Story Review of Satyaprem | Kiara-Karthik’s story of Satyaprem is a ‘breath of fresh air’ in the dirty pollution of Bollywood, a beautiful story

The story of Satyaprem has been released on the big screen. With the film, the audience once again got to see the pair of Karthik Aryan and Kiara Advani on screen. The chemistry of both is excellent. It is great to see both of them together on screen. The story of Satyaprem is a different film. 80s love stories mixed with a story that has a message, it’s the kind of story that Bollywood desperately needs. The only problem is that it’s far from perfection. The idea is brilliant, just the execution is lacking. But all is not lost. With some commendable performances from both the lead actors, able support from a superb supporting cast and some mature, nuanced scripting, the film marches ahead and provides the kind of freshness in entertainment that Hindi cinema has been longing for.

Satyaprem Ki Katha is the story of the title characters – Satyaprem (Karthik Aryan), a loser with a heart of gold, and Katha (Kiara Advani), the girl of his dreams who is way out of his league. But circumstances conspire to bring them together and to Satyaprem’s surprise they even get married. However, all is not well as the narrative is shrouded in mystery. How Satyaprem wins her over and how Katha sheds her inhibitions to find the courage to face her truth forms the gist of the story. You will have to go to the cinema hall to know this.

a pure love story

The makers of the film have promoted it as a pure love story. And while I think it’s a smart idea (there are more fans of love stories than movies with a message), it does the film some damage. Because the story of Satyaprem is much more than a simple love story. It’s a heartfelt film, and it takes a fresh, entertaining route to talk about an issue plaguing our society. Without giving or spoiling much, all I can say is that unlike many other films of the past, Satyaprem’s Katha delivers a social message without being preachy or degrading. It entertains but with sensitivity.

The film’s beats are the performances of the two main characters – Kartik and Kiara.

Kartik Aaryan has made a mark for himself as a likeable clown. He manages to create a liking for these characters. This time he has the support of a better script. In some scenes he looks effortless, while in other parts his sattu looks overly refined and annoyingly cool. The actors falter in some intense scenes but carry their weight well. The surprise package for me was Kiara Advani. I have never been a fan of his acting, I will be very clear about that. In more than one film, I found his work only to do justice to the character. But here Kiara delivers a performance she can be proud of. She plays a difficult role and portrays the fear, inhibitions and angst of the narrative so beautifully that you are left in awe. I mean, if Kiara can act so well, where the hell was she? I can call it the best performance of his career. All I can say is that with this film and role, Kiara will prove her naysayers and doubters (like me) absolutely wrong.

supporting cast is strong

Surpi Pathak and Siddharth Randeriya, in particular, deliver extremely mature and strong performances. They are helped by a script that won’t let them go. The film doesn’t descend into monologues or long speeches or sermons whenever the story veers into serious territory. It tries to say the biggest thing in the simplest way possible.

Yet, Satyaprem’s narrative falters. The first part, the composition of the actual story, draws. You don’t feel the affection for Sattu that you should, not for long. You don’t sympathize with the narrator when he acts aloof or angry. A tighter script could have brought out these characters and their motivations better. But the actors do their bit and try to make these characters likeable. The problem is that the overall package never quite looks cohesive.

But the second part is the saving grace of the film. The development of Satyaprem and Katha’s relationship as well as the development of their characters is also well brought out. The film takes up issues like consent in a relationship and does justice to the way it is presented without much melodrama. Perhaps, the best aspect of the film is how quickly it wraps up, without any long climax or any melodrama. The ‘keep it simple, silly’ mantra works here. And full marks to director Sameer Vidwans for that. Yes, there are flaws. Yes, the film falters. But there is enough goodness to compensate for all that.

Rating: 3.5 Star