Prem ratan dhan payo -- 'nuf said

What are you expecting from Prem Ratan dhan payo? Yes, it has all of that. Sooraj Barjatya comes back from a 9 year hiatus to make this movie. His last venture was Vivaah. It bombed so badly that he chose to go back to his Prem, I mean Salman Khan, to ignite some sort of a resurrection. When one watches this movie what becomes evident is a certain stereotype that SB is stuck with and well, that’s his place. His movies are hence focused primarily on that.

The this and that is the family focus that SB has. His movies now put in a context feel like a short soap opera but a long (sometimes dreadfully long) movie. What’s different in Prem ratan is the fact that the first 45 mins where SB tends to introduce the extended family and the shades of different characters in the process is missing. He in some sense jumps into the tale and the introductions happen as we move along. The story is every bit filmy with Salman’s dual role (Please! There is no need for spoilers to this movie). The movie moves slowly through the intricate lanes of the family which is based on legit and illegitimate relationship of a king. SB has us believing throughout the movie that a kingdom and in some essence all the aspects of a kingdom are still present in the modern day. That itself is too astounding to start with.

The movie drags on dodging several idiosyncrasies that can only happen in an Indian family. 2 deserted illegitimate step sisters, another king’s daughter who is the fiancée of the soon to be named king, a plotting brother who, of course, is entirely messed up due to well fed misinformation and of course, villains. The plot is wafer thin and SB doesn’t care to explain gaping holes in the movie. The concentration is more on the songs and screen time for Salman Khan.

If the movie didn’t have Salman Khan it wouldn’t run for a day. Salman, however, is the only watchable thing in the movie. Right from his country bumpkin role to scenes of utter stupidity, he carries all of them with panache staying absolutely true to the character. He nonchalantly brings out the romantic when he wants to and plays the tough guy the next instant. He does most things in the movie and he has done everything he can. But even he won’t be able to save this movie.

If the movie solely targets bored housewives who are only impressed by the variety of soap that’s available on TV and have been desperately waiting for such a family thriller which they want to take their entire families to, even then you are asking them to display a rare amount of unworldliness to enjoy this movie. All SB had to put together was a logical tale with all the fanfare of elaborate sets and an emphatic stress on family. He confuses both these themes and despite what seems like Salman’s herculean attempt to carry this movie on his shoulders alone the movie will fall woefully short of even those that barely qualify to be mentionable.

There are other actors Anupam Kher, Sonam Kapoor etc. They do their bit. Not much to be said there. Sonam Kapoor is avoidable and needs a terrific director to get her acting. Sadly SB isn’t that. Haven’t I said enough for you to still think of watching this movie?