Khaali Peeli review: A mindless masala action film

Khaali Peeli (Zee Plex) Hindi (U/A)

Cast: Ananya Panday, Ishaan Khatter, Jaideep Ahlawat

Director: Maqbool Khan

Rating: 1/5

The boy is on the run from the police. The girl is fleeing her superannuated groom. And when the two meet, the viewers may want to take flight.

Khaali Peeli, as the title suggests, is a just-like-that movie which wears its melodramatic heart on its flashy sleeve. Guns are the order of the day as cops and goons blaze away in 70s style. Every character gets to hold a piece before they are either knocked off or bundled into a vehicle. More masala comes in the form of pimps who are hell-bent on spoiling the broth.

The mindless plot is sprinkled with countless car chases. The whole world is, in fact, a road for Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter, who make pit stops at dhabas and melas to sing and shimmy. Besides the cool moves, both have limited wares to parade — flaring nostrils for Ananya and some biceps for Khatter.

By the way, the boy plays a cabbie named Blackie. The girl calls herself Red Riding Hood. And the two spend over two hours in yellow cars as the narrative takes the weary viewers to "35 minutes earlier", "four hours later" etc. Finally, when the car screeches to "at present", it's a collective sigh of relief.