Khel Khel Mein director Mudassar Aziz SPEAKS on Akshay Kumar starrer’s underperformance: “Audience will buy tickets depending on several factors” : Bollywood News

Filmmaker Mudassar Aziz recently opened up about the commercial underperformance of his latest release, Khel Khel Mein, starring Akshay Kumar. Despite receiving mostly positive reviews, the film struggled at the box office, barely crossing the Rs 30 crores mark. The movie’s lukewarm performance has added to Akshay Kumar’s recent streak of commercial disappointments, a trend that has been a source of concern for the actor’s fans and the film’s cast and crew.

Khel Khel Mein director Mudassar Aziz SPEAKS on Akshay Kumar starrer’s underperformance: “Audience will buy tickets depending on several factors”

The Audience Factor: A Film That Required ‘Mental Intelligence’

In an interview with Zoom Entertainment, Mudassar Aziz offered insights into why Khel Khel Mein may not have resonated with a broad audience. He pointed out that the primary demographic for Hindi cinema—those aged 15 to 30—often makes ticket-buying decisions based on factors unrelated to the film’s content, such as the movie’s event-like appeal.

“My biggest learning has been that there is a very large chunk of our theatre going, ticket-buying Hindi cinema audience has very heavily tilted in the age group of 15-30. This audience will buy tickets depending on several factors, which are sometimes not related to how much they would enjoy your film,” Aziz explained. He explained that a film’s success in this age group often depends on whether it is marketed as an event, a strategy that Khel Khel Mein may not have fully capitalised on.

A Deeper Film: Beyond the Surface of Entertainment

Mudassar Aziz further elaborated on the complexities of Khel Khel Mein, describing it as a film that goes beyond traditional entertainment. “Let’s start with the choice of story, let’s start with economic strata, let’s start with the maturity of mind required to comprehend a film such as Khel Khel Mein. Why talk about marketing and release dates? There’s a certain mental intelligence, a certain awareness about relationships; there is a prerequisite to Khel Khel Mein. It’s not an out-and-out entertainer, it’s asking questions about relationships, about marriages, about orientations,” he noted.

Another factor contributing to the film’s underperformance was its release timing. Khel Khel Mein was released alongside the highly anticipated Stree 2 and the John Abraham-starrer Vedaa.

Also Read: Trade experts LASH out at Vedaa, Khel Khel Mein makers for clashing with Stree 2; believe that they should have come at a later date: “Aisi nahin ki super-hit hoti. But instead of doing Rs. 20-25 crores, it could have collected Rs. 40 crores each”