Salman Khan is back as the eternal Prem and this time, he teams up with his favourite director – the torchbearer of films that boast of familial love and values – Sooraj Barjatya. This magical pair that has given us memorable films like Meine Pyaar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun,
Salman Khan is back as the eternal Prem and this time, he teams up with his 
favourite director – the torchbearer of films that boast of familial love and values – Sooraj Barjatya. This magical pair that has given us memorable films like Meine Pyaar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, unfortumately, failed to realize that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo was releasing in 2015 and not the 1990s. And that’s where this desi twist on Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper falls flat on its face despite making big bucks at the box office. Instep explores five reasons why you can give this film a miss even if you are a die-hard fan of Sallu bhai:
Salman Khan, the Superman
Just as no task is impossible for Chulbul Pandey of Dabangg, no fall is too big for Prem. At the start of the film even though Salman Khan’s character, Vijay Singh, falls from a high mountain, he lives to tell the tale in what can be called nothing but a miracle of the gods. He is later captured by enemies but once again, he escapes safe and sound as he comes into his own. Just when one thought that Salman outdid himself in Bajrangi Bhaijaan with a brilliant performance, the actor ends up doing this. Even Hollywood’s death-defying superheroes wouldn’t have managed an escape this easy. Ironically, Salman is only human in this film, just with a bit of inherited royalty.
Simplicity is the key to success
You don’t really need your brain to understand what’s going in PRDP. In order to preserve the parampara (tradition) of the Raj pariwar (family), Dewan sahib (Anupam Kher in a role he has done to death) switches Prem with Vijay Singh since the latter is injured in an accident. They show him a DVD of the original royalty and that’s how a theatre-actor from a village becomes the Yuvraaj of Pritampur. And that’s how simple is the ingenious plot of the film. Déjà vu is as good as a character here because that’s what keeps the kids, the die-hard fans of Salman Khan, and those who had a free pass to the theatre, amused for we’ve seen similar stories on screen, countless times.
Family Values … not again
Unlimited songs, check. People with no need for jobs, check. Family values, check. A film for the modern-day cinema buff, definitely not, check. Case in point: Where in the universe does one play a football match (with wedding guests) right outside that palace in order to win back the trust of a sister? Only in Sooraj Barjatiya’s world of cinema. The bhashan (talk) of family values seems so redundant for 2015 that one wanted to eventually leave the theatre than succumb to the overdose of sugary sweetness.
Sonam Kapoor disappoints
Firstly Sonam Kapoor looks way too young to be Salman’s leading lady and secondly, too fake to be a Princess. The actress doesn’t exhibit any traits of a royalty figure and instead continues to play her bubbly self to entertain her niche fan club. Despite being clichéd, all leading ladies of Rajshri films have been memorable in their roles but Sonam fails to leave a good impression.
Not so melodious music
Due to a tiff between T-series and Sonu Nigam, Bollywood’s popular vocalist was unable to playback for Salman Khan. Instead, Shaan leads the brigade of playback singers, which include Harshdeep Kaur and others. Like other Rajshri hits, there is an abundance of songs but unlike them, the songs are forgettable and far from being soul-stirring. In fact they seem like soundtracks for India’s typical saas-bahu serials, at best.
Omair Alavi is a freelance journalist and can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com
