Review of Yuvvraaj (2008) by Chris C — 22 Dec 2008

A bit under-whelming. But to say this film is a disappointment would be off-setting its many positives.Though the story is nothing out the ordinary, Ghais comeback is set apart with the strong heart at the center of its narrative, emphasizing the importance of family and creative expression.

During the first half-hour of this movie I believed Ghai had set-up another disaster. The screenplay is full of bollywood cliches, with the typical you cant marry our daughter because you are not rich enough farce, the villainous extended family, and the extremely shallow issues and nonsensical squabbles of our main characters.

In summary, its a family rivalry film where in this case two brothers are after their fathers inheritance, which has been passed onto their older mentally inept brother. My fears subsided with the introduction of Anil Kapoors character, the autistic elder brother Ganesh.

Kapoor turns in another superlative performance as the child-like genius. From the moment he enters the frame Ganesh wins you over with his innocent carefree view of the world and his heart of gold. Not too far behind Salman Khan quietly turns in another good performance as Yuvvraaj.

His portions with Anil Kapoor are truly the best of this film. A noteworthy performance for a very underrated actor. But the real surprise here comes in the form of Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif, who both turn in competent performances.

Zayed Khan is especially impressive as the spoiled younger sibling. Nothing award-worthy to be sure but a definite surprise. Lastly Boman Irani is good as usual, but that his character reeks of cliche and does not garner any depth or screen-time, eluding him the space to create a truly memorable performance.

In his short appearance as Kaifs father he is hilarious and provides the film all its laughs. The other true star of this film is its technical values. The brilliant songs, gorgeous cinematography, and opulent sets on display kept me mesmerized through some of the duller portions.

Clearly positives of what you do with an enormous budget, if Ghai had spent a little more time polishing the amateurish dialogue on display throughout portions of the film we would have had a real masterpiece here.

Minor gripes aside, this film was truly made with heart, and the wonderful performances, music, and cinematography make it worth a watch.