Shehzada Review: This family entertainer is a total delight and delivers a lot of fun

Shehzada Movie Review Rating: 4/5

Bollywood continues its love affair with South Indian films by remaking Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde’s blockbuster film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) in Hindi. Helmed by Rohit Dhawan, who has previously directed Desi Boyz (2011) and Dishoom (2016), the high-profile remake stars Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon in lead roles, with Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, and Sachin Khedekar playing supporting characters. Our BollywoodMDB reviewer has seen the film and here is what he has to say about the same. Do read the detailed review for Shehzada here before booking your tickets.

STORY: Bantu (Kartik Aaryan) has never received the kind of love he deserved from his father Valmiki (Paresh Rawal) who is always nagging him for one thing or the other. His fate turns upside down when he comes to know that Valmiki is not his real father and he was, in fact, exchanged at the time of his birth and his real family is the ultra-rich Jindal family. Without revealing his identity, Bantu starts doing everything possible to win over the Jindal family and eliminate every threat that might come their way. What happens next forms the crux of the story.

HIGHS & LOWS: As mentioned above, Shehzada is the official remake of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, which is considered one of the most successful films in Telugu. Trivikram Srinivas is credited as the story and screenplay writer of the original, while the adapted screenplay for the Hindi remake is written by Rohit Dhawan. Dhawan has beautifully adapted the original film for the Hindi audience, adding some more twists and turns to make it even more entertaining. It is not the exact copy of the original film, so even if you have seen Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, you will still find plenty of things to enjoy in the remake. The film is funny and thoroughly enjoyable with some foot-tapping music.

Talking about the cast, the script fits Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon perfectly. Aaryan wins your heart right from the first scene to the last scene. It is good to see him try new characters in every new film that he is doing. His last release was Freddy (2022), which opened to great response on OTT. And now Shehzada further shows the range of his acting.

On the other hand, Kriti Sanon also does complete justice to her character. But it would have been icing on the cake if her character had some more depth. While she has some great scenes in the first half, her track goes haywire in the second half. Ronit Roy and Manisha Koirala also do their job well. But it is Paresh Rawal who steals the scene more often than not. He is terrific in some comic scenes. His character is abominable, but you will still love him. Sachin Khedekar is also good in his role. Ankur Rathee has also done a great job. This film’s biggest strength is its heart and emotional moments.

FINAL VERDICT: Overall, Rohit Dhawan has delivered a total paisa-vasool family entertainer. Shehzada is an unmissable film that keeps you hooked to the screen. Kartik Aaryan proves his versatility once again and it seems he is set to add yet another blockbuster to his filmography after the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Freddy last year.

Watch Shehzada trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS

Banner: T-Series Films, Geetha Arts, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Brat Films

Director: Rohit Dhawan

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, etc.

Runtime: 145 Minutes