Sameer Vidwan’s Satyaprem Ki Katha has been garnering a lot of attention since the launch of the trailer. From magnificent sets to chartbuster songs (excluding the questionable remake of Pasoori), one expected good things from this movie. And on top of that, the power-packed cast of Kiara Advani and Kartik Aaryan in lead roles only raises hopes. But is it anything more than a done-and-dusted love story of a poor boy and a rich girl? Read our review of Satyaprem Ki Katha to find out.

The chaotic Gujju family packs a punch

Satyaprem (Kartik Aaryan) comes from a middle-class Gujarati family who dreams of marrying his filthy rich crush Katha (Kiara Advani). So, following his motto of honesty (his name is literally Satya), he approaches her after a Navratri Utsav Mandal to express his love for her. But she says no because she’s seeing someone at that time. And just to give you a little background, Satyaprem, also known as Sattu, is a jobless, penniless guy who is living off his mother and sister’s earnings. He is best friends with his father who is equally jobless and they both share a great bond and the living room to sleep in. So, you are welcomed by a very chaotic Gujju family which is run by two ladies who have earned the right to be moody, bossy, and snarky. And the ma and behen aren’t big fans of Sattu, to say the least.

A year later, rumours of Katha’s breakup spread like wildfire in the Gujju community and Sattu’s father convinces him to try his luck with his lady love. But upon Sattu’s arrival at Katha’s house, he finds her in an unconscious state after a suicide attempt. Things accelerate fast, and in order to make the situation better, Katha’s family gets her married off to Sattu. But Sattu soon realises daal mein kuchh kaala hai, and upon a lot of pondering and cold behaviour from his wife, he finds out Katha’s truth.

Satyaprem Ki Katha tries to deliver a social message but fails in its execution

The movie touches upon topics like consent, rape, and how society responds to such difficult situations. But somehow, even with the good intentions of sending a social message, Satyaprem Ki Katha fails in its execution. It becomes too preachy and quickly turns the supporting male figure into the main hero of the story. Perhaps if they ended the movie 20 minutes earlier than they have, where Katha and Sattu agree on taking their relationship slow, everyone could have taken that as a win. But the ending is unnecessarily dragged and loses its impact.

The cast and the songs

You simply have to give it up for the cast because they nailed their roles. Kartik Aaryan makes a sincere effort to be convincing in his role, but Kiara Advani steals the spotlight here. And when you have ace actors like Gajraj Rao and Supriya Pathak, you can rightfully expect some brilliant performances. Shikha Talsania, as Sattu’s sister, evolves with the story. And Rajpal Yadav, Anuradha Patel, and Siddharth Randeria in supporting roles do a great job as well.

Coming to the songs, you’ll definitely get some Garba anthems for this year like Gujju Pataka and Sunn Sajni. And some romantic numbers like Aaj Ke Baad and Naseeb Se (not the new Pasoori though) will stay with you in your playlists.

What I liked, loved, and hated

What I love is Kiara’s lewks after lewks after lewks. I mean, if you’re looking to be a Gujju pataka this Navratri season, you can definitely take some inspiration from her looks. From ghagra choli to fusion printed capes and shorts to plain and simple salwar kameez, if someone truly deserves unabashed appreciation for this movie, it has to be the costume team for me. And I also liked the set designs as each of them were grand, beautiful, and aesthetic AF. Now, coming to the part that I hated–the flip in the second half of the movie where it lost the concept of delivering the social message and shifted the focus from the woman, who should have been the main character throughout, to the man who obviously suffers from an absurd saviour complex. Ugh.

Satyaprem Ki Katha is now playing in cinemas near you.

Can you watch it with your family?: The movie shows some sensuality and has a few triggering scenes as well, but overall, you can watch it with your family.

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