Khaali Peeli Movie Review: Ishaan Khattar Is The Saving Grace In This Cliché Bollywood Masala Film
Khaali Peeli, starring Ishaan Khattar and Ananya Panday, is streaming now on Zee5, but you got to pay for it! Is it worth spending that amount, let's find out in our review
Zee Studios introduced Zee Cineplex with Ishaan Khattar and Ananya Panday starrer Khaali Peeli, today. I paid Rs 299 to watch the film and frankly I was not very convinced to shell out that amount for it. Nonetheless, duty calls and I began the movie after reading the message from my bank that the amount has been deducted. Sigh!
Khaali Peeli is an out and out Ishaan Khatter film. And I don't mean Ananya doesn't have a role in it. She has almost the same screen time as Ishaan but this young lad spills magic on screen. It was purely because of Ishaan that it felt spending Rs 299 was justified.
Ishaan is just a brilliant performer. His dialogue delivery, body language, clarity in speech, his dance- mind blowing!
Coming to Ananya Panday, well, she has done a fair job. Although there is not much growth in her performance from what I saw of her in Pati, Patni Aur Woh. The dancing can surely get way better. No wonder the makers too realised it and removed Beyonce from the song, in the final cut. She did support Ishaan well in their scenes but if I had to judge her performance alone then, I'd say there is still a long way to go.
Film's storyline is cliche. The direction has small loopholes but it can be overseen. I liked the way the film jumps between past and present in terms of its timeline. There are a few twists and turns by the end of the film which may keep you entertained.
Jaideep Ahlawat, who plays the antagonist Yusuf in the film, is outstanding yet again. Last I saw him was in Anushka Sharma's web series Pataal Lok and he was marvelous in that too.
Anup Soni plays Ishaan's father and has a small role. An actor of his calibre surely seemed wasted in the film but I loved the scene where he lies on the floor, pretending to be dead, amidst heavy gun firing between police and the villains, to avoid being shot. The way he wakes up and winks at Ishaan was quite natural and believable. Satish Kaushik plays the comic police wala and manages to crack you up.
The look and the feel of the film is average. Both the leads have completed the movie in two-three pairs of clothes. Ananya is seen in her patiala salwar and Ishaan in his Taxi driver's uniform. Music of the film is bad!
Overall, I'd say it's binge worthy only for Ishaan Khattar. Otherwise, there is nothing new, it's the same age-old dish served with new garnishing. I'll go with 2.5 stars.
Image source:-IMBD
