About Samrat Prithviraj Movie:
The historical drama, written and directed by Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, is based on the poem Prithviraj Raso, written by the 12th-century poet Chand Bardai. The film is based on the life of the legendary warrior, Prithviraj Chauhan, and is a massively invested production of Yash Raj Films (YRF).
Following Chand Bardai's epic Prithviraj Raso, the story begins with Samrat Prithviraj (Akshay Kumar) and Muhammad Ghori's (Manav Vij) rivalry for the ultimate monarch of Delhi. Prithviraj obviously defeats Ghori in well-executed combat, only to leave him free to contemplate the sins he has committed.
Prithviraj's internal adversary, Jaichand (Ashutosh Rana), also wants to seize Delhi to prove he's better than him in the second major portion of the plot. He has no idea that his daughter Sanyogita (Manushi Chhillar) is the biggest fan of Samrat Prithviraj's heroics, having decided to marry him and no one else. This leads to the film's third and final track, which I won't spoil here.
Watch the Samrat Prithviraj Official Trailer below:
Script Analysis of Samrat Prithviraj Movie:
According to folklore, the tale of Samrat Prithviraj has been depicted in several versions by various authors. Doctor Sahab takes the most contentious route, telling the story of Prithviraj Raso, a version that many historians appear to believe is false. However, because the versions of the narrative cannot be reliably dated, it is unknown which is the actual one. So, consider the film to be yet another rendition by Doctor Sahab that is identical to Prithviraj Raso but with one twist in the conclusion.
One big difficulty with the story is that it moves at such a fast pace that the intricacy in the manner it is conveyed suffers. The film's handling is akin to that History professor rushing through Prithviraj's story because he needs to finish this chapter in a single lesson. Aside from a few massively-scaled action sequences stunningly caught by Manush Nandan's camerawork, the soul of this Akshay Kumar blockbuster is very lacking.
Star Performances in Samrat Prithviraj Movie:
Many people, including me, were sceptical of Akshay Kumar's promise that the film could be shot in just 50 days for obvious reasons. A guy like Samrat Prithviraj must be physically and mentally nailed. While the false moustache bothered him from the start, the filmmakers decided to give him a properly groomed, sculpted thick beard in the film's conclusion, in which he was captured for months by a certain someone. I know I'm nitpicking, but a film like this demands far more than 50 days and 130 minutes of running time. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't horrible; Akshay did his best, but it wasn't enough for this character.
For me, Sanjay Dutt is the most enjoyable aspect of Samrat Prithviraj. He grabbed the most laughs out of everyone and proved to be fantastic comedy relief. Apart from the amusement, Sanju baba also captured the aggressive aspect of Kaka Kanha. Manushi Chhillar is a difficult sell because several of her performances are reminiscent of Deepika Padukone's in Padmaavat. Manushi's performance appeared to be more of an inspiration, from the side-dimpled smile to the straight-faced expressions.
Instead of pursuing the typical exaggerated all-crazy approach, an incredibly gifted Manav Vij sobers down Muhammad Ghori's act. Despite this, he isn't given much room to shine. Ghori's character was so inadequately developed that not a single incident ever made the hero fearful.
Sakshi Tanwar, who plays Sanyogita's mother, is expressively strong in her small role. To say the least, her shift from a ruler's wife to a mother is flawless. Ashutosh Rana continues to yell and scare on order, which aids him in making an emotional connection with Jaichand.
Direction and Music in Samrat Prithviraj Movie:
Interesting fact Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi reportedly wanted Sunny Deol and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to lead this film, but due to the budget, the production house needs a face that buys tickets in droves, and thus Akshay Kumar entered the scene (pun intended!). Dwivedi ensures that the film is technically so rich that it at times tries to cover up the film's shortcomings.
This is unquestionably one of Shankar-Ehsaan-poorest Loy's pieces to date. Even the title tune, which appeared promising in the trailers, hasn't been utilised effectively enough to serve as the film's anthem. There isn't a single other notable pieces of music, which adds to the entire feeling. The Balhara brothers (Sanchit and Ankit) fail to register a single set piece despite having all the time in the world to load the film with at least a few notable ones.
Final Verdict on Samrat Prithviraj Movie:
Samrat Prithviraj is a strictly ordinary film with a fairly dull narrative. The history is mostly watchable because of three outstanding sequences: the first act, the interval block, and the ending. While the three main actors provide sincere performances, and the director has mounted the film nicely, the story deserved a lot more drama, and at the very least a war scenario in the second half. The courageous Indian warrior deserved a better movie.
My Rating: 4.5/10
