Plot: Bantu has been subjected to his father Valmiki’s neglect and disdain ever since he was a small child, and he has had to endure criticism and disregard throughout his upbringing. However, his world is turned upside down when he discovers that he was accidentally swapped at birth with the son of a millionaire. Samara, his employer, becomes the first person to offer him warmth and affection, but Bantu soon realizes that the wealthy Jindal family is his biological parents, not Valmiki. Despite this, he resolves to protect the Jindals from harm without revealing his true identity, all the while yearning for their affection.
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy.
Director: Rohit Dhawan
Ratings: ⭐️⭐️
Review: Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, a Telugu film, has an official Hindi remake in this movie. Trivikram wrote the original story and screenplay, but Rohit Dhawan wrote the script that was adapted for the Hindi version. The plot adheres to an archaic model that has recently lost favour with readers. The adapted screenplay is rife with contradictions, which makes the drama uninteresting to the spectator. The film’s humorous components generally don’t work, and the emotional scenes seldom ever make an impact on the audience. The fact that the film feels more like a movie than a gripping story that spontaneously develops in front of the audience is one of its main problems.
The screenplay has so many flaws that it makes one wonder who could have written it. Randeep Nanda is enraged with Sarang (Sunny Hinduja) since the latter accused Sarang of using his means of transportation to smuggle drugs into toys. For Sarang to be able to resume his business, Nanda’s complaint must be withdrawn. Because there should have been a police case and a law suit after the contraband was seized, the author has been unable to clarify how the dismissal of the complaint would be sufficient.
In a given incident, Sarang severely hurts Randeep Nanda in the latter’s workplace. Although the office staff is seen doing nothing, Bantu and his girlfriend Samara (Kriti Sanon) hurry Nanda to the hospital. Samara also excused herself once they get to the hospital so she may call Nanda’s family and let them know. Why? The office personnel was asleep, right? When Bantu learns that he was traded as a newborn, he is furious and devastated. Would you think he has a disagreement with his guardian, Valmiki, in public?
The worst is that Bantu eventually begins making jokes during this very scene while the two are engaged in an argument! One wonders if anyone nowadays would speak to someone in the manner in which Randeep Nanda speaks to Bantu in the scene where Nanda calls Bantu to appreciate him for saving his life. Once more, there is a scene where Bantu yells at Raj Nanda (Ankur Rathee), Valmiki’s biological son. That moment is so heavily inspired by the legendary supersonic-speed scene from Kartik Aaryan’s Pyaar Ka Punchnama that it seems stupid, more so because it is not a patch on the earlier scene.
Another major flaw is that the hero lacks any of the necessary swagger and attitude. Without swag, the Bantu persona is lifeless. Half-baked is the scene where Randeep Nanda begs his wife’s pardon. The dialogue of Hussain Dalal is typical, save for a few instances. The conversations the doctor (Vipul Goyal) has in Nandas’ bungalow are not appropriate for him. A sequence in the movie uses a lighter version of Amitabh Bachchan’s famous line from Pink about “no” meaning “no,” but it has no effect.
In the scene where Bantu chastises Raj Nanda, he says something more to the effect that, regrettably, Raj lacks all of the characteristics of his grandfather but the surname of his maternal grandfather (Jindal). Please tell me, since when do people “inherit” their maternal grandfather’s last name, if tradition is to be believed? If one understood correctly, the paternal side’s surname is typically “bestowed” from one generation to the next. If Raj Nanda’s situation differed (which it did not), it should have been made clear. But, in addition to the dialogue writer, the incredibly inadequate script would also be held responsible for the commonplace exchanges.
Kartik Aaryan has been praised for his performance in many films, but unfortunately, he was not able to deliver an extraordinary performance in the latest movie. His character lacked the depth and complexity needed to make a lasting impression on viewers. This is why his character did not have much impact on the overall story.
Kriti Sanon and Manisha Koirala have significant roles in the movie. Kriti Sanon is cast as Samara, a beautiful and confident woman who is determined to make her dreams come true. Manisha Koirala plays Yashu Nanda, an older woman with a strong sense of justice and morality. Both actors bring their characters to life with their performances, making them memorable and relatable to audiences.
Ronit Roy and Paresh Rawal have both done a commendable job in their respective roles in the movie “Randeep Nanda”. Ronit Roy has managed to bring out the nuances of his character with ease, making him come alive on screen. Paresh Rawal’s portrayal of Valmiki is also noteworthy, as he manages to capture the essence of his character with finesse. Both actors have done justice to their roles and delivered performances that are simply outstanding.
Sachin Khedekar has done a commendable job as Aditya Jindal, the father-in-law of Randeep Nanda, in the movie ‘Love Aaj Kal’. He has managed to bring out the complexity of his character and his struggles with balancing between his traditional values and modern outlook with great finesse. However, there is still room for improvement in his portrayal of this role. His performance could have been more nuanced and powerful if he had explored more deeply into the nuances of the character.
Ankur Rathee and Sunny Hinduja have done a commendable job in the portrayal of Raj Nanda and Sarang, respectively, in the recently released movie. While Ankur Rathee has made an impressive effort to bring out the nuances of his character, Raj Nanda’s eccentricities are too exaggerated to be believable. On the other hand, Sunny Hinduja’s performance as Sarang is satisfactory but not remarkable.
Rajpal Yadav, who plays police inspector Yadav in scene, adds a dash of humour.
The direction of Rohit Dhawan is monotonous. He appears to not know if he hoped to create a comic or a family film. As a result, the movie has no real significance. Although Pritam Chakraborty’s music is catchy, none of the songs are top-charters. Kumaar, Mayur Puri, Shloke Lal, and I.P. Singh’s lyrics are typical. The picturizations of songs (by Bosco-Caesar and Ganesh Acharya) appear hastily completed. A few song picturizations are decent but not outstanding.
The instrumental music by Julius Packiam is fine. Fine cinematography is provided by Sudeep Chatterjee and Sanjay F. Gupta. Action and stunt scenes by Anl Arasu have a decent amount of appeal. It’s ok that Suresh Selvarajan designed the production. Editing by Ritesh Soni should have been more precise.
Shehzada is generally a dreary film with obvious screenwriting flaws. That might not get rejected by the audience but by the Critics.