Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena

What really is the problem with Bollywood? Easy money, too many movies. Since Bollywood became recognized as an Industry, it has become a lot more easier for people to produce movies. This brings a lot more people to the director's chair. This could and should have been a good thing. But unfortunately, the equation stayed: only 2 out of every 10 mainstream movies is actually worth spending almost 3hrs on. With a lot more quantity, we see a lot more crap (mostly easy rip-offs) and a lot more wannabes. Do I sound deluded by Bollywood again? It's because Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena is a rip-off of Confidence *ing Edward Burns, Rachel Weisz, Dustin Hoffman & Paul Giamatti.

Fardeen Khan as Arjun Verma is a con-artist (how many have we seen lately? Is it really that easy to make money? But that's a debate for another day/time). He gets hood-winked into pulling an heist to save his own life after his friend loses his (i.e. the friend's own) life after they (Hero+friend) successfully pull off a cheap heist. This is followed by another heist, and then a clinically-insane (as per Dr. Shariq)psychiatrist (Koena Mitra) turns up in one of those heists and then he (Fardeen Khan) has to double-cross someone and add a little coriander. Now cook for 27 minutes at 220C before garnishing with his friends & enemies & dhobiwallas - Mukul Dev, Kay Kay Menon, Gulshan Grover, and some *always friends* types. Serve with a hint of Feroz Khan for an after taste.

Yes, the movie is a badly cooked dinner. A Single dish that comprises the starter, the neutralizer, the main-course & the dessert. Actually, the coffee too. Suparn Verma, the director & writer of this movie tries hard, and fails spectacularly. (Actually, when it is a copy, what do *writers* actually write?). But no - he does do well in very few scenes scattered through out, a little denser in the beginning portions, and scarce onwards. But they hardly make up for the entirely passable movie that he has made. Fardeen Khan talks to the almost non-existent audience throughout the movie. His commitment to the narration meant he forgot to act. But I won't be naive enough to blame him - coz Kay Kay Menon, the actor of actors, is also lost. He's looking to play a character that's so two-dimensional, he might just have played a water-bottle better instead. For those interested, Feroz Khan shows his style in a walk-through role.

The point of this review is to tell you that if you have seen the original, save yourself - unless you like torture. If you haven't seen the original, you just may like it: If you don't realize that while Arjun Verma pulls off a fast one on his victims, YOU are the victim.

Rated: 1.5/5

Although it could be stripped down "Matchstick Men", Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena adds few twists & turns of its own and director Suparn Varma debuts as a promising new director on bollywood horizon. I was following this 'Matchstick Men' and thought that the movie was going to end, but actually had intermission & then I realized that it was Hindi version! The 'new' plot started after that!!! I question the acting skills of lead actors Fardeen & Koena whereas all the other characters have done real efforts to make the movie more engaging. Kay Kay is simply the best of bunch. Feroz Khan as Jehangir is having some split moments of acting, doesn't exactly fit in the movie but can do as a cameo. It felt like stretched in the end & I almost had given up before I saw the ending which might recover some of the lost sense and saves the film on story front. All in all a nice effort. It definitely rises above the mass of bollywood love stories.

It is not an adaptation; it was copied from two very good movies, House of Games & Confidence

House of Game, which revolves around how a group of Con artists con a Psychiatrist (The water pistol scene inclusive) and the over all premise is from the movie "Confidence" by James Foley. No imagination has been wasted in directing or writing screen play for this movie.

It almost appears like the director and screen play writer, well why stop there include light set up, camera angles, make up, costumes every one has decided to preserve their creativity (if any) for future I guess.

The cast has done a below average job when compared to the original cast. However, Feroz Khan was a breath of fresh air and has done an excellent job.

Finally a movie which is as sleek as its title, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena is surely a Bollywood step ahead. Story is about a conman Arjun who is the man with plan and who accidentally cons a don for which he pays a big price of losing his pal and partner Rohit.Now the dons after him for the money.He makes a gang of his own and then meets Natasha whom he cons for the money and Natasha in turn traps him in the hands of the don to con Jahangir, the don's rival.Now How they decide/plan to con Jahangir and also the don off their backs is all the movie about. Fardeen could have been better,Koena, Kay-Kay and Feroz Khan stand out in their streamlined characters and the music by Pritam is also Buzzing. This is definitely worth a watch and go for it!!!!

What a movie make you to watch after 17 years so here I come to watch this movie in 2022 I just heard the song Jal Jal Ke Dhuan songs by Sonu Nigam. After the playlist I got some other good song by Sukhvinder Singh and other Singhs Aala Song play Sarejaha par ishq hai jhoota all the songs or blockbuster songs but the sad reality is these are composed by FIFA who cannot get credit for him because every song was coffee or inspired by some other song. This movie even not an original movie was copied by confidence in house of of games. So I was this movie after 17 years and I enjoyed it. That's why I am getting turn off the phone right now movies don't have this kind of large storytelling many days in one first one is better but this I can see I don't know why Pritish Nandy communication is not what is one more movie right now.