Rating: ★★★☆☆
Star Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani, Supriya Pathak, Gajraj Rao
Director: Sameer Vidwans
What’s Good: The film delivers a strong social message without being overly preachy, and Kiara Advani’s captivating performance.
What’s Bad: The film takes too long to convey its message, some aspects work while others fall short.
Loo Break: You can take a break when Kartik starts dancing to a dance track.
Watch or Not?: If you enjoy emotional dramas with a social message, this film is worth a watch.
Language: Hindi Available On Theatrical Release Runtime: 2 Hours 26 Minutes
Satyaprem Ki Katha tells the story of Satyaprem aka Sattu (Kartik Aaryan), a simple-minded yet pure-hearted individual who falls in love with Katha (Kiara Advani), a girl from a higher social class. Katha enters his life as a solution to conform to societal expectations. However, Sattu soon realizes that he has to face Katha’s emotional baggage early on in their relationship.
In a twist of events, Katha is forced to marry Sattu due to her father’s emotional manipulation. Despite being constantly rejected by Katha, Sattu, a true desi lover, believes that he can fix her and decides to stay with her. The essence of the story lies in how true love can overcome all the hardships in life and if it doesn’t, then it’s not the right kind of love.
Satyaprem Ki Katha Movie Review: Script Analysis
The film’s script feels like the central plot was planned first and then other elements were added to it. Despite being labeled as a romantic drama and a musical, the film carries a strong social message at its core. The entire story revolves around this social message, some of which enhance the delicacy of the film while others clutter it.
The first half of the film flows smoothly, despite some questionable actions by certain characters that can be overlooked. However, the second half, especially towards the climax, becomes confusing as the director and the team struggle to find a suitable ending. There will be several instances when you think the film is about to end, but it continues further, which can be deceiving.
Image Credit – IMDB
Ayananka Bose’s cinematography is mesmerizing as he makes bold choices. He captures moments like dancing with Kiara Advani in the song ‘Piyaji abhi raat baaki hai’ and portrays the suffering of Sattu and Katha as they face each other with a door between them. Bose makes the most of the allocated resources./
Satyaprem Ki Katha Movie Review: Star Performances
Kartik Aaryan delivers a sincere performance as the dim-witted yet kind-hearted Sattu. His natural innocence adds relatability to the character, especially for introverts in love. He excels in emotional scenes and flawlessly delivers the required drama.
Kiara Advani steals the show! Despite the flaws in the script, she seizes the opportunity to make the most of it. She portrays Katha with a blank face for the majority of the film, yet manages to hold the audience’s intrigue until the end. This is truly a Kiara Advani film through and through.
Gajraj Rao, as Sattu’s father, lives up to expectations. Although he has limited scenes with Kiara’s Katha, their interactions could have included more solid dramedy. Supriya Pathak’s character, along with Shikha Talsania as Sattu’s sister, feels underdeveloped. Supriya’s character seems confused and negligent, which doesn’t do justice to her talent.
Satyaprem Ki Katha Movie Review: Direction, Music
Sameer Vidwans, making his Bollywood debut after directing a couple of Marathi films, makes a commendable first attempt. Apart from a few routine dance songs, Sameer deviates from the typical rom-com template to convey his message. He skillfully uses love to establish an emotional dialogue between the viewers and the characters, only to drop the social message bomb on them (in a positive way). However, for future filmmakers directing Kartik Aaryan, it’s time to move away from the monologue trend that has been overdone for more than a decade.
Image Credit – Youtube
Hitesh Sonik’s background score is soothing and reminiscent of the Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein era. Apart from “Aaj Ke Baad,” none of the other songs would find a place in my playlist. Even “Aaj Ke Baad” might lose its charm after a couple of listens.
Conclusion
Satyaprem Ki Katha is not your typical romantic comedy-drama. It goes beyond showcasing the intense love between two individuals. Although it overstays its welcome, I’m glad it existed.
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