Benevolent Patriarchy. Review on Satyaprem Ki Katha

When men advise women to fight against exploitation it is endearing. However, it is also kind of giving boost to patriarchy. The patriarchical system deciding what is good or bad for the womankind. The woman, on the other hand, does not even realize that wrong has been done to her. She accepts it, broods over it, tries to commit suicide, tolerates father's insinuating remarks and keeps quiet. What do you say to that?

I am not saying that such things do not happen in our society. But please don't try to give it a garb of benevolence. You are not here to do charity!The title of the film says it all - True Love Story.

The Thin Story - Satyaprem(Kartik Aryan) is a good for nothing guy with a heart of gold. He falls in love with Katha(Kiara Advani) at first sight. But Katha is already dating another guy. Soon after, Satya's father, the gossip monger of the locality, comes to know that love has gone sour and Katha is back to being single. He eggs his son to go after her. The son, thus encouraged, gatecrashes into her house when she is all alone and saves her from dying. You see Katha has by now slashed her wrist in a state of self castigation.

Cut two - Katha's father asks Satya to marry his daughter and even offers him a job in his shop. Satya agrees. Noone asks what Katha feels about the arrangement. Noone suspects the girl's father also why he is being so kind to a boy who does not even have a room to call his own, leave alone a career!

Suhaag Raat - Katha tells Satya to go sleep somewhere else. Satya is crestfallen. At least here the narrator has the gumption to confess that love cannot be platonic forever. This game of refuting the physical advances of a so called loving husband continues for quite some time till one day it is revealed by Katha that she was date raped by her erstwhile beau.

General Confusion - Everybody tries to hush it up under the carpet. But Satya's manhood is aroused and he brainwashes Katha to sue the rapist. With this Katha wakes up from her stupor and realizes that she has been wronged and agrees to do what her now acceptable husband says.

In between a number of forgettable song and dance sequences the much touted true love story comes to an end or starts afresh with a new beginning. Whatever!

The narrative is limited only lengthened by Satya's gimmickry, Kiara's revealing dresses and humungous frames of glammed up garbas and dandiyas.

Thankfully, Bollywood has come out of the sarson ke lehlahaate khet and got transfixed on Gujju Jalebi Faafra cult. However, it has its own idea of cultures other than it is dominated by. Haryanvis are blunt and blatant, Gujaratis only do garba, Rajasthanis only wear Bandhnis, Bengalis only eat rashogollas and so on and so forth.

Satya Prem Ki Katha is a waste of time except Kartik Aryan who has the knack of converting the stupidest character into a persona watchable, laughable and adorable. My personal advice to him would be to seriously think twice before choosing his roles and films. If he is just going after the banner to be popular and make money its a collosal mistake because he has loads of talent which can be better utilized. There are certain stereotypical scenes which are made remarkable simply by his acting abilities in this film.

I don't know why Supriya Pathak accepted such a meaningless role. Gajraj Singh is his usual self. Kiara Advani has not been able to impress me much in any of her movies I have watched so far.

This movie, involuntarily reminds one of the approach revolutionizing film Pink wherein Taapsi Pannu takes the molestor to Court to make the society understand that even if a girl is pubbing she should not be deemed to be easily available. Her no means NO. The brevity with which Sujeet Sarkar goes bold with the subject is completely lacking in Satyaprem Ki Katha where the pivotal subject is made to look like an afterthought amidst thousand extras wheeling dandiyas on opulent sets.

See? Didn't I tell you Gujjus only do Garba.