Prasthanam
Rating: 2.5/5
Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes
Director: Deva Katta
Genre: Political Drama, Action, Adventure
Release Date: 20.09.2019
Star Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala, Ali Fazal, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Pandey, Satyajeet Dubey, Amyra Dastur, Anup Soni, Zakir Hussain
Plot: Baldev Pratap Singh (Sanjay Dutt) gets married to a widowed woman named Saroj (Manisha Koirala). Gradually, Baldev develops a special likelihood for his stepson Aayush (Ali Fazal) as he is responsible and thinks before acting. Baldev also tells Ayush that he wants him to be his heir. All this enrages Vivaan (Satyajeet Dubey), the biological son of Baldev and he develops a hatred for Ayush. He also decides on getting rid of Ayush by killing him. When Vivaan ends up murdering Ayush’s sister, his step-brother chases him to take revenge. Whom will Baldev Pratap Singh support? Will he let go of his political consideration to safeguard his own blood? Or will he sacrifice his own son to protect his future heir?
Review: Unprincipled netas, exit polls, political rallies, and powerful families – here is yet another political drama from the house of Bollywood. As you must know by now, Prasthanam is the Hindi remake of the Telugu movie of the same name. Already been in this position during the making of the original movie 9 years ago, renowned film director Deva Katta returns back for directing the Bollywood update of Prasthanam. However, his work fails to match up with that of the original version of the movie.
Actor-cum-producer Sanjay S. Dutt plays the character of Baldev Pratap Singh, a hard-hearted politician. The legacy of his political dynasty is questioned when his sons end up standing against one another.
This is not the first time the viewers will watch a thrilling political drama. The audience is already introduced to such genres with movies such as Sarkar and Rajneeti. You are likely to witness some shades of Subhash Nagre (Amitabh Bachchan’s character in Sarkar) in Baldev. However, while Nagre stood stolid against the transgressions of his son, the character of Baldev seems totally exhausted. Dutt strengthens his role at certain instances, but those segments are just too short to have any impact.
The Mirzapur fame, Ali Fazal plays the role of Aayush, the older son of Baldev and the expected heir to his political empire. The actor is very powerful and commendable in his performance. Satyajeet Dubey plays the character of Baldev’s younger son, Vivaan. He is a typical spoilt kid of a wealthy father, who wants to acquire the power and legacy for himself and is extremely jealous of his step-brother. The rabble-rouser manages to throw sufficient tantrums in the film to make his voice get heard.
Manish Koirala playing the role of Baldev’s wife Saroj tries hard to make her presence feel dignified but is unable to deliver remarkable performance in the regressive role and critically less scope and screentime offered to her. Similarly, Jackie Shroff playing the role of Baldev’s faithful driver Badshah does not get a chance to perform with full potential because of the poorly written script. A love track starring Amyra Dastur seems completely useless in the film. The visible attempt to pack the movie with songs for making it commercial seems to be a totally wasted effort.
The character of Bajwa Khatri, played by Chunky Pandey is another saving effort in the movie. Pandey does a commendable job in the limited role offered to him.
Overall, although Prasthanam tries to reacquire the charm of the parent film released in the year 2010, it terribly fails in its mission. A theatrical watch for this movie is not at all recommended if you want to ensure your money and time do not go waste.
