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Star Cast: Veer Pahariya, Aafiya Sayed, Aparshakti Khurana

Director: Apoorv Singh Karki

Prem Keetanu Movie Review Synopsis: PREM KEETANU is the story of a good-for-nothing guy. Vishal (Veer Pahariya) meets Suhani Sharma (Aafiya Sayed) on the first day of college at Banaras Institute of Science and Technology. The two get into a fight and end up cursing each other that they won’t find a partner during their four years in college. At the last minute, Suhani takes admission to the more prestigious SIT in Delhi. Their personal lives follow a similar trajectory as neither manages to find a partner. Academically, however, their journeys are poles apart. Suhani excels in her studies and lands a job at AFL Software Pvt Ltd through campus placement. Her boss, Ranjit (Aparshakti Khurana), is smitten by her and constantly tries to impress her. Meanwhile, Vishal fails to land a job due to his poor grades. He shifts to Delhi and applies for GRE and TOEFL, with the eventual plan of studying in the USA. He needs Rs. 5 lakhs in his bank account to be eligible for a visa and hence starts looking for a job. Meanwhile, he bumps into Suhani again, and this time, they hit it off very well. But Ranjit has reservations about Vishal. He tries to belittle him out of fear that Vishal might successfully woo Suhani. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Prem Keetanu Movie Story Review: PREM KEETANU is adapted from the 2024 Malayalam film, PREMALU. Deepak Kingrani's story is simple and relatable. Deepak Kingrani's screenplay is breezy, though it falters in the post-interval sequences. Deepak Kingrani's dialogues are straight out of life, and a few one-liners raise laughs.

Apoorv Singh Karki's direction is uncomplicated. The biggest strength of the film is that the characters come across as real and relatable, almost like people one encounters in everyday life. Their joys, struggles and insecurities also strike a chord. The makers have made several changes compared to the original and ensured that the story fits organically into the milieu of Delhi, Banaras and Lucknow. The scenes between Vishal and Ranjit are quite memorable, as are Vishal's interactions with his pal, Magan Arora (Nikhil Vijay).

On the flipside, the film loses steam in the second half. Vishal goes overboard during the proposal and the fight sequence, and these portions dent the impact. At times, audiences might also find Vishal childish and may struggle to root for him. The same issue crops up in the interval block, which doesn't work as intended. After a point, the proceedings become such that they may appeal only to a certain section of the moviegoing audience, while viewers seeking more sophisticated or nuanced content may not connect with it as much. The film also feels stretched in places, and the frequent songs end up acting as roadblocks to the narrative.

Prem Keetanu Movie Review Performances: Veer Pahariya is in much better form here than SKY FORCE [2025]. His performance is decent, but it could have been better in the emotional scenes. Aafiya Sayed is a great find. She looks stunning and delivers a first-rate performance. Nikhil Vijay steals the show with his presence and performance. Aparshakti Khurana, too, puts his best foot forward and gets his act right as the man who is too full of himself. At the same time, he doesn’t let his act go overboard. Rakesh Bedi (Suhani's father) has limited presence in the first half but makes up for it in the post-interval sequences. Sachin Kathuria (Vishal's father) is fair, while Preeti Aggarwal (Suhani's mother) doesn’t get much scope.

Prem Keetanu movie music and other technical aspects: The songs are okay, and there are too many of them. A film of this kind also needed a chartbuster or two. 'Undi Bundi' is the most memorable of the lot, followed by 'Ishq Ka Ghulaam'. The visuals of the latter give a déjà vu of 'Tere Ishq Mein Naachenge' from RAJA HINDUSTANI [1996], and feel slightly unsettling as the film turns heavy at this point. The rest of the songs fail to register. Ketan Sodha's background score is functional.

Arjun Kukreti's cinematography is satisfactory. Veera Kapur Ee's costumes are stylish while also staying true to the setting and characters. Ambika Acharya's production design and Amin Khatib's action are realistic. Ritesh Soni's editing is decent, though it could have been sharper.

Prem Keetanu Movie Review Conclusion On the whole, PREM KEETANU is a decent entertainer with some good performances and entertaining moments. However, the film suffers due to a weak second half and stretched portions. With the film releasing amid minimal buzz and, more importantly, alongside the juggernaut DRISHYAM THE CONCLUSION, it is likely to get completely overshadowed at the box office.