Khajoor Pe Atke Film Review – Opportunism Over Family Bonds

Family bickerings come to the fore as a man battles for his life in Harsh Chhaya’s Khajoor Pe Atke. As the near and dear ones convene, not all have come out of love for the nearly-departed. Everyone is carrying hidden agendas and motivations that bring them together. If it is not the lure of property, then it is to have a merry time that sees them flocking. At Film Comments, we take a look at the salient features of this movie in the Khajoor Pe Atke film review.

It is generally either a joyous occasion or a grievous time that brings relatives together. In the latter’s case, it is usually a genuine concern that is the magic potion that blends folks. But with this feeling comes a whole lot of other emotions. You can never shutout your true self as this film tries to convey.

In this ensemble piece, which could have been so much better, the darkness of the human beings is laid bare. There is an absolute disregard for how the characters behave in this dark comedy that is refreshing to see. Nevertheless, the dialogues get repetitive that doesn’t do any favors to elevate the movie beyond the commonplace.

One expects a certain maturity from someone who wants to portray on screen some of the darkest human traits. You cannot achieve this by going about in a lackadaisical manner as the filmmakers seem to display here. One cannot emphasize this enough.

To be honest, the film bites off more than it can chew. And that is the central folly of those invested in the project. Even though some of the lines are hilarious and those credited with enunciating them on screen are more than capable, nothing they do can elevate it much more than mediocrity.

The story revolves around the pretentiousness that the relatives display towards the man on the deathbed. Their viciousness doesn’t even spare the man’s wife. One can only see some vague allusions to the potential that the script possesses as it comes up startingly wanting in regards to doing justice to the premise of the story.

There are several faux pas moments that, for want of more an astute handling, end up being little more than mildly-engaging. And for every such moment, a dozen go a begging. The talents of Vinay Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Seema Pahwa, Dolly Ahluwalia and others put together cannot salvage Khajoor Pe Atke, and occasionally, they end up floundering akin to the movie. Here is a prime example of a missed opportunity for everyone associated with the movie – What could have been a gem of a film ends up as a rather average fare.

For all the gags in the film, it squanders away too many to regard it as a recommended watch. If you want to see a dark comedy, there are many better ones that you can pick from while giving this one a miss.

Khajoor Pe Atke film review gives Khajoor Pe Atke (2.5 / 5)

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