the audience applauded

Really Surprised!

What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Raj (Akshay Kumar) is never shy of taking up a daring challenge, usually from his best friend and college mate Bonny (Deepak Tijori). He has never lost a bet to anyone (hence the title of the movie, which means 'player').Raj wagers with his friends Bonny, Neelam (Ayesha Jhulka) and Sheetal (Sabiha) that he can scare the wits out of Sheetal's father (Prem Chopra). The bet involves a fake kidnapping followed by a ransom call to Sheetal's father. The plan goes perfectly to the script until Sheetal gets murdered while the others are away from the cottage they have rented.Needless to say the suspicion will inevitably fall on the three, once the police get wind of what happened. Can the friends unmask the real murderer before they are themselves turned in for murder?A loose remake of the 1975 movie Khel Khel Mein (only the basic idea was borrowed), Khiladi is a gripping, edge of the seat thriller that keeps you guessing right until the very end. Unlike the vast majority of Hindi movies made in the 90s, this movie could hold its own in this day and age.The music by Jatin-Lalit is another plus point. Nearly all the songs in the movie were immensely popular in the 90s. The passage of twenty odd years notwithstanding, they have aged pretty well. On the downside is the fact that the movie takes well over an hour before getting down to business. You can divide the movie into two halves: the first half a rom-com and the second half a murder mystery- not unusual for Hindi movies of that era. It must also be said that the production values look pretty ordinary when viewed today, which was once again characteristic of Hindi cinema in that era.Khiladi was the breakthrough movie for a hitherto little known young actor called Akshay Kumar. Ayesha Jhulka and Deepak Tijori- neither of whom enjoyed any significant success after Khiladi- are to this day remembered for being in this movie. From the point of view of someone watching the movie today, its a good thriller. Keep your expectations low and you'll enjoy the journey.

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

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.

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-centsDeepak 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.