Yuvvraaj

Veteran director Subhash Ghai is hoping to resurrect some of the credibility he lost with his previous flops Yaadein & Kisna with this glossy drama. I never really intended to see it when I heard about it because Katrina Kaif is in it and all of her films suck (except Race). But the promos was so good and I loved the music especially the Dost song composed by the best music composer & lyrics writer combo A R Rehman and Gulzar. So I seen it anyway and its about Yuvvraaj (Prince) who gets thrown out of his family. He wants to get married to this really rich girl but her father wants her to marry someone else. So he signs a contract with him that in 40 days, he will become twice as rich as him. He eventually gets closer to one of his brothers and realises that he is happy to help him without wanting anything.

The story & screenplay is o.k. but it's quite long for a 2.5 hour movie because their wasn't enough to make it that long. None of the actors acted well except Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif was simply the worst, she is completely crap. Neither she knows acting, language (her voice is always dubbed for her), dance and always fails to impress. I do not like her one bit and if she was replaced by someone else then that would've helped a lot. The film had big sets that were so good and visually impressive that they keep you in your seat throughout. Overall if you have nothing to do on a rainy day or something then watch it but Yuvvraaj is nothing to look forward to.

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai's 'Yuvvraaj' is a body beautiful of minus soul. One expects wonders from this one, reason? A seasoned filmmaker, dream star-cast, music by Oscar- winner A R Rahman, first-rate cinematography. But the film falls short, and the sole reason is the outdated, bland script. Its like going back to school, and asking for new subjects all of a sudden. 'Yuvvraaj' falls short of expectations, no options on that. Unfortunately no Raaj for 'Yuvvraaj'.

Pluses of the film: The film has been shot beautifully, thanks to the breath-taking cinematography. Performances are good: Mithun Chakraborty is excellent in a brief role. Anil Kapoor is good. Salman Khan is not in form, he looks least interested in most scenes, the only scene he excels is towards the climax, when Anil goes through an operation. Zayed Khan is decent. Katrina Kaif looks angelic and does an okay job. Boman Irani is superb. Others are alright.

Minuses: The script is stale. And that's its biggest minus point.

on the whole 'Yuvvraaj' is no royal watch. Letdown!

Let's begin with the title "Yuvvraaj" - yet another example the numerological fetishism Bollywood has succumbed to. Whether numerology can actually convert bad apples into a hit is reserved for a debate on an another day. "Yuvvraaj" is an apt example of "Elegant prose cannot hide inelegant logic". Every frame glitters like gold and no two ways about that. Sadly the entire proceedings are as enticing as a corpse. The characters are do ruddy with life that they practically need birth certificates.

° Anil Kapoor (the lucky mascot for Mr. Ghai) reprises his "Eeshwar" (read that day-light robbery).

° Whenever Katrina ended up the sole-heroine opposite Salman the results were disastrous. "Yuvvraaj" is not an exception either, jinxed perhaps?

° Zayed Khan needs acting lessons badly. Aushima Sawhney thinks looks alone would suffice. Its never too late for both of you to secure admission into "Whistling Woods".

° Mithun & Boman Irani show up to collect their cheques.

° The Mamaji/ Mamiji characters for today's generation is past sell-by- date.

° Music: Mr. Ghai manages to connive Rahman in an attempt to pull off yet another "Taal". And with "Jai Ho" ringing cash registers at the international level proves the lady luck has run away from Mr. Ghai as fast as legs could carry.

° Lyrics: The gap of Anand Bakshi is attempted to be fulfilled by roping in Gulzar for lyrics and he seems not too happy about it.

"Yaadien", "Kisna", "Black & White" and now "Yuvvraaj"- shrouds the abysmal depth the creativity of showman has stooped to. A reality check on the work of Mr. Ghai so far::

Θ Krodhi - Uncanny resemblance to "Jwaalamukhi".

Θ Meri Jung - Remake of South-Indian movie.

Θ Karz - "The rip- off Peter Proud"

Θ Karma - Plagiarised "Sholay".

Θ Khalnayak - "Hero" recycled.

Θ Ram Lakhan - "Deewar" wine in a new bottle.

Θ Kisna - I can a "Lagaan" too!

Relinquish your self-proclaimed "Showman" title with grace before it is posthumously stripped!!

(1st paragraph may contain spoiler) I wish Subhash Ghai could have tightened the storyline a bit. Zayed Khan and the rest of the supporting cast were unnecessary for the movie. The focus could have just been on Anil Kapoor as a musical genius and Salman Khan as the brother who does not like him and Katrina Kaif who encourages his talent and Boman Irani not wanting Salman to marry his daughter. The inheritance part made no sense at all. (end of spoiler)

Usually Mr.Subhash Ghai brings out a whole new personality in the actors that act for his movies. Only Anil Kapoor fits the bill. Mr. Subhash Ghai wanted to be about music and brotherly love. The music aspect was the strongest part in the movie where as the brotherly love fell short.

Actors/ Cast Members:

Katrina Kaif: Her acting is very sticky and looks uncomfortable. She seems more comfortable in commercial films like Singh is Kinng and Welcome so this sudden change is awkward. Moreover, she could not even speak in Hindi properly for this film and ended up switching to English. Since the setting for Subash Ghai movies require proper Hindi speakers, Katrina Kaif was just too modern for the role.

Salman Khan is alright. He plays his typical character who usually has anger management problem so there is nothing fresh in his acting. There was no room for him to grow in his character.

Anil Kapoor was the best. His role was totally different and very entertaining. He proved that Mr.Ghai could bring a new personality to his actors.

Zayed Khan: He also plays the same typical arrogant character so there is nothing special about him. He barely had anything to do except dance. I really think Zayed should explore different roles like Vaada or Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne.

Boman Irani is another lifesaver. His comic acting provides relief to the movie.

Supporting Cast have no role at all. They were just placed to extend screen time.

A.R.Rahmanji: The songs beautiful and well made. There is a mix of Western instruments blended with Indian lyrics which is Rahmanji's forte. There are catchy tunes is each song and overall the music does justice to the movie. The voices fit very well to each of the character. The costumes and choreography were wonderful.

Storyline: The concept started off as a great idea. Unfortunately, the execution was terrible. The plot was watery and there was no substance. Moreover, the main characters except for Boman Irani and Anil Kapoor were not given a chance to show justice to their characters. There is no dept in any of the characters, making it a boring 3 hour movie with just music to look forward to.

Cinematography: It was nice and different and a change of scenery.

Suggestions: I think Mr. Subhash Ghai should redo his script cutting unnecessary parts and compressing it. It would have been more successful & well received.

This film is a romantic comedy about three brothers fighting with each other about money and love.

I have to say I watched the film in Hindi without English subtitles, and I do not understand Hindi. So I got a gist of what is happening through facial expressions. I find this film happy and joyful. The dance and song sequences are delightful to watch. The songs are so energetic and uplifting. The costumes are great, colourful and vibrant. All the actors and actresses are stunningly beautiful, and the scenery are great too. It has all the ingredients to be a successful popcorn flick. I really enjoyed watching it, even though I did not completely understand the plot.