‘Satyaprem ki Katha’ Can’t Keep It Real
Disclaimer: This was supposed to be a review but turned into a rant. Minor story spoilers ahead.
Wow! This film started with an unexpectedly lavish song that seemed like a mash of Karan Johar & Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s style, but with a South-Indian twist as the hero dancing in lungi in some parts while calling himself a “Gujju Pataka” (firecracker). This energetic chaos rushes through the rest of the movie.
Directed by Sameer Vidwans and written by Karan Shrikant Sharma, the 2023 Bollywood film “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is just as chaotic and mediocre as its opening song, even though the cinematography is a visual treat, but the melodies aren’t music to your ears. Kartik Aryan as Satyaprem is a slightly tweaked version of his character Bantu from “Shehzada”. Kiara Advani as the beautiful Katha is one of the few reasons the film is bearable.
There are several issues with the movie that can’t be overlooked just because the story eventually attempts to educate viewers about a taboo issue. Firstly, there’s Satyaprem, who failed his law exams. Instead of trying to find a job, he halfheartedly helps with household chores and daydreams about the girl he has a crush on. On top of that, he wants to marry someone without being financially independent. While the rest of India seems to struggle with parental pressure about marriage, Satyaprem is eager to marry someone despite lacking a job and any intention of getting one.
Now, the second problem involves the way Kiara’s character Katha is treated by those around her, some of which is unrealistic (I’ll address the unrealistic parts shortly). Katha tries to kill herself after her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her but is saved by Satyaprem, who trespassed into her house after he hears she is unwell. Those two aren’t friends or even acquaintances! So, apparently, entering a girl’s house just because you have a crush on her is deemed acceptable because he rescues her. We are expected to overlook his stalker-like behavior. Katha is sensible enough and rejects Satyaprem’s advances, asking him to leave when he visits her at the hospital. However, her parents are relieved that somebody is interested in their daughter (believing nobody would marry her due to her past affair), leading them to arrange her marriage to Satyaprem without even informing her. Katha’s father threatens to harm himself if she doesn’t marry Satyaprem and even ridicules her, saying he wouldn’t be unsuccessful in his attempt. Frankly, at this point, I didn’t even want to watch the movie anymore but still did (Yes, my fault, I completely agree).
While Katha’s problematic parents aren’t the problem since such individuals exist, her father’s personality lacks consistency. He’s portrayed as a wealthy man more concerned about his reputation than his daughter’s well-being. Such a man will likely marry her to an NRI groom abroad if he wants to avoid gossip. Therefore, it’s hilariously unrealistic that he marries her off to a middle-class unemployed man. And Katha isn’t financially independent either, all we know is that she has a failed singing career.
Then, the most ridiculous twist occurs – Satyaprem and Katha do get married, extravagantly, in a palace! Despite Satyaprem’s parents living in a modest one-room house where he sleeps in the hall due to a lack of his own room, they decide to have this grand Bollywood wedding. It’s these exaggerated weddings that make the average Indian person dream about having luxurious ceremonies, even if they cannot afford it. Oh wait, Katha’s parents are wealthy, so why not? Alright.
The rest of the story propagates the problematic notion that marrying the “right” person can “fix” you and make everything alright. Sigh. I intended to write a critical review of this film but got carried away with my opinions and ended up with a bit of a rant. With better writing and a slightly more serious approach, “Satyaprem Ki Katha” could’ve been a fantastic movie. However, the makers squandered the opportunity by focusing more on comedic details than strengthening the plot. Kartik Aryan as Satyaprem is annoying and cannot shoulder the few emotional scenes he gets in the film. The actual twist in the story comes in the second-half, and even though it’s a issue that deserves attention, the writers don’t do the right groundwork for dealing with their primary theme.
Major story spoiler ahead
After their wedding, Katha refuses to sleep with Satyaprem in the same room, claiming his snoring makes it difficult for her to fall asleep. After one-and-a-half-hour of the runtime, when Satyaprem manages to win wife Katha over, it’s finally revealed she was date-raped and is scared of getting intimate with anybody. While this issue is sensitively handled, and is the primary theme of them tale, it is introduced after more than half of “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is already over. Until then, it’s all non-sensical jokes and problematic plot points. Sameer Vidwans and team try to do a Ayushman Khurrana like movie, where a lesser explored premise is wrapped up in entertainment and laughs, but they aren’t able to pull it off like Khurrana’s picks.
Overall, “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is a messy, cringe-y movie due to all the unnecessary exaggerated and problematic bits. The writers seem to believe that adding a modern lesson at the end of its predominantly regressive story will make viewers overlook all its flaws. Although, the story does head towards a powerful climax, but everything is dramatized and oversimplified for a convenient “filmy” ending.
You can stream the film on Prime Video.
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