Movie Review: Yuvvraaj

The very name of Subhash Ghai springs up imagery from Karz, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Taal etc, and with such a repertoire it is only expected that he will deliver another box office biggie.

Ever since the first promos hit TV screens, YUVVRAAJ has developed a massive fan following, and when the music CD arrived, the interest only doubled. So was YUVVRAAJ worth the wait? Surely!

Coming to the story, the film is about three brothers, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan; Salman Khan has a rivalry with the mentally challenged Anil Kapoor. The father is infuriated and throws Salman out of the house (mansion actually). Salman becomes a choir boy in Prague where he finds the love of his life (Katrina Kaif), a cellist. He can't marry her because her billionaire dad (Boman Irani) doesn't approve of Salman's impoverished situation.

Hoping to change his fortunes after the death of his dad, he rushes home to inherit the family millions, only to realize there's nothing left for him and his younger, equally roguish brother, Zayed Khan. Nerd Anil has been declared the sole heir, with sundry greedy relatives eyeing the moolah around him. Time for the dysfunctional family to outwit each other and split or to outsmart the outsiders and come together, once again.

Laced with overtones citing the arrogance and overconfidence of contemporary youth, the moral in this fable quite obviously stares back at you. But there is so much style in the execution, the cliches seem to fade away as this grand movie rolls.

But the heart of YUVVRAAJ is the exquisite music by A.R Rahman, who has given an awesome tribute to Beethoven - Gulzar's beautiful poetry along with Rahman's music is something extraordinary to behold. Cinematography by Kabir Lal is excellent. Every single frame seems like a splendid portrait as Kabir Lal's colorful palette illuminates the screen. Art Director Omung Kumar has done yet another fabulous job after the masterpiece 'Black'.

Yuvvraaj belongs to Anil and Anil alone. One can now call Anil a 'Bollywood veteran' because he deserves every bit of the praise. His career in the new millennium has undergone a metamorphosis and he proves here just how. His Hollywood film 'Slumdog Millionaire' releases next week and we just can't wait.

Salman Khan basically plays himself, a spoilt rich boy, and he does so with ease. He handles the emotional scenes much better than he did in 'Hum dil de chuke sanam'. Zayed Khan is lost in translation, he has no clue of the script or the performance required of him. Katrina Kaif looks fabulous and does exceedingly well. We could've done with more of the Sallu-Kat scenes for their chemistry is sizzling.

Director Subhash Ghai makes a nice comeback after the misbegotten Yaadein, the ludicrous 'Kisna' and the underwhelming 'Black and White'. Like Ghai, Yash Johar needs to wake up from hibernation too.

The script is shoddy at times, the energy rises to a peak in certain moments, but the ride to the strangely inept climax is quite uneven. Although the sumptuous music, classy visuals and the fine acting make up for the script. YUVVRAAJ is worth the trip to the multiplex. Enjoy it while its hot.