Khel Khel Mein Struggles at the Box Office Despite Akshay Kumar’s Star Power

Khel Khel Mein released in theaters along with two major competetors—Vedaa and Stree 2. While Stree 2 rapidly took the prime at the box office, Khel Khel Mein fought to keep it up, receiving a cool response from Indian audiences.

Reportedly made on a hefty budget of Rs 100 crores, the majority of the film's expenses—around 65%—were allocated to its star-studded cast. Akshay Kumar alone received Rs 60 crores, with the remaining Rs 5 crores distributed among co-stars Taapsee Pannu, Aditya Seal, and others.

After 21 days of its theatrical run, Khel Khel Mein has grossed only Rs 39.53 crores in India, with an additional Rs 10 crores from overseas markets, bringing its worldwide total to Rs 49.53 crores. Unfortunately, these figures make the film a box-office flop. With nearly half its budget still unrecovered, the film needs another Rs 50 crores to break even, and Rs 15.47 crores just to cover the cost of the actors’ salaries.

Despite a modest jump in weekend earnings—Rs 55 lakh on Friday, Rs 85 lakh on Saturday, and Rs 1.1 crore on Sunday, as per early estimates—Khel Khel Mein continues to struggle, with its total collections reaching only Rs 34.40 crores. With upcoming releases like Kareena Kapoor Khan’s The Buckingham Murders on the horizon, its box-office future looks even more challenging.

Adding a silver lining, on Akshay Kumar’s birthday, he announced his next project Bhoot Bangla, reuniting with Priyadarshan after 14 years, giving fans hope for future success.