satyaprem ki katha (hindi) Review
Satya Prem Ki Katha starts off as a rich girl meets poor guy romance. It ticks all the boxes of the often repeated formula. Then after the interval, it turns serious and segues into mental health territory. It's Sameer Vidwans' homage to such films as Woh Saat Din and Mouna Ragam, which depicted love blossoming between two individuals who get married despite having nothing in common but then find a way forward due to circumstances.
Satyaprem (Kartik Aaryan) and Katha (Kiara Advani) meet each other during the garba jalsa in Ahmedabad and sparks fly. The fly in the ointment is that she has a boyfriend. A year later, he learns that she had broken off with her beau. When he comes to meet her, he finds she'd tried to commit suicide and rushes her to a hospital, saving her life. Impressed by his unselfish act and honest ways, her father, who runs a popular sweets shop, wants to marry her off to him, despite Satyaprem not being employed and belonging to lower economic strata than them. Katha initially doesn't want this forced marriage but later agrees. She's uncomfortable with sleeping with Satyaprem and uses his habit of snoring loudly in order to avoid that. But the truth is much deeper and bitter. Katha has been a victim of date rape and hence funds herself in a mental block about sexual relations. It takes a while for Satyaprem to find that out. Once he does so, he realises that instead of trying to consummate his marriage, he should first try to win Katha's heart. How he goes about doing so forms the crux of the story.
The film has its heart firmly in the right place. Date rape is a crime which hardly gets reported. Victims are stopped by their own family members from filing an FIR fearing public humiliation. Worse, girls blame themselves for getting into such a situation and don't easily come out of the tragedy. It takes a harsh toll on their mental as well as sexual health. Like it's shown in the film, they can't bear to be near any man, let alone have sex with him. A vast amount of counselling is necessary to help them return to normal. And, of course, love and acceptance of family members is crucial as well.
The film shows a plausible scenario where the women of the family are supportive of Katha's plight while her father and father-in-law both find themselves repulsed by it. Thankfully, her husband is woke enough to understand the concept of date rape and supports her thoroughly. The film ends with the positive note of Satyaprem encouraging Katha to file an FIR against her rapist and promising to stand firm with her through thick and thin.
Where the film slacks is the editing. It's too slow for its own good. And the dramatic impact of several scenes gets diluted due to inept transitions. Music is another let down. A romantic film needs songs which you can take home to, but that isn't the case here. One wouldn't have minded the film having no songs at all, as they eat into the runtime. Also, the director should have toned down on the melodrama, instead of dialling it up unnecessarily.
The supporting cast, comprising Supriya Pathak, Shikha Talsania, Siddharth Randeria, Anuradha Patel and Gajraj Rao are all dependable actors and have brought their A game to the table. It's sad to see Rajpal Yadav doing bit roles once more. Let's hope better times prevail for him. The film's leads, Kiara Advani and Kartik Aaryan, show great camaraderie on screen. They come off as a troubled couple, trying to set things right. Director Sameer Vidwans creates an atmosphere of hesitancy, of awkwardness between them. And the actors too play off each other and shine in those scenes. Kiara Advani and Kartik Aaryan both have more to do in this film than their other releases and show a willingness to push the envelope, trusting the director's vision.
All in all, SatyaPrem Ki Katha is a love story with a difference, thanks to the cause it espouses. No means no. Watch the film for its powerful message and for the chemistry between Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani.
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