An official remake based on an old classic is bound to send expectations sky soaring. This is especially true when the genre is comedy with a royal touch and the film is a fairytale production by Disney.
Undoubtedly, the film looks striking on the big screen and has a regal air. However, even though it has so much in its favour, Khoobsurat fails to impress fully. The main culprit is the writing, which is all over the place, especially in the second half. The over-the-top character sketch of its main protagonist doesn’t help either. If one were to sum up Shashanka Ghosh’s new offering, one would say the film has its moments (too few!) and many scenes that are very good but it has an equal number of scenes that are uninspiring.
The film starts with physiotherapist Dr Milli Chakravarty (Sonam Kapoor) who lives in Delhi and is raised in a happy-go-lucky atmosphere. She is an avid believer in fairytales and she dreams of her prince charming. But more than that, her Punjabi mother Manju Chakravarty (Kirron Kher) wants her to settle down.
Mili travels to Rajasthan to treat the paraplegic Shekhar Rathore (Aamir Raza Hussain), king of Sambalgarh. When Milli arrives at the palace, she discovers that the royal family is nothing like she imagined it to be. The queen of Samahgarh, Nirmala Devi Rathore (Ratna Pathak Shah) is a strict and no-nonsense woman who handles the royal business since her husband is wheelchair-bound.
During the course of her stay, Mili charms the king and helps him get well. She she also befriends the princess. Young Yuvraj Singh Rathore (Fawad Afzal Khan), who is already engaged to Kiara (Aditi Rao Hydari), is attracted to Milli’s free spirit and antics. But is this mismatch made in heaven? The answer to that question forms the crux of the story.
Director Shashanka Ghosh brings a very impressive concept to the silver screen and has less in common with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Rekha-starrer Khubsoorat. Where in the original flick, Rekha’s character won hearts and was charming, Sonam Kapoor’s character looks forcefully chirpy and is sometimes over-the-top and irritating.
Due to the partially tipping screenplay, Ghosh fails to impress fully. But he does execute a few scenes with flamboyance, like the scene where Vikram tries to have a conversation with his father about his therapy sessions, and the conversations between Milli and her mother Manju. In the latter, the exchange of words is hilarious.
The highlights of the film lies in its comic writing but the writer, Indira Bisht, has paid too much attention to the comedy scenes and focuses too much on the main protagonist, giving little or no mileage to the rest of the screenplay. Hence, the audience will fail to connect with the story. Music and background score go well with the narration and take the story forward.
One of the highlights is the cinematography by Tushar Kanti Ray, who captures each scene with beautiful camera angles and fills each frame perfectly. However, editing by Bakul Matiyani is a letdown. With a runtime of 130 minutes, the film has a firm first half but, post-interval, the film turns into a see-saw with each scene uncertainly dipping and rising. Many scenes start and end without segue, making the narration jar.
Performance-wise, Sonam Kapoor plays her part with conviction, but her over-the-top character is annoying. Pakistani actor Fawad Afzal Khan, who debuts with this film, suits his part and is good. Kirron Kher, as usual, is a delight to watch. No other actor can play the part of a Punjabi mother better than she can. Ratna Pathak Shah does an outstanding job. Aamir Raza Hussain is good. Ashok Banthia fits the bill. Aditi Rao Hydari and Cyrus Sahukar in special appearances do justice to their respective parts. The rest of the cast supports adequately.
Verdict: With a concept like this, the film could have been a money-spinner. Instead, sadly, it will find the going very tough at the ticket counter.
