Movie - 58, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)

by

Sooraj Barjatya

Movie Seen: 12 November 2015

Place: Suresh Theatre, Sitaphalmandi

Note Written: 14 November 2015

After having a Full Chicken Biriyani from Alpha Hotel, Secunderabad, I went for this movie (yum yum). What attracted me to 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' was its entire look and feel of the 90's, like the previous Salman-Sooraj combos 'Hum Saath Saath Hein', 'Hum Aap Ke Hein Kaun' etc. I'm not a big fan of those movies but then there's that whole nostalgia element of classic Hindi cinema. 

'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' was a lame movie with a whole lot of melodrama. It promises over-the-top drama and delivers it. But the crew could have connected and done things a little better at least. Yes, I get it, you are making a movie with in normal, cliche style - at least do it right, people! Disconnected scenes, lame dialogues, caricature villainy, bad editing, bad supporting characters all destroy the feeling of watching a classic-bollywood-modeled cinema. The songs weren't bad, I thought. Had the right feel to them. 

Salman Khan, in his true might and power, becomes the only salvaging factor of the movie. His comedic scenes and combination with Deepak Dobriyal were really good. Other major cast, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Anupam Kher, and Sonam Kapoor, well, existed. 

Salman is shown reliving his own legendary on-screen persona of past films. As Prem, he becomes a lover boy and after many struggles, gets his girl; as Yuvraj Vijay Singh, he gets to be powerful, ruthless and mighty, and later become benevolent and give up his girl, as he did in 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hein'. That's the power of Sallu Bhai. That's the power of escapist Bollywood masala.  

Through the film Sallu shows the audience that he's the real 'Dilwale' of the industry, not Shah Rukh Khan - Shah Rukh is the 'Dimagwale', I guess. Dilwale is always Sallu Bhai. 

PS: The six minute Modi propaganda video during the interval was crappy and ruined the experience a bit for me. Read about it here.

PPS: I watched the movie twice again. Couldn't help! It was playing on the long-trip bus I was travelling. To and from Kerala. Both trips! The movie is haunting me I guess.