Prem Kumar Review: The Santosh Soban, Rashi Singh starrer is a predictable and routine rom-com with a passable second half

2.5/5

Story

Prem Kumar's(Santosh Soban) only aim is to get married. On his wedding day, his fiance, Nethra(Rashi Singh) elopes with a movie star named Roshan. Upset with this, Prem Kumar starts a breakup agency where she spoils others' weddings. The twist in the tale arises when Nethra comes back to Prem Kumar and asks him to spoil Roshan's wedding who cheats on her. Prem Kumar takes this as an opportunity to impress Nethra. Will he be successful in his mission and end up marrying Nethra is the basic storyline of the film.

Review

Santosh Soban, who has a natural flair for comedy attempts yet another romantic comedy, titled Prem Kumar, which gives him ample scope to perform. The manner in which his character is established as a man who is unlucky in marriage looks good at the beginning of the film. The way his story is leaked online and how Prem Kumar becomes a laughing stock online is set up well in the beginning. 

Abhishek Maharshi directs this film and his story is decent on paper. The hero's fiance eloping, on the wedding day, comes back to the hero asking for help to spoil her lover's wedding so he can marry her, all this is interlinked and is started on a decent note.

But the main character of Roshan is a bit weak in the film. The actor who plays the role of Rising Star Roshan, hams for no reason. A popular face would have made a world of good for the film. After a decent start, the grip on the proceedings wanders and new subplots of Angana come into the frame. This part is not handled well by the director and creates a boring factor for the audience. 

Also Read: Santosh Soban plays a crazy role in Prem Kumar, read to know more 

Only when the heroine comes back to the hero for help, the film starts making some in the interval block. In a way, the first half of the film is boring and is filled with dragged scenes and over-the-top comedy featuring Ashok Kumar and Krishna Teja. Whenever the character of Roshan comes on screen, the proceeding looks silly.

Coming to performances, Santosh Soban does well in his act. As said earlier, he plays an underdog, and the manner in which he cracks jokes about himself is projected well by the actor. Krishna Teja plays his friend and their chemistry is decent. The young actors evoke a few fun scenes to enjoy.

Rashi Singh plays the female lead and she was just about okay. Her character chooses between two guys and the way he selects one in no time looks a bit over the top. The director should have added some more emotions to her role. Ruchitha Sadineni who plays Angana looked good in her role and brings depth to the film. Ashok Kumar was loud but Sudharsh was neat as the hero's sidekick.

The film is made on a low budget but looks rich. The dialogues need a special mention as they are quirky and evoke decent laughs in the first half. The camerawork showcasing the simple setup is neat and the production design is also okay. The editing part in the first half is not up to the mark as some family scenes and Roshan's scenes should have been trimmed.

Director Abhishek Maharshi extracts a decent performance from Santosh Soban, who is key to the film. When he is on the screen, the film makes sense. But the other factors like lack of strong emotions are a big miss in the film. The story is a bit twisted and is narrated in a haphazard manner in the first half which bores the audience. But it is only when the second half starts, the story unfolds in a proper manner and the film is ended on a fun note.

Verdict

On the whole, Prem Kumar has an interesting premise and Santosh Soban's performance holds the fort. But it is the weak first half the audience needs to sit through to enjoy the film. The broken pieces are joined well in the latter part and the last twenty minutes of the film are enjoyable.

Also Read: Prem Kumar trailer: Santosh Soban plays a marriage breaker who falls in love