# Khiladi 786 (खिलाड़ी 786)
**Khiladi 786** (खिलाड़ी 786) is a 2012 Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Ashish R Mohan and starring [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar), Asin, Himesh Reshammiya, and [Mithun Chakraborty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithun-chakraborty).[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) Released on 7 December 2012, it is the eighth film with "Khiladi" in the title, following a series that began with *Khiladi* (1992), and the first Khiladi film since *Khiladi 420* (2000).[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2166214/) • [3](https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/the-100-crore-club-is-a-stress-akshay-kumar-1729.amp)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 7 December 2012 (India); Hindi language[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) |
| Director | Ashish R Mohan; his debut film as director[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) • [4](https://www.timeout.com/movies/khiladi-786) |
| Series position | Akshay Kumar's 8th film with "Khiladi" in the title, after *Khiladi*, *Sabse Bada Khiladi*, *Main Khiladi Tu Anari*, *Khiladiyon ka Khiladi*, and others[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2166214/) |
| Lead cast | Akshay Kumar as Bahattar Singh, Asin as Indu Tendulkar, Himesh Reshammiya as Mansukh Desai, Mithun Chakraborty as Tatya Tukaram Tendulkar[5](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=1199) |
| Producers | Twinkle Khanna, Sunil Lulla, and Himesh Reshammiya; banners Hari Om Entertainment, HR Musik, and Eros International[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786) |
| Music | Himesh Reshammiya; songs include "Lonely", "Balma", "Long drive", and "Hookah Bar"[7](https://filminformation.com/reviews/khiladi-786-review/) |
| Reception | 0% Tomatometer (5 reviews) and 28% Popcornmeter (250+ ratings) on Rotten Tomatoes[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786) |
## Spoilers
### Title and premise
In a Filmfare interview published before release, Akshay Kumar explained the number in the title: 786 symbolizes Bismillah in Arabic, which means starting something new in the name of Allah, and the film is built on the idea that a person blessed with 786 written on his hand is in God's care and nothing can touch him.[3](https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/the-100-crore-club-is-a-stress-akshay-kumar-1729.amp)
The plot follows Mansukh ([Himesh Reshammiya](https://www.edgepedia.org/himesh-reshammiya)), the son of the successful matchmaker Champaklal (Manoj Joshi), who believes his son will be a failure. Indu (Asin), sister of the Mumbai don Tatya Tukaram Tendulkar, or TTT (Mithun Chakraborty), rejects every other suitor, and TTT hires Mansukh to find her a groom on the condition that failure will cost him his life.[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) Mansukh's search leads him to Bahattar Singh (Akshay Kumar), presented as a fearless police officer from Punjab.[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) The comedy turns on a double deception: because the groom's family are supposedly police and TTT is a criminal, Mansukh asks the gangster and his men to pose as cops as well, while Bahattar Singh's own family only dresses as policemen to earn money.[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002)
## Production and the Khiladi brand
The film was produced by [Twinkle Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/twinkle-khanna), Sunil Lulla, and Himesh Reshammiya through Hari Om Entertainment Company, HR Musik, and [Eros International](https://www.edgepedia.org/eros-international).[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786) Box Office India credits the story to Bunty Rathore, the screenplay to Reshammiya, and the dialogue to Kushal Ved Bakshi, with lyrics by Shabbir Ahmed and Sameer.[5](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=1199) It was Ashish R Mohan's first film as director; reviewers noted that he had previously been an apprentice to [Rohit Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/rohit-shetty) and adapted his mentor's formula of wooing the audience.[4](https://www.timeout.com/movies/khiladi-786) • [8](https://direct.wogma.com/movie/khiladi-786-review/)
Kumar connected the film's return to the Khiladi name with his own career history. His first Khiladi film had released in 1992 and the previous entry, *Khiladi 420*, in 2000; he said he had deliberately avoided action films after marrying in 2001 and having a son in 2002, wanting to avoid dangerous stunts and to focus on comedy, emotions, and drama.[3](https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/the-100-crore-club-is-a-stress-akshay-kumar-1729.amp) [The Economic Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-economic-times) described the film as a conscious attempt by Kumar to regain his Khiladi brand after more than a decade.[9](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/khiladi-786-movie-review/articleshow/17519656.cms)
## Music
Music was the film's most praised element. The trade paper Film Information called music the film's main plus point, noting that the "Balma" song was already a hit before release, with lyrics by Sameer, and that "Lonely", "Long drive", and "Hookah Bar" were also very nice, as were the title track and "Sari sari raat".[7](https://filminformation.com/reviews/khiladi-786-review/) The same review criticized the song picturisations, pointing out that the heroine appears in the "Balma" number but does not dance with the hero, who is shown dancing with a club dancer instead.[7](https://filminformation.com/reviews/khiladi-786-review/) A Wogma roundup described Reshammiya's topical music as a USP of the movie.[8](https://direct.wogma.com/movie/khiladi-786-review/)
## Reception and box office
Critical reception was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 0% Tomatometer from 5 reviews and a 28% Popcornmeter from more than 250 audience ratings.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786) Shubhra Gupta of *The Indian Express* gave it 1 out of 5, calling it a wannabe-*Dabangg*-style comic actioner; [Anupama Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/anupama-chopra) of *Hindustan Times* gave 2 out of 5; and Anil Sinanan of *Time Out* gave 1 out of 5, calling the debut director's film loud, crass, and offensive.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786) • [4](https://www.timeout.com/movies/khiladi-786) Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama was an exception, rating it 7.0 out of 10 and recommending it to lovers of hardcore masala films.[10](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/khiladi-786/) The Times of India's critic rated it 3.0 out of 5, and Rajeev Masand of IBNLive gave 2 out of 5.[11](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/khiladi-786/movie-review/17504813.cms) • [10](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/khiladi-786/)
Commercially, the opening was described as excellent in single-screen cinemas of circuits such as [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh), Bihar, and [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan), but not up to the mark in many multiplexes; Film [Information](https://www.edgepedia.org/information) predicted that collections would drop fast and furiously from the fourth day onward.[7](https://filminformation.com/reviews/khiladi-786-review/) IMDb records a gross of $379,466 in the United States and Canada, with an opening weekend of $228,967, and $835,095 worldwide.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2166214/)
The film remains available on streaming and digital platforms: it streams on ZEE5 and on Eros Now, and can be rented or bought on the Apple TV Store.[1](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002) • [12](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/khiladi-786)
## References
1. [Khiladi 786 (2012) on ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/global/hi/movies/details/khiladi-786/0-0-272002)
2. [Khiladi 786 (2012), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2166214/)
3. ["The 100 crore club is a stress" – Akshay Kumar, Filmfare (21 November 2012)](https://www.filmfare.com/interviews/the-100-crore-club-is-a-stress-akshay-kumar-1729.amp)
4. [Khiladi 786 review, Time Out (Anil Sinanan)](https://www.timeout.com/movies/khiladi-786)
5. [Khiladi 786 cast and crew, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=1199)
6. [Khiladi 786, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/khiladi_786)
7. [Khiladi 786 review, Film Information (8 December 2012)](https://filminformation.com/reviews/khiladi-786-review/)
8. [Khiladi 786 review roundup, Wogma](https://direct.wogma.com/movie/khiladi-786-review/)
9. [Khiladi 786: Movie review, The Economic Times (Gaurav Malani)](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/khiladi-786-movie-review/articleshow/17519656.cms)
10. [Khiladi 786 critic reviews, TheReviewMonk](https://thereviewmonk.com/movie/khiladi-786/)
11. [Khiladi 786 Movie Review {3/5}, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/khiladi-786/movie-review/17504813.cms)
12. [Khiladi 786 streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/khiladi-786)
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