By Sehan Malhotra
Remember when Bollywood was all about slow motion hero entries, 1 man fighting 30 goons to save the love of his life, crass and loud item songs and cheesy dialogues? Yes I’m talking about Bollywood during the 1990s. Khaali Peeli is a 1990, cheesy, action, masala film that has reincarnated as a 2020 blockbuster with a much larger budget and some stunning visuals.
While these masala films are often painful to watch and even though we as an Indian audience have evolved to appreciate more thought provoking works of cinema, this movie can be seen as an exception. The best characteristic of this film is that it is fun. During the opening scene of the film, Ishaan Khatter comes out of a jail, flicking his collar, while lighting a cigarette and looks into the camera in what one could call ‘full bollywood style’. The moment this entire scene plays out, you know exactly what kind of film you’re watching and you can’t complain because you’re enjoying it. The best part of this film is that the makers of the film themselves know exactly what kind of film they have made and stick to that narrative. I’m assuming it’s every actor’s dream to make an adrenaline inducing entry like that and Ishaan’s honest acting should win your heart. From dialogue delivery, to dancing and emotion, he’s done his part well. Despite always being trolled for her choice of words, or being a product of nepotism, Ananya Pandey has done an honest job as well and with time she can unleash her true potential on the big screen.
On a negative standpoint, this film was blatantly racist in many ways when it released a song with lyrics that targeted Beyoncé and promoted fair skin. Despite the change of the song’s name, the film still has a main character named ‘Blackie’ which further problematizes it. While the masala of this film must be appreciated, this aspect of the film has to be considered too.
Overall, Khaali Peeli as the most unrealistic, predictable and cliched climax you can possibly imagine and that’s not always going to be bad news. However, the problematic aspects of the film are something that extent to the entire industry and the country at large. Sooner than later, this does need to stop. To conclude, Khaali Peeli is the perfect film if you want some mindless entertainment. In other words, it is the most masala film of 2020.
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