9 years of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo: Look back at Salman Khan's family drama that won hearts

It's been nine years since Salman Khan gave one of the biggest hits of his career, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The film reunited the superstar with his first film director, Sooraj Barjatya, after 16 years, and fans were definitely looking forward to this Diwali outing. Upon its release, although the film received mixed reactions, audiences thronged to theatres to watch Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which led to the film becoming the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2015.

Star cast of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

Sooraj Barjatya wrote and directed Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, a family-friendly romantic drama featuring Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor, which Rajshri Productions produced. Aashika Bhatia, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhaskar, Anupam Kher, and Neil Nitin Mukesh are in supporting roles. The superstar had previously worked with Barjatya on Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), and with Sonam on Saawariya (2007); this is their second collaboration.

ALSO READ: 5 popular movies rejected by Amrita Rao 

Plot of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

In Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, the prince of Pritampur, Yuvraj Vijay Singh, played by Salman Khan, is betrothed to Princess Maithili, played by Sonam Kapoor, and will soon be crowned king. Neil Nitin Mukesh's character, Yuvraj Ajay Singh, his stepbrother, plots his murder to take the throne for himself. Yuvraj Ajay orchestrates a plot that traps Yuvraj Vijay in a chamber after his daring escape. Salman Khan also portrays Prem Dilwale, a carefree stage actor who resembles Vijay. He meets Princess Maithili in Pritampur after falling in love with her. Sanjay (Deepraj Rana), the head of security at Pritampur Palace, escorts him to Diwan Sahib (Anupam Kher), who coincidentally happens to see him. Upon realizing their striking resemblance, he and Yuvraj Vijay devise a plot in which Prem assumes the identity of Yuvraj Vijay, while Yuvraj recuperates in a secret location. Even though Maithili tried to end their relationship with Vijay before, Prem's genuine kindness and simplicity helped Yuvraj Vijay win her over. When Maithili learns the truth about Prem, she is stunned.

The film made its global debut on November 12, Diwali of 2015. It became a blockbuster with a global gross of ₹432 crore.  

Influences

Allegedly, Anthony Hope's 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda served as the basis for the 2012 South Korean film Masquerade, which in turn influenced the film's central plot.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is available to stream on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium), Disney+ Hotstar, and Prime Video.

ALSO READ: Sonam Kapoor's romantic films to stream on OTT