Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani

Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani attempts to break new ground in Bollywood by portraying a same-sex relationship, and for that reason alone, it deserves recognition. In an industry where LGBTQIA+ representation has often been sidelined, having a mainstream movie like this signals progress. I was excited to see a film that had the potential to bring authenticity to the queer community's relationships on screen. While the film is full of feel-good moments and is overall entertaining, it falls short in areas that matter the most when portraying a same-sex love story.

Let's start with the positives. The fact that this film was made at all is a step in the right direction. Bollywood has a long-standing history of underrepresenting queer relationships, and to see a director and production team finally take the leap deserves praise. The film's visuals are bright, the soundtrack is memorable, and the pacing keeps you engaged. Additionally, the actors are undeniably talented, with both having delivered phenomenal performances in their past roles. The emotional climax towards the end of the film, where tears are shed and emotions come to the forefront, was easily the most compelling and heartfelt scene.

But, despite the earnest attempt, Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani doesn't quite land the authenticity that a queer love story needs in 2024. The romance between the two leads feels forced and lacks genuine chemistry. The characters behave as if they are close friends rather than romantic partners. If you've ever seen a truly well-executed LGBTQIA+ love story on screen, you'd know it isn't just about putting two men or two women together and calling it a romance; it's about capturing the nuances, the struggles, and the deeply personal emotional journey that queer individuals go through. That is sorely missing here.

One of the major flaws in the movie is that the relationship depicted feels oddly straight. By that, I mean that the dynamics, the interactions, and even the tropes in the love story feel like they've been lifted from the playbook of heterosexual Bollywood romances. Queer relationships are unique, and while there are overlaps in the human experience of love, there are aspects specific to LGBTQIA+ relationships that this film barely scratches the surface of. There's no deep exploration of their identities, no examination of the challenges queer people face. Instead, the movie sticks to a formula we've seen over and over in countless Bollywood romances - a formula that doesn't fit when the characters are queer.

The lack of romance is a huge problem as well. Even though the actors are phenomenal in their other roles, their performances here feel awkward and hesitant. It's almost as if they are holding back, and this is painfully obvious during the kissing scenes. The awkwardness of these moments is distracting. While one lead actor previously played a romantic scene with a woman convincingly, their interactions with their male co-star feel stilted, and the "kissing" scenes barely register as affectionate. You can tell the actors are moving their heads in ways that avoid any real intimacy, which completely undermines the emotion of those moments. When you are watching a love story, whether straight or queer, you want to feel the romance, but here, it falls flat.

Despite these flaws, I'm giving this film 10 stars because we have to acknowledge the courage it takes to create a movie like this in Bollywood. There's no doubt that Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani is a fun watch - the pacing, the music, and the light-hearted moments will keep you entertained. However, it's crucial that Bollywood filmmakers understand that queer representation is not just about swapping out the gender of a romantic lead; it's about telling stories that resonate deeply with the LGBTQIA+ community. It's 2024 - we watch films not just for entertainment but to see parts of ourselves reflected on screen. Queer relationships deserve the same level of care, relevance, and authenticity that straight relationships have received for decades.

Here's hoping that this film opens the door for more realistic, emotionally impactful, and genuinely queer love stories in Bollywood's future.

I just watched a movie with high hopes, as there are only a few LGBTQ-themed movies in Bollywood. However, I found that the story was lacking in many ways. Two people met by chance at the airport and quickly fell for each other, which felt a bit unrealistic. The portrayal of a gay son and his acceptance by his family in Punjab happened too easily, with minimal drama. The movie included a lot of unnecessary family drama and failed to showcase the actual challenges of being gay in an Indian family. The actors' performances were not great, and it felt like they were just going through the motions without focusing on their characters. I would say it's worth watching once, but it could have been much better if the focus had been on the storyline.

As a bl watcher I never expected such a masterpiece to be released in India. I have seen a lot of bl's when I saw its trailer I liked it and thought it would be a nicely movie like okaish i never expected it to turn out to be ONE OF MY COMFORT MOVIE AND COUPLE . If I ever feel sad I am sure Amar Prem will make me smile again . I really feel like words are just not enough to praise this movie its just wow I am really speechless . Everything was infinity on 10 , And Aditya Seal (crush) is the cutest and sweetest just mind blowing . I seriously look forward to many more such movies and series (with this couple as well cuties) Just a suggestion please make a sequal for this and make it a series where they are just being cute , getting married , loving each other , having kids etc etc SO HAPPY.

With some endearing numbers from the movie, I felt compelled to check this out. But it only has these musical numbers going for it.

The story follows a closeted Punjabi boy from a joint family who meets an extroverted Bengali boy, falls in love, and plans to get married. Amid culture clashes and wedding chaos, how they navigate their wedding dreams forms the crux of the story.

On paper, this story may have seemed promising, but in execution, it fails miserably. The entire plot feels like it's based in a utopian world. The screenplay is patchy, with no narrative flow, and everything unfolds far from reality. The whole Punjabi vs Bengali clash feels outdated, and if the creators thought it was comedic, it came across as cringeworthy at best. The acceptance of the couple by an orthodox Punjabi family, along with a girl trying to sabotage the wedding even after knowing the guy's sexuality, is far-fetched.

Sunny Singh could certainly benefit from some acting classes if he intends to pursue a career in acting; he looked highly uncomfortable in this role. Aditya Seal is decent and manages to balance the performance to some extent, though their chemistry is lacking. Forget appearing as lovers-they didn't even seem like best friends. The rest of the cast is simply a mockery.

The best part of the movie is its soundtrack. From beautiful melodies to dance numbers, the album is worth a listen. But strangely, they even faked kissing scenes between the leads, while showing a proper kissing scene with a girl. If you're making an LGBT movie, either do it properly or don't. The cinematography is poor, and even with foreign locations and wedding sets, the movie fails to be visually appealing.

It's encouraging to see known actors taking on such projects to normalize representation, but this movie is a poor example. Watch the songs on YouTube and skip the movie to save your time.

#pranureviews #AmarPremKiPremKahani #AmarPremKiPremKahaniReview.

While it is admirable to watch an LGBTQ themed film, I felt there was scope for so much more. Casting two appealing actors who are so uncomfortable with being perceived as gay is so deeply unconvincing for the audience. It was after watching this film that I felt that perhaps casting queer characters (who are comfortable with their sexuality) would have made so much of a difference. The vibe between the two protagonists were those of two besties rather than lovers. The embrace, or kiss, if it was one at all, might have passed had it been a pantomime. Certainly not for a film. That the heterosexual kiss was more convincing than the embrace of the two queer men was an absolute shame. The comic elements in the script was what worked well. One moment that stood out for me was the grandmother being accepting of her grand-son-in-law knowing that he too is a child created by God. What we definitely need are films with actors who are comfortable embodying their characters.