Pheri and the Housefull franchise. His jokes, though a trifle sexist at times, are like verbal knockout punches, delivering uncomfortable home truths. A middle-aged man with a grown-up daughter, he is presented as the typical Casanova, with his relationship with his young second wife Vartika (Vaani Kapoor) being far from ideal. Though he leads the ensemble cast of actors in Khel Khel Mein, Akshay, who essays the role of Rishabh Malik, a successful cosmetic surgeon, has perhaps the most incongruous, self-contradictory personality in the entire film. A wonderful dad to his daughter, who is loved dearly by his in-laws, he is also the go-to person for the younger folks who make up his circle of friends. Yet it is unclear why he has difficulty maintaining a stable marital relationship, makes disparaging jokes about his wife and lies so easily to her when she is trying to patch up the discord in their lives.
The irony of the situation that the friends get together on the occasion of a wedding (that of Vartika’s sister Radhika) is certainly not lost. The strange game that the group agrees to play on the night before the wedding throws up one shocking revelation after another. What started off playfully becomes a dreadful exercise where each of the players has to confront and own up to their secrets. As the proverbial skeletons start tumbling out of the cupboard, what becomes painfully clear is that every married relationship is fake and hollow at its core, and is rotting away due to an unnecessary web of lies, deceptions and betrayals spun by each person.
Among the two young couples, Taapsee Pannu and Ammy Virk play a Sikh couple in the most realistic and relatable way, making their portrayals refreshingly different from the stereotypical. Aditya Seal battles his character Samar’s inner demons bravely while Pragya Jaiswal as Samar’s possessive wife Naina delivers a spirited, memorable performance. The pick of the lot is however Fardeen Khan who pulls off a mature, nuanced performance in his comeback role as the lone bachelor in the pack, Kabir.
Aziz keeps the story fast-paced and full of anticipation for viewers, trying to maintain comedic balance and brilliance. He also gives the backstory of each character a distinct flavour to give the audience a taste of the range of sensitive issues the contemporary generation has to deal with. The drunken night of friendly revelry thus discloses secrets that range from being boring, unlucky, irresponsible, sad, or dark to being just a consequence of false insecurities and vulnerabilities.
As the film reaches its climax, though feeble attempts are made to make it look like a comedy, the action borders on drama and melodrama with Akshay orchestrating a double-rescue, bringing back a runaway bridegroom and signing off in grand style with a splendid speech on marriage as a wonderful partnership.
