#KhelaHobe is a #Bengali phrase meaning ‘The game is on’. It is usually used in political contexts and during the last elections in #WestBengal, it’s current Chief Minister #SmtMamtaBanerjee used it to take on the might of the opposition. She popularised Khela Hobe phrase which reached the nook and corner of the country. Khela Hobe is a new Hindi film revolving around a social issue of rape and having a political background. It deals with the local politics and the people playing various games to have an edge over others. The concept certainly is good but lethargic handling of the subject makes the film uninspiring.
The film is set in small town called Raghav Gadh. As is the case in such places, local politics is a way of life for many. So there’s an election for the Chairman’s post in a local government body and many are vying for that post who jump into the fray, directly or indirectly. Bachchu Lal (Manoj Joshi) is one of the aspirants and gets an opportunity to surpass others. There’s one mentally disabled woman, referred to as Pagli by everyone, is impregnated by an unknown perpetrator. Bachchu Lal shows false sympathy towards her and uses this incident for political mileage. There’s one fading leader Fareek Bhai (Om Puri) who wants to win this election as it’s his last attempt. There’s sitting Chairman Mr Gupta (Sanjay Batra) who wants to get re-elected. Enters Shabnam aka Shabbo (Mughda Veira Godse) who wants to win this election to take revenge. The Pagli’s identity is kept secret and divulged at the fag end of the movie to create suspense and showing it’s connection with one of the aspirants. What goes during the election process forms the crux of the story.
The story is relatable as every place under election process in our country witnesses the similar scenario. But the screenplay is too widespread and lack of proper editing lengthens the runtime hence marring the impact of the subject. The director, Sunil C Sinha, who has earlier assisted likes of Prakash Jha shown signs of brilliance but a very few times. Other times the film drags aimlessly. Dialogues are in tune with the political lingo prevalent in our country. Music is passable and not noteworthy. Manoj Joshi aces the role of an opportunistic and cunning local politician. He makes the film watchable. Mugdha Veira Godse has a good screen presence and her efforts are noticeable. But her role is half baked. This is late Om Puri’s swan song. He delivers beautifully and convincingly in his limited screen time. Rati Agnihotri is wasted in his wife’s small role. The director should have utilised her properly. Other offer good support.
Khela Hobe’s heart is in the right place but the execution should have been better.
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