Khiladi (1992)

Just perfect...

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This is by far the most insensitive film I have seen. A dear friend dies, and there is no depiction of any trauma of the other friends. They simply get into a desperate frenzy to get the blame off themselves. Except the heroine, nobody seems to feel the least bit of sorrow in treating the body of their friend as a piece of garbage. The comedy in the initial scenes is not slapstick, but offensive. Women are depicted very poorly in the film, just like in most other Indian films. The music is bad, barring one classic: vada raha Sanam. The characters are very one dimensional, either cheap or stupid. Acting is one of the worst aspects of this film. As for the suspense, it's again a big let down. There is no clue given to the audience to suspect the person in question. Also, the entire film is wasted in meaningless catch or miss scenes, where it would have been more interesting if directed to the mystery. Not only a waste of time, but annoying.

Akshay Kumar's first hit is also Abbas-Mustaan's first hit. And probably their best till date. A perfect mix of comedy, then romance, then a murder, drama, suspense, action and a super ending. It is almost impossible to predict who is the killer.The film has shades of the hit film from the 70s Khel Khel Mein, but manages to hold its own. Like that film, you have a college setup, a young star cast, youthful and popular songs, good dosage of comedy, romance and of course, difficult to crack suspense. Abbas-Mustaan have made many suspense thrillers since but this is their best according to me. In every department, the film stands tall, compared to their later works.Akshay Kumar did well in his role, a role which was almost tailor made for him. Ayesha Jhulka was at the peak of her career with films with Aamir, Salman, Akshay and she had signed a film with Shahrukh (which never released or had a limited release, Kisi Se Dil Laga Ke Dekho). She was decent in the film. Sabeeha had limited screen presence. Deepak Tihori managed to make his presence felt despite being relegated to the role of a supporting hero. Shakti Kapoor and Prem Chopra added value to the film as well.Music played a key role in the success of this film. Although Abbas-Mustaan had a successful musical run with Anu Malik in the 90s, Jatin-Lalit delivered a fab score with this film, which continues to remain popular till date, especially the romantic duet, Vaada Raha Sanam. For reasons best known to them, Abbas-Mustaan never repeated Jatin-Lalit, despite classic tunes. All the songs had melody and youth appeal and that's why the songs play on 20 years later.Overall Khiladi was truly suspense at its best. A thorough entertainer! It's a tad lengthy but worth the time.

This movie is a direct lift from KHEL KHEL MEIN (1975)The movie starts in college campus with some over-the-top comedy scenes like most were in that eraFour college friends namely Raj, Boney, Neelam and Sheetal play a prank on one of their friend Sheetal's dad' but tragedy strikes when Sheetal is killed and the guys become the prime suspects They get rid of all the evidences but discover a conspiracy surrounding the Sheetal's deathThe direction and the music are both good Akshay Kumar started his Khiladi persona which was followed by 7 other films 80% of which were hit The film's climax is quite entertaining If it were made today it would be better in the technical departmentAkshay Kumar impresses in this film after the early crap he had done Ayesha Julka looks quite cute and does well with Akshay Deepak Tijori plays Akshay's friend and his chemistry with Akshay is top-notch Sabeeha does well The supporting cast plays their role to perfection

I have been on a journey to revisit some old favorites and this weekend's pick was Khiladi. Despite repeat viewing, enjoyed every bit of it. The movie is no where as polished as Hindi movies off late but it represents everything we liked about Bollywood. The humor may be bit crude, romance somewhat clichéd, logic takes a break once in a while but none of this stops from making the movie immensely enjoyable. It reminded me what's missing in Hindi movies of today: such genre bending entertainers which pack in everything from thrill, romance, humor, emotions to action. Akshay Kumar and Deepak Tijori turn in a spontaneous performance. Also, sad to know now that Ayesha Jhulka never made it big but her classic looks and girl next door charm still makes her one of favorite actress. So, if you are still old school at heart, this is a must watch for you.