Satyaprem Ki Katha

I was pleasantly surprised by Satyaprem Ki Katha. A very mature take on love, marriage and relationships underlining a social taboo.

The film starts on a light note but gets serious as it progresses. Performances elevate the film and both the leads shine. This is one of the best performances from Kartik Aaryan. But it is Kiara Advani who steals the show. She not only looks breathtakingly beautiful but delivers a brilliant performance as well. What an actress she has proved to be!

Music is pretty good too with Le Aaunga sung by Arijit Singh being the best of the lot. Amongst the rest Aaj Ke Baad is the one you carry along with you.

Director Sameer Vidwans makes an impressive debut in Hindi cinema. This hatke romantic comedy certainly deserves a watch.

Watching OMG2 and this in the last couple of weeks is really making me contemplate my decision of not taking the present Bollywood seriously.

A much needed topic and social message delivered almost perfectly without much overacting or overdramatization in the process. The way the Hindi cinema industry is embracing such non-cliched "hatke" stories not concerning much about the profit or blockbuster status really makes the budding cinephile in me happy.

Not a fan of Kartik Aryan but he really impressed with his acting and justified portrayal of a low wit ordinary boy.

Kiara Advani is exceptional (IMO she is even better than in Shershah) with her range. Her raw acting and expressions in the climax is one of the best I have seen in Bollywood in a long time.

It manages to hit the ball home right from how it slowly builds up to finally culminate in the credits with a strong textual message.

It would be a 4/5 except for the lacklustre dance numbers, few underutilised characters and an awful rendition of Pasoori !!

Will end with quoting Jauhari ji from MiH S2 "lekin aab agar kiske sath aisa hoga toh dhindora peetna chahiye".

The first half is horrendous, they tried to incorporate comedic elements to incite laughter, but they largely fell flat. Neither the one-liners nor the mannerisms of Kartik Aaryan could salvage anything redeemable.

Speaking of Kartik, I think he is still stuck in his Pyaar Ka Punchnama role, repeating the same set of quirks over and over again. If he really wishes to be called a competent actor, he must come out of his shell and broaden his horizons. The same set of expressions and the same way of delivering his lines (Like he has been doing since his debut) will only cut it short term.

Now coming back to the movie: following a dreadful first half, I began to grow impatient and was losing hope, but then the interval block came as a glimmer of hope, it brought some promises, and luckily, the proceedings got significantly better in the second half, albeit the ending once again came across as being overly preachy and stingingly pretentious.

I'm all up for messaging, especially one that holds importance and is relevant to modern-day society, but that message needs to be communicated in a fitting fashion. Or else, the essence could get lost, and it would not leave the intended impression, and that's exactly what happened here.

And I would like to put the blame not only on the ambitionless direction but also on the writing, which is burdened with incompetence, especially regarding its characterisations. Barring Kartik and Kiara, every other major character, for some odd reason, felt so unsure about themselves, dithering in their actions and how they carry themselves.

The saving grace was Kiara; she once again proved her mettle and played this complex part with utmost sincerity and conviction. I wish we would have seen more of her.

"Satyaprem ki Katha" is an engaging film that combines a good social message with mature acting and exceptional performances from its lead actors. Kartik Aryan delivers a commendable portrayal, showcasing his growth as an actor with his nuanced and mature performance. However, it is Kiara Advani who steals the show with her outstanding performance, captivating the audience with her emotional range and impeccable acting skills.

The supporting cast also deserves special mention, particularly Gajraj and Supriya Pathak, who deliver strong performances in their respective roles. Their presence adds depth and authenticity to the storyline, enhancing the overall cinematic experience.

One of the movie's strengths lies in its fast-forward story, which keeps the viewers hooked from start to finish. The narrative is paced well, allowing for seamless transitions between different phases of the characters' lives. The film effectively conveys its social message, highlighting important issues that resonate with the audience.

However, despite its many positive aspects, story falls short in its ending. The conclusion feels somewhat rushed and doesn't provide the closure or satisfaction one would expect after investing in the characters and their journeys.

In summary, "Satyaprem ki Katha" is a movie with a good social message, boasting mature acting from Kartik Aryan and an outstanding performance from Kiara Advani. The film benefits from a strong supporting cast, including Gajraj and Supriya Pathak, who deliver notable performances. The fast-forward story keeps the viewers engaged, but the unsatisfying ending dampens the overall impact of the film. Nonetheless, this is still worth watching for its compelling performances and thought-provoking themes.

Satyaprem ki Katha or SKP is supposed to be a romantic film but it actually carries a very serious topic for discussion.

The film starts off very average with some poor comedy scenes and some forgettable dance numbers but after 30 mins , the film starts to sail and sails at full speed revealing some shocking facts about Katha.

Let's talk about how maturely the director has churned out this sweet romantic film. The film never jumps to kissing or such things but very slowly and steadily and very carefully moved the romantic track forward and knowing the story of Katha , this kind of treatment is very mature and needed. A blank faced Kiara slowly and steadily shifts to a more happy joyful faced Kiara and the transition is done beautifully!!!

Dealing with the story of Katha, SatyaPrem aka Sattu also is handed a very mature character, never really jumping to doing odd stuff but makes sure he slowly and steadily and carefully takes steps forward in comforting and solacing Katha and this is where the beautiful chemistry arises between them that never never never felt forced but comes naturally and you start to get invested in their love story . Kudos to Sameer Vidhwans for handling this sensitive romantic film so well. These days romantic films have a tendency to jump too quickly to adult scenes but not this one. FOR THE LOVE STORY AND THE SERIOUS TOPIC , KUDOS TO THE MAKERS!!

However, it's not perfect. The comedy is a hit and miss especially the dysfunctional comedy in the first 30 mins. Few comic sequences later do make you grin but overall, i felt these sequences could have been reduced and hence reduce the overall running length of the film. The songs are the biggest negative point imo. They are placed badly , and yeah, the nightmare is true, Pasoori Nu is actually present right inside the film and doesn't fit the sequence where it is presented at all. You see a film like Akash Vaani where there was a similar sequence in the snow with the beautiful song Padh Gaye Ji and it suited the sequence so well. Wished a similar kind of song was present in that sequence in this film. Also, the climax , the Puja sequence, very poorly ended!! It almost felt the film was about a start a new chapter (or rather you would feel the climax is about to start there ) and to my utter disappointment, the film actually ended there (meaning it was not the start of the climax but the end of the film there) !! A courtroom sequence would have done so much more justice to the ending instead of an abrupt ending.

Performance. Kiara Advani is the star of the show . Her transition from a depressed lady to a happy joyful comfortable lady is just flawless. She nails the emotional scenes in this film. Next is Kartik who handles a mature character very well and brings in the natural innocence he brings with every such character he plays . His transition from being a zero to a hero is commendable. His scenes with Kiara are so beautiful and heartwarming. Gajraj rao shares a terrific chemistry with Kartik .

Overall, SKP is a must watch. I don't know how you guys tolerated TJMM but SKP is a million times better than that film in terms of chemistry and love angle.