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.

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.

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!