Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani, Sharad Kelkar, Ashwini Kalsekar, Rajesh Sharma, Ayesha Rasha Mishra

Director: Raghava Lawrence

Rating: **

Platform: Disney Plus Hotstar

They say that you need to be smart to copy someone and guess what, Bollywood isn't smart. Akshay Kumar starrer 'Laxmii' was one of the most awaited films of 2020 but unfortunately, the film did not fill the expectations of the viewers. The film is a remake of Tamil comedy-horror 'Kanchana' and tried its best to imitate the film in every possible way but it resulted in a messy mishmash. The not so comedy-horror 'Laxmii' is about a ghost seeking vengeance on those who have wronged her. The Bollywood version by Raghava Lawrence tries to handle the horror-comedy genre with equal parts laughter and terror but sadly it comes at the expense of the script. The film starts with Asif (Akshay Kumar) a Muslim businessman who is happily married to a Hindu woman Rashmi(Kiara Advani), but their interfaith marriage creates a clash among their families as the couple had earlier eloped. But they finally get a chance to make amend for their elopement when Rashmi's mom invites the loved-up couple home for a family reunion.

Well, we see a joint family living in a house that is haunted by a transgender ghost and wants a body to possess so that it can further entertain us. The film then moves forward trying to put in some humour with the characters of Rashmi's mom ( Ayesha Rasha Mishra) and her sister-in-law (Ashwini Kalsekar) tried their best to entertain the audience and it will not be good to not appreciate this package of talents. Comedy and horror can be a fab combo when executed in an appropriate manner but this one failed in portraying the intentions of the director behind the remake of the film. The makers need to bring forth laughter one minute and make the same audience gasp with horror the next. And, initially, the film does unfold some spine-chilling scenes like a strange sound of a crying woman, a moving horse and the background music that does give you a creepy feeling.

The film goes a bit faster as it soon brought to the family's realization that a transgender named Laxmii has taken over Asif's body to take revenge and finish off the previous incomplete tasks. This not so intriguing blend of comedy and horror was backed by a weak screenplay and shoddy writing which could have been a masterpiece if implemented correctly. Keeping these views aside for once, let's take a moment to appreciate the most talented actor of Bollywood, Akshay Kumar who took the top spot in capturing the eyeballs. His turn as a transgender will surely leave you wanting more of him. He literally gets into the character the way he walks, gives facial expressions and acted so confidently, all this would make you appreciate a bit that you chose the film. Akshay is loud, proud and very much convincing in the film. Talking about other Kiara and Akshay's chemistry in the film, it is hardly there leaving us all disappointed.


The actress has a little to do but looks pretty and acts as a supportive wife. And now one has to clap for Sharad Kalker in the film who plays the original Laxmii with a lot of courage and confidence. It was a delight to watch Akshay and Sharad rocking their roles as a transgender. Other characters in the film also try their every bit to contribute to the sluggish piece of writing but do not surprise us at all. And hold on. What's the point of inserting some random songs in the movie that has no connection with the scene? This pointless point also needs to be considered in the critical aspect of the film.

The unnecessary or forced inclusion of humour in the scenes is just not required and the writing is so lame that one can easily predict the next coming scene. Breaking typical stereotypes has been used as a gimmick which happens to be there in every second Bollywood film. 'Laxmii' could have been a success but its poor writing, vague screenplay and forced comedy make it disappointing for Khiladi fans. Well, with the tag of Kanchana's remake, the Bollywood version fails to portray the original impact but one can watch this comedy-horror just to witness the power-packed performance of Akshay Kumar as a transgender. However, do not expect much as Bollywood knows how to copy but fails to play it smartly.