Prabhu Deva's overall likable execution largely saves a film made on all routine & seen before stuff.

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A few months back, director Sajid Khan tried to play with the idea of recreating the 80s era on the screen with his HIMMATWALA. The film was rejected completely but perhaps Prabhu Deva liked Sajid's basic thought of incorporating the 80s feel and then used it in his latest film RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA which is also supposed to be the launching pad of GIRISH KUMAR in the industry.

Revealing the basic content of the film, it's an official remake of Prabhu Deva's own directorial debut in Telugu titled NUVVOSTANANTE NENODDANTANA released in 2005. But if this was based on the 2005 Telugu movie then the regional project itself was a highly inspired version of Rajshri's mega hit MAINE PYAR KIYA (1989) along with references of PYAR KIYA TO DARNA KYA (1998) too in its second half. So as far as its storyline is concerned the above mentioned names would clearly give you an idea of its pretty routine script with all seen before stuff served in the name of a new romantic film in 2013.

Hence from that angle there is nothing new to see in this movie quite frankly. Its begins on a pleasant note with an old time 80s feel and then keeps progressing just like a typical Hindi love story seen many times before. In fact such is the impact of its inspirations that many a times you feel like watching exactly same sequences as seen in those hit movies, like the one where Sonu Sood comes to the big mansion before the interval just as Alok Nath does in MAINE PYAR KIYA. Post interval a few scenes tend to go over the top, childish and lengthy too with some forced humour. But then it all ends on a happy note as usually seen in these kinds of predictable love stories regularly being made in Bollywood from ages.

Having said that, there still remains something likable, throughout in this film which strongly doesn't allow you to simply call it a trash as it may seem. And probably the trick lies in its fairly nice execution which keeps delivering the new insertions at a good pace and never lets you think about its outdated structure seriously. Both Prabhu Deva and his writers ensure the emotional as well as the entertainment factor to be there in the film, right from its first scene itself, even at the cost of going too loud in the second half. As a result, the viewers who might not have seen the two original films, do not get anything major to complain and remain seated.

Besides the film has a decent packaging, cool cinematography and some hit tracks which are evidently a must have for a Bollywood love story to win some hearts in the Indian market. "Jeene Laga Hun" is already popular in the masses and "Jadoo Ki Jhappi", "Hip Hop Pammi" & "Rang Jo Lagyo" sound fine while watching the film. So overall music director duo Sachin-Jigar have done a decent job here for the otherwise jaded love saga.

Girish Kumar in his debut performance shows the confidence, but also goes over the top in few sequences perhaps because his character was conceived in that way only by the director. Girish does almost everything in the film, what a Bollywood hero needs to do, but manages to impress only up to an extent, especially in the second half. Yet, the boy shows a decent glimpse of honesty and sincerity in his overblown lover boy act.Shruti Hassan adds to the likable feel with her innocent presence playing the leading lady. She looks gorgeous in all the traditional dresses and brings a pleasant kind of freshness in the film with her cool act.

Sonu Sood is simply excellent in the role of Shruti's elder brother and Vinod Khanna is lovable as the helpful station master. The supporting cast has some reputed names who all play it fine including Randhir Kapoor, Nasser, Poonam Dhillon & Satish Shahalong with Zakir Hussain, Mushtaq Khan, Sarfaraz Khan and Paresh Ganatra. Prabhu Deva makes a cameo in an item song with Jacqueline, but the song doesn't have any great dance movements from the maestro, which might disappoint his die- hard fans a lot.

Summing up, what Sajid Khan failed to achieve in his HIMMATWALA, Prabhdeva majorly succeeds in getting the same in his RAMAIYA VASTAVAIYA, i.e. bringing back that breezy feel of the 80s. So though the film has nothing new in the name of content, it still may work in the single screen and smaller centers due to its standard entertaining sequences & music, targeting a particular section of viewers. However, the other truth is that the producers have actually played it too safe to launch their son in such a simple and routine film. With a new age experimental project written around a loving couple, Girish surely could have impressed the viewers a lot more than this old-fashioned Bollywood love story. So watch it only if you are a true fan of that dated era of 80s and can still enjoy many exactly similar sequences once again.

score 5/10

bobbysing 23 July 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2837274/