Bollywood review: Salman's and Sooraj's 'Prem' wins hearts

Once upon a time, there was a Bollywood film director who lived in Utopia, where people lived in their perfect palaces, with perfectly coiffed hair and love conquered all.

‎In Hollywood, such an ideal setting would be worthy of a Disney candy floss theatrical; in India, Rajshri ‎Productions does us proud.

'Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo' is a fitting addition to the growing film family of head honcho, director and screenwriter Sooraj Barjatya.

For those of you who've perhaps been hiding under a rock, the film sees the return of the prodigal son, Salman 'Prem' Khan, to the Barjatya family where he kick started his career-winning innings 26 years ago with 'Maine Pyaar Kiya'.

For his fourth outing with Rajshri Productions, Barjatya pulls off a double whammy by creating a doppelganger for his Prem; for fans, that's twice the pleasure of seeing Salman Khan on screen, as Prem Dilwale and King Vijay Singh.

Four songs and 30 minutes into the film, the stage is set for a warring royal family and an old-fashioned switcheroo whereby Prem is now the new man in charge while King Vijay recovers from an assassination attempt by jealous brother Ajay Singh (Neil Nitin Mukesh).

Unknown to them, the royal family's loyalists, meanwhile, set about to uncover the perpetrators, in between glowering at Prem's shenanigans and playing football matches.

In the midst of this melee, a ticking clock is counting down the 96 hours to the Accession Day of the king, which is enough time for Prem to woo Vijay's fiancé, Princess Maithili (Sonam Kapoor) and reunite the estranged family.

‎While Maithili sings and dances with abandon to her 'Prem Ratan', viewers wait, but are never really told how these band of merry men finally discover that evil lurks within the palace household.

But who cares really; we love Salman and love conquers all, so by default...

Anyways, say what one may, but the movie is Salman's vehicle to do what he does best, by pulling in the masses with his brand of innocent charm and comic timing that perhaps few can pull off with such finesse ‎in Bollywood.

Barjatya has a gift to pull out a simplicity from Salman that few have managed, with Kabir Khan's 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' being the only other example.

Sonam does her bit to look pretty and giggle on cue, while the rest of the ‎Barjatya family of actors display emotions and morality when required.

‎Critics may find holes in the plot, and there are many, yet, what works for the film is Barjatya himself, who unapologetically uses the story's very simplicity as its biggest advantage.

Love may or may not conquer all, but Barjatya appears to have found his 'Prem Ratan Dhan' and he's sticking with it.

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