Prem Keetanu Review: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
Prem Keetanu wants to say something meaningful about toxic masculinity and modern relationships, but its message gets buried under a confused plot, weak chemistry between the leads, and storytelling that feels straight out of an older era.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
Cast: Veer Pahariya, Aafiya Sayed, Aparshakti Khurana, Rakesh Bedi
Director Apoorv Singh Karki’s Prem Keetanu opens at Delhi’s SIT College, where engineering students Vishal, played by Veer Pahariya, and Suhani, played by debutant Aafiya Sayed, are preparing for life after graduation.
While Suhani lands a coveted placement at a forward-thinking IT firm led by Ranjeet, played by Aparshakti Khurana, a boss who quietly harbors feelings for her, Vishal faces rejection and decides to pivot toward GRE and TOEFL preparation for higher studies abroad instead.
The story picks up momentum when Vishal and Suhani reconnect after graduation at a wedding Ranjeet also happens to attend. As mutual affection grows between the two leads, Ranjeet’s jealousy and Vishal’s own deep insecurity about his friend’s corporate success set off a chain reaction of misunderstandings, heartbreak, and bruised egos.
Where Prem Keetanu genuinely tries to set itself apart is through its attempt at social commentary. Co-writers Girish AD and Deepak Kingrani weave in extended monologues addressing toxic masculinity, fragile male egos after rejection, and the misogyny often tied to being friend-zoned, clearly trying to champion a woman’s right to choose a stable partner without carrying societal guilt for it. On paper, these are genuinely worthwhile ideas for a modern rom-com to tackle.
The problem is that these progressive themes feel heavily grafted onto a story that ultimately falls back on familiar, traditional Hindi cinema tropes. In trying to check every box—security, gender dynamics, standard romantic melodrama—the narrative ends up losing its direction entirely, meandering through repetitive emotional beats without ever settling on a clear destination.
Veer Pahariya commits fully to the role, bringing real energy to scenes that demand vulnerability, rage, and heartbreak. Despite his sincere effort, though, he is held back by a poorly constructed character arc that feels derivative of older Indian and Hollywood rom-coms alike.
Aafiya Sayed turns in a genuinely impressive performance in the film’s more emotional scenes, even as the screenplay around her stays indecisive, though she does struggle with dialogue modulation and emotional range during some of the film’s bigger dramatic moments. Unfortunately, the central pairing never generates real on-screen chemistry, leaving their entire romantic arc feeling flat.
Aparshakti Khurana, an actor who has done genuinely nuanced work in projects like Berlin and Jubilee, is largely wasted here in a fairly cliched jealous boss role. The film’s true standout is veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, who delivers another scene-stealing performance following his memorable turn in Dhurandhar, becoming the film’s biggest saving grace. Nikhil Vijay, playing Vishal’s loyal friend, does his best with the limited screen time he is given.
Director Apoorv Singh Karki essentially delivers old wine in a new bottle here, leaning heavily on dated visual choices like slow-motion sequences and dream sequences that do little to actually elevate the storytelling. Technically, the film stays fairly uninspired throughout. Cinematographer Arjun Kukreti delivers a flat, unmemorable visual style, while Annkur Pathak’s music, paired with Sachin Urmtosh’s lyrics, produces a forgettable soundtrack with no single track that genuinely lingers afterward.
In the end, Prem Keetanu sets out with genuinely good intentions, trying to critique modern relationship anxieties and male entitlement, but its over-ambitious preaching gets undermined by a confused plot and overly familiar writing. Despite decent efforts from its lead cast and a strong supporting turn from Rakesh Bedi, the film ultimately collapses under the weight of its own narrative contradictions.
If predictable thrillers with star power but weak execution are more your speed this week, our review of Verity, starring Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, is worth checking out too.