Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (12 Nov 2015)

Cast: Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhaskar, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Samaira Rao, Armaan Kohli, Deepak Dobriyal, Prem Khan, Sameer Dharmadhikari, Sucheta Khanna

Director: Suraj R. Barjatya   Story & Screenplay: Suraj R. Barjatya   Dialogue: Aash Karan Atal

Music: Sanjoy Chowdhury, Himesh Reshammiya  Casting: Vicky Sidana

Production Design: Nitin Chandrakant Desai   Costume Design: Alvira Khan, Ashley Rebello

Duration: 164 minutes

Ever since its announcement, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ has been a much awaited Diwali release of Rajshri Productions, featuring the unique director-actor duo, Suraj Barjatya and Salman Khan, the partnership responsible for three back to back blockbuster family entertainers – Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999)!

Who could ever present any hero as the, quintessential son, brother and lover, like Suraj has always presented Salman? Not to forget, the director’s projection of the hero’s all encompassing love for children, pets and staff as well. May what the storyline, a Suraj-Salman movie is expected to be a clean family entertainer laden with coy romance, joint family setting, family values, designer clothing and set design, heartwarming array of songs, and basically anything that makes you feel rich, complete and righteous.

PRDP has it all, but the storyline is too predictable and at times illogical, characterizations are half hearted and the expected chemistry between the protagonists is simply not there!

Vijay Singh (Salman Khan) is a modern day billionaire prince, who is strict, short tempered and stickler of traditions. He has an emotionally disturbed step brother, Ajay Singh (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and two perennially angry step sisters, Chandrika (Swara Bhaskar) and Radhika. Four days before his public coronation, his step brother and estate manager (Armaan Kohli) make a fatal assassination attempt on his life. But his stern loyalists ‘Diwan’ or advisor (Anupam Kher) and security head, hide him in a secret chamber, and arrange all possible medicines, machines and doctors to get him treated there itself. Secrecy is maintained for security reasons.

Absence and no news of Vijay Singh, will result in coronation of Ajay Singh on the supposedly sacred date. This dilemma of Vijay Singh’s loyalists is answered in the form of Prem Dilwale (Salman Khan, double role), who is a look alike of Vijay Singh and performs contemporary ‘Ram Leela’ on stage. He is jovial, generous, kind and loving. He is also smitten by Vijay Singh’s fiancée Maithili (Sonam Kapoor), whom he once saw in a relief camp. Since then, he unfailingly donates a big share of his earning to ‘Upahar Foundation’, a charity foundation of Maithili.

Maithili is scheduled to arrive at Pritampura, the coronation site of Vijay Singh. Just to meet her, Prem travels there, along with his friend Kanhaiyya (Deepak Dobriyal). Instead, he is spotted and picked by Vijay Singh’s security head. As expected, he is taught the ‘walk and talk’ of Vijay Singh. The idea is to use Prem in place of prince Vijay in the coronation ceremony. But alongside, he is also required to deal with Maithili’s complaints and advances.

Gradually Maithili is also smitten by the ‘changed’ prince, without any awareness of him being Prem! Prem not only handles Maithili with dignity and care, but also solves the age old discord between the prince and his step sisters. The story gradually unfolds and Vijay Singh and Maithili are made aware of the Prem angle. The movie goes on to display, how the prince confronts and combats his rivals, and how the princess acts upon the realization of her new found love.

This movie has – sensibility of Suraj Barjatya, personification of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ (Salman’s latest 2015 blockbuster) and opulence of Sanjay Bhansali’s (Salman’s another blockbuster director) movies. But all the best elements fail to make a smashing compound.

Costumes, music, background score are very good. Storyline is too predictable and illogical in places. Characters are not well developed. Haldiram’s on-the-face promotion looks ridiculous. Lead protagonists emit an easy camaraderie, but fail to establish any chemistry. Besides, Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor (Sonam’s father) have worked together as friends before, and have also appeared considerable times on stage and TV shows. Resultantly, an average Indian mind will always consider Salman, as an uncle of Sonam.

Audiences would like to know the answer to the following queries –

- Why Vijay Singh’s hair is black, but moustache is brownish?

- Who makes an opulent ‘sheesh mahal’ (mirror palace) atop a raging waterfall, that too for four kids? Please note that these kids belong to three different mothers, two queens and one mistress!

- When Chandrika performs Vijay Singh’s ‘raj tilak’ or coronation, why on earth does princess Maithili run berserk full of beloved’s emotion before breaking into a song?

- Vijay Singh is a billionaire. So, why his most trusted personnel, Diwan, the second-in-command’s attire has a shoulder sling, where a long and ugly velcro is visible in the front?

Salman Khan is the soul of the movie. He is energetic and endearing, albeit his hulk like figure looks quite out of place, as per the current trend, wherein everyone looks reed thin. He looks natural as Prem, but quite enforced as Vijay Singh. Sonam looks beautiful and wears all kind of designer attires possible in the given role – sari, lehenga, short dress, night wear, high waist pants, safari attire etc. Deepak Dobriyal looks seasoned as ‘Sita’ in ‘Ram Leela’ scenes. Swara Bhaskar has less screen time. But she has managed to portray continuity in her character. Neil Nitin Mukesh has well captured the expressions of an eccentric and emotionally disturbed person. Still, his performance needs the element of continuity. Rest of the cast is fine as well.

This movie has been released in twelve countries, including India. In France and Russia, it has been released as ‘Un trésor appelé Amour’ and ‘Неуловимый Прем’ respectively.