Over the past few years, Indian cinema has offered up indie gems like Gangs of Wasseypur and well-written female roles like Piku and Queen have impressed critics and audiences. But Salman Khan is counting on the fact that you might have missed a simpler time in Bollywood, where he was the eternal "Prem," happy families sang the "ABCD" together and kisses were a big no-no. His latest film, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, releases on November 13 and takes you back to that era.
Salman Khan is reuniting with his friend Sooraj Barjatya, who directed his debut film, Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), along with his best-loved roles as Prem in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. While Shah Rukh Khan is synonymous with his Rahul or Raj persona, Salman's softer side is associated with Prem. It's canny for both Khan and Barjatya to reboot their cheesy brand of cinema since it's another facet of the "Sallu bhai" image that's already been deconstructed this year with Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Bajrangi Bhaijaan turned the Salman image on its head, showing him as a complete simpleton who was ticklish when fighting and who didn't overtly harass his love interest.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is also operating on that same level, where Salman is his romantic avatar. But unfortunately, the leading lady is Sonam Kapoor, who's 19 years younger than him. Yes, bringing up age differences is beating a dead horse, but no amount of sexy Harper's Bazaar photoshoots can change how mismatched the pair looks. We all know that Salman has managed to rehab his career many times to come out on top, but it's frustrating that actresses far younger than him have to do their part to get ahead by starring opposite him.
Much like in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman returns to his god-fearing religiosity whenever he plays a Prem. From the looks of "Prem Leela," the latest song from the film, he's comparing his love story to Ram and Sita and uniting lovers at this function. Since Hum Apke Hain Kaun, Rajshri became synonymous with the Bollywood that fixated on happy families, songs for every religious festival and pet dogs or pigeons that came to save the day. The experience is almost like eating several gulab jamuns at once: a sweetness overload, and not in the best way. It'll be interesting to see whether this film is a delightful throwback for some audiences or a reminder of the tropes that Bollywood has tried to leave behind.
If anything, this song provides another moment for us to imitate the easy dance moves of Uncle Sallu. Perhaps Dance India Dance judge Mudassar Khan simplified his hip-hop moves as doable namaste robotics for Salman. It's a move I might copy whenever I need to greet relatives en masse.
Here's to another Salman entertainer that might make us shudder with horror at the return of massive happy families and Armaan Kohli. Or maybe it'll be a gem to study in the further deconstruction of the Salman persona. He might just win us all over this time!
Main Image Photo Credit: www.salmankhanholics.com
Rumnique Nannar
Author
Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...
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