Khiladi

I'd heard a lot about 'Khiladi' and was interested in watching it. The director duo Abbas Mastan are known for making thrillers and unfortunately, for ripping off. I don't know whether 'Khiladi' itself is a ripoff. It is a very Bollywood film and on top of that from the early 90s (so expect some strange dances, out of place songs and weird fashion) but otherwise quite well directed to an extent. They successfully manage to hide the identity of the killer and it does come as a surprise when revealed.

If it were made today, I think it would have been better in the technical department. Other than that, the film starts in a college campus with funny comedy (but some of them are really over the top). The songs are nice but they seem forced in the screenplay, which was the case in many Hindi films of that era.

Akshay Kumar does well. He's very good with the comedy scenes. Deepak Tijori is brilliant as stands out in most of his scenes. His and Akshay's camaraderie is shown with a touch of humour but in a realistic way. As a newcomer, Sabeeha does well. However, Ayesha Jhulka is strictly okay in most scenes and doesn't deliver in others.

I'd say it's one of the better films of it's time as it's quite enjoyable but it ain't no masterpiece. Enjoy it for the funny moments, nice songs (most of which are horribly picturized) and to solve the mystery of who the killer is!

It was the era where music companies promoted the songs at great lengths resulting in record sales of the cassettes (there were no CD's back then). Audience used to catch the bait of super-hit music and flock to the cinema houses. It goes without saying that Jatin-Lalit's melodious music was backed up with marketing muscle of Venus resulting in a product "Khiladi".

"Khiladi" itself turned out to be a a surprise package as the expectations were nothing more than a romantic flick. The murder and the suspense added novelty to the proceedings resulting in a runaway hit.

Akshay Kumar:: "Khiladi" served as a good platform which could showcased his skills. And yes, he got noticed.

Ayesha Jhulka:: Her fan-following owing to her previous outing "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander" ensured to flock to the cinema halls and contributed the two-cents

Deepak Tijori:: An extended "Aashiqui" role.

Sabeeha:: Gave another go in this movie and then probably left Bollywood for good.

Johnny Lever:: Had a good comedy track and later on went to become a Abbas-Mastan regular.

Rest of the star-cast namely Tinnu Anand, Shakti Kapoor, Beena and Anant Mahadevan were adequate. The college comedy ensures fair share of laughs. Music as I stated earlier was the key-factor.

Quite later I was made aware that the plot was a direct lift of "Khel Khel Mein". The climax had an edge-of-seat excitement (and I wouldn't be surprised if it was plagiarised again).

Verdict: A wholesome entertainer.

Khiladi ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(Akshay) Action 90s ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thrill ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Suspense⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Suspense thrill best film 90s

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.

This movie is one of Abbas-Mustan's best movies. The direction is great as is the screenplay. The cinematography is good. The music, on the other hand, could've been better. Akshay kumar has given us a great performance here. Deepak Tijori, Shakti Kapoor, Ayesha Jhukla and Sabeeha give us decent performances. The action is superb; you can't fault it. It is so Akshay Kumar (high kicks, fast punches etc.). This film is an all-round entertainer with action, comedy and a lot of suspense.

Verdict: If you haven't seen it yet, see it and look at what you've missed out on. Thumbs up - 9/10.