It would have been hard to imagine that a hero like Akshay Kumar can really go off course despite being excellent in comic roles. Directed by Raghava Lawrence, this remake totally misrepresents the trans community and even goes to make fun of societal beliefs. With a poor screenplay and storyline, it is neither funny nor scary. Kiara Advani is barely seen and cannot lift up her character. Akshay Kumar who has been applauded for making socially relevant, issue-based, message-driven films in the last decade tries hard, however, he fails to make the audience laugh or pay attention. Ayesha Raza, Ashwini Kalsekar and Manu Rishi in the supporting cast cannot help the sinking ship. Sharad Kelkar is efficient in the role of the eunuchs. “Burj Khalifa” is a chartbuster but does not find a right timing in the movie, like most songs. Sadly, it goes too preachy. A transgender drama cannot be told in ways that may hurt Hindi-Muslim religious beliefs. What’s more, marketed as a supernatural thriller, this 2 hour 20-minute flick falls flat in this genre.
Rating: 1.5/5
