Sooraj Barjatya is a synonym with family values, Indian culture and everything good; but too much good can prove to be a catastrophe is what can be learnt from his latest offering Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The last time Sooraj Barjatya made a movie Vivah was in 2006 and frankly speaking the Indian culture has gone a lot of transformation since then, but the movie seems to be stuck in early 2000.
Though Vivah did not make us swoon like Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Maine Pyaar Kia, it still was connectable at some level but Prem Ratan Dhan Payo seems to be really out of place.
To start with, the movie is unrealistically high on values and morals; it almost goes on to project a pure and pious hero who does everything from spreading happiness in everyone’s lives, mouthing emotional dialogues, keeping alive the family traditions and last but not the least be virtuous all the time.
The actress Sonam Kapoor (Maithili) on the other hand has not much to do apart from matching her clothes with the hero and putting on her little black dress to spend time with the hero. The songs have always been a highlight of Sooraj’s movies, but Prem Ratan Dhan Payo seems to have gone wrong even on that front. Apart from Prem Leela and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, all the songs irritate and do nothing but slow down the already crawling pace of storytelling.
At one point of time it feels as if the movie was fitted between the songs and not vice versa. A song even has outrageous lyrics like Chakli, Chivda and Barfi, Sharfi which again go to prove how out of place the movie is.
The supporting cast includes Tanu Weds Manu fame Deepak Dobriyal who plays the role of Prem’s (Salman Khan) seems to be wasted.
Anupam Kher plays the role of Diwan Jee and is part of one of the families who is fighting for land, again a talented actor wasted. While the frames are decorated lavishly with beautiful imagery of royal elephants, camels and everything good, the movie fails to evoke an emotion.
All in all, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is bearable only because of the presence of Salman Khan which is exactly the reason behind its recording breaking first day opening at Bollywood box office, watch it if you are Salman Khan fan.
