Kalrav has three months to earn fifty lakh rupees or lose the chance to marry his girlfriend Mansi, whose father sets the challenge. With his friends Kabir, a share-market and poker brain, and Bhargav, a newlywed from a traditional household, he borrows from a moneylender and turns an ordinary middle-class home into a secret gambling den. A pile-up of mishaps inside and outside the den decides whether the trio win or lose.
3 Ekka reunites the Chhello Divas trio of Malhar Thakar, Yash Soni and Mitra Gadhvi and turns their easy chemistry into one of the biggest Gujarati box office stories of 2023. The premise is simple mischief. Kalrav has three months to earn fifty lakh rupees if he wants his girlfriend's father to bless the marriage, so he and his two friends borrow from a moneylender and convert an ordinary middle-class home into a secret poker den. What follows is a chain of mishaps that keeps escalating until the money, the marriage and the friendship are all on the line.
The film works because it does not overreach. Director Rajesh Sharma keeps the locations plain and lets the writing and the cast carry the comedy, and the breezy first half builds into a faster, twist-heavy second half. Thakar plays the reluctant ringleader, Soni handles the poker and share-market brains, and Gadhvi lands most of the punchlines as the newlywed dragged into the scheme. The supporting bench, Kinjal Rajpriya, Esha Kansara, Tarjanee Bhadla and Hitu Kanodia as the moneylender, keeps the ensemble lively.
Critics were largely on side. The Times of India gave it four out of five, calling it a family entertainer that leaves you in splits while noting the second half could have used tighter editing. Mid-Day rated it three out of five, praising the performances, direction and story but flagging the screenplay and the edit. The climax is where the film pays off, tying its loose gambling threads into a warm, crowd-pleasing finish. It grossed over 26 crore and became the second-highest earning Gujarati film to that point, behind Chaal Jeevi Laiye. For a clean, fast family comedy, this delivers.
Verdict
A breezy, big-hearted Gujarati comedy that rode its Chhello Divas trio to blockbuster numbers, sharp in the first half and warm at the finish.
What works
- Effortless Chhello Divas trio chemistry
- Fast, twist-heavy second half
- Grounded direction that lets the cast lead
- A warm, crowd-pleasing climax
What holds it back
- Second half needs tighter editing
- Screenplay wobbles in places
- Leans on familiar comedy setups
- Plain, low-key production values
Cast & crew
Writers: Chetan Daiya, Parth Trivedi
Music: Kedar & Bhargav
Cast: Malhar Thakar (Kalrav), Yash Soni (Kabir), Mitra Gadhvi (Bhargav), Kinjal Rajpriya (Mansi), Esha Kansara (Jhanvi), Tarjanee Bhadla (Kavita), Hitu Kanodia (Damubhai)
Producers: Anand Pandit, Vaishal Shah
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Rajesh Sharma
More Comedy Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is 3 Ekka worth watching?
A breezy, big-hearted Gujarati comedy that rode its Chhello Divas trio to blockbuster numbers, sharp in the first half and warm at the finish. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is 3 Ekka about?
Kalrav has three months to earn fifty lakh rupees or lose the chance to marry his girlfriend Mansi, whose father sets the challenge. With his friends Kabir, a share-market and poker brain, and Bhargav, a newlywed from a traditional household, he borrows from a moneylender and turns an ordinary middle-class home into a secret gambling den. A pile-up of mishaps inside and outside the den decides whether the trio win or lose.
What is the IMDb rating of 3 Ekka?
3 Ekka (2023) holds an IMDb rating of 6.6 out of 10.