| Khel Khel Mein | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mudassar Aziz |
| Written by | Sara Bodinar Mudassar Aziz |
| Story by | Mudassar Aziz |
| Based on | Perfect Strangers byPaolo Genovese |
| Produced by | Bhushan Kumar Krishan Kumar Vipul D. Shah Shashikant Sinha Ashwin Varde Rajesh Bahl |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Manoj Kumar Khatoi |
| Edited by | Ninad Khanolkar |
| Music by | Score: John Stewart Eduri Songs: Tanishk Bagchi Rochak Kohli Guru Randhawa Raj Ranjodh |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Panorama Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes[2] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹100 crore[3][4] |
| Box office | est.₹56.78 crore[5] |
Khel Khel Mein (transl. All in fun and games) is a 2024 IndianHindi-languagecomedy drama film[6] written and directed byMudassar Aziz. Based on the 2016Italian filmPerfect Strangers, the film starsAkshay Kumar,Taapsee Pannu,Vaani Kapoor,Ammy Virk,Aditya Seal,Pragya Jaiswal andFardeen Khan.
Filming was held inUdaipur andLondon, between October 2023 and March 2024. The film was released on 15 August 2024. Although the film received generally positive reviews from critics, it was abox office failure.
Three married Indian couples with entirely different personalities, who are also friends, gather at a wedding inJaipur. Rishabh Malik, a plastic surgeon habituated to lying, is about to get separated from his author wife, Vartika. After the Sangeet ceremony of Vartika's sister, Radhika, the couples decide to play a game. The three couples meet in Rishabh's room where Vartika puts across the rules of the game: everyone will place their cellphones on the table and whoever receives a call, message, or email will have to share the details with the rest of the participants.
Even though the game starts on a funny note, it gradually results in the unraveling of many secrets about each of the participants, and the couples are virtually shocked to learn the hidden facts about each other. All six realise that their real lives are far removed from their make-believe social media and rich lives that they put up for the world to see, leading to more misunderstandings between the couples.[7]
Akshay Kumar andTaapsee Pannu were cast as the leads.[12][13] Later,Fardeen Khan joined the cast marking his return to films after 14 years.Vaani Kapoor,Pragya Jaiswal,Ammy Virk andAditya Seal were then cast in other prominent roles.[14][15][16]
Principal photography commenced by October 2023.[17] The film was mainly shot inLondon andUdaipur before wrapping in April 2024.[18][19]
| Khel Khel Mein | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 13 August 2024 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 17:03 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | T-Series |
| Official audio | |
| Khel Khel Mein (Audio Jukebox) onYouTube | |
The music of the film is composed byTanishk Bagchi,Farooq Got Audio,Rochak Kohli,Guru Randhawa and Raj Ranjodh while the background score is composed by John Stewart Eduri. Lyrics are written byKumaar, Guru Randhawa,Jaani and Raj Ranjodh.[20]
The first single titled "Hauli Hauli" was released on 25 July 2024.[20] The second single titled "Duur Na Karin" was released on 30 July 2024 and is a remake ofNabeel Shaukat Ali's 2016Punjabi single "Kooch".[21] The third single titled "Do U Know" byDiljit Dosanjh was released on 8 August 2024 which is a remake of Dosanjh's 2016 Punjabi single of the same name.[22]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hauli Hauli" | Guru Randhawa | Guru Randhawa | Guru Randhawa,Yo Yo Honey Singh,Neha Kakkar | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Duur Na Karin" | Kumaar | Tanishk Bagchi | Vishal Mishra,Zahrah S Khan | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Do U Know" | Jaani | Tanishk Bagchi | Diljit Dosanjh | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Chal Ve Dilaa" | Kumaar | Rochak Kohli | Vishal Mishra, Rochak Kohli | 4:48 |
| 5. | "Baari Barsi" | Raj Ranjodh | Raj Ranjodh | Guru Randhawa, Raj Ranjodh | 3:03 |
| Total length: | 17:03 | ||||
The film was earlier scheduled to release on 6 September 2024, but was advanced to 15 August 2024, for anIndependence Day release.[23]
The streaming rights for the film were acquired byNetflix and it started streaming on the platform on 10 October 2024.[24][25]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 78% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10.[26]
A critic forBollywood Hungama rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Khel Khel Mein rests on a novel plot that not only entertains but also boasts of excellent performances."[27] Dhaval Roy ofThe Times of India rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote"Khel Khel Mein has minor flaws, but its smart writing, tight direction, and performances make it worth a watch, especially with a bunch of friends. However, if you get too inspired by this game, do it at your own risk!"[28] Tushar Joshi ofIndia Today rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Khel Khel Mein is a watchable family entertainer with a message. If you are looking for a clean comedy that doesn’t rely on double-meaning and innuendo-laden one-liners, this is the ticket to buy this Independence Day."[29] Titas Chowdhury ofNews18 rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Akshay Kumar is the glue that holds this fun comedy together. Taapsee Pannu emerges as a show stealer."[30]
Sukanya Verma ofRediff.com rated 3/5 stars and notes "The chemistry between the motley bunch of actors works in fits and starts but Akshay Kumar's gift of the gab, Taapsee's bumbling comedienne and Fardeen Khan's dry wit come out tops."[31] Tanmayi Savadi ofTimes Now rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "Khel Khel Mein switches between laughs and drama. As a whole product, it is entertaining. With the possibility of a sequel, this one could be a fun ride if watched with an unbiased lens."[32] Vinamra Mathur ofFirstpost rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "The film is sadly undone by its second half that suffers from what can be best described as the Mood Swing syndrome. Only people with massive mood swings can relate to the jitteriness of the film’s narrative."[33]
Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "A little more of the some-men-will never-change just like leopards and their spots would have made this Akshay Kumar-Taapsee Pannu film a no-holds-barred banger."[34] Rishabh Suri ofHindustan Times wrote, "It’s hard to nitpick a flaw in the project, which starsAkshay Kumar, because the film delivers what it promises - a chill time- and more."[35]
