Disney’s Khoobsurat — also known as Fawad Khan’s long-awaited Bollywood debut — has finally released and as rom-coms go, this one comes with an entire bucket-load of expectations attached to it.

As Disney’s maiden Bollywood venture, audiences expect the movie to have all the trappings of the quintessential fairytale romance, complete with a Prince Charming, Princess and a ‘whole new world’ of magic and music. Khoobsurat, in addition, is the remake of a Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic; no less than a Rekha-Rakesh Roshan-Ashok Kumar starrer and that is a tall order to lay claim to, in any case. And of course, all eyes are on Fawad Khan, the dreamboat leading man who’s had Pakistan swooning ever since Humsafar and now has his smoldering gaze set firmly on India.

Does the movie manage to pack in the punches? Yes and no. Does Fawad manage to make his mark? Definitely, yes! He may not have swooped in on a magic carpet but he still works the magic very well as the chiseled, urbane Raja Vikram. But before we dissect the ‘whys’ and whats’ to #Fawadfever — the hashtag that’s gone viral on social media — let’s discuss the movie …

And they lived happily ever after …

Once upon a time

Khoobsurat narrates the story of the royal Rathod family, living a regimented and boring life in their picturesque Rajasthani palace. The matriarch — the Rani enacted to tight-lipped, frowning perfection by Ratna Pathak Shah — dictates the rules to a tee: dinner is no later than 8pm, the daughter of the house is preparing to go to Oxford, the son has his eyes on business while the Raja sits sullenly indisposed in his wheelchair.

In comes the insouciant, over-the-top, catastrophically silly Dr Milli, a physiotherapist called in from Delhi to treat the Raja. She is, as the title proclaims, the ‘royal misfit’; proudly Punjabi, outspoken, with a garish wardrobe. In no time, she has the Rani sniveling and Prince Vikram cocking that infamous eyebrow.

Somewhere down the line, while boisterously chucking a chicken leg from the serving tray, breaking popadums noisily over dinner and drunkenly canoodling that her bum dolay with the kitchen staff, Milli manages to soften the royalty and sweep the ‘frog’ Vikram off his feet, turning him into a ‘prince’.

Sonam is unable to discern the fine line between being adorably funny and irritating. Perhaps she should have toned down her character to make it more likeable and less cringe-worthy. She’s occasionally funny but for most of the movie, she’s barely bearable.

That’s the story in a nutshell. There’s a kidnapping episode, plenty of funny one-liners and a chemistry that begins mildly and sizzles by the end. Yes, it’s your typical opposites attract story, featuring the clumsy Milli and the Mr Darcy-esque Prince; entirely predictable though not boring. And yes, you will occasionally wonder how this couple could possibly survive post their ‘Happily Ever After’.

Then again, this is a Disney romantic-comedy and from that viewpoint, it delivers by bringing on the fluff and frivolity in droves. Khoobsurat is the quintessential chick flick, wrapped in shiny candy foil and vibrant colours for audiences with a sweet tooth. Others, with more austere tastes, may not like it as much.

Prince Charming, Princess not-so-charming and the usual doses of good ol’ Punjabi comedy

For one, this is a heroine-centric movie where the heroine is unable to discern the fine line between being adorably funny and irritating. It’s hard to believe that Milli is a successful doctor considering her bawdy manners, clumsiness and general obnoxiousness.

This was Sonam’s home-production, with father Anil Kapoor and sister Rhea Kapoor co-producing. Perhaps she should have toned down her character to make it more likeable and less cringe-worthy. Sonam tries too hard and sadly, it shows. She’s occasionally funny but for most of the movie, she’s barely bearable.

The soundtrack features peppy, foot-tapping numbers that — except for the emotionally-charged, beautifully composed Naina — may make it to discotheques for a while but are entirely forgettable.

What works for Khoobsurat, then, are the two performances that literally carry the movie forward. Kirron Kher is brilliant as Milli’s emotional, matchmaking mum. This may be her umpteenth role as a Punjabi mum but she’s still endearing and hilarious and her tongue-in-cheek repartees with her daughter are one of the movie’s highlights.

Fawad Khan plays the gorgeous romantic hero to the hilt — it’s a role that he has managed to master over the years but credit goes to him for breathing fresh air into Prince Vikram. He looks fabulous in his well-tailored suits — as well as without! — and never lets his character veer towards the mundane. It remains to be seen how Fawad fares in trickier roles as Bollywood is fiercely competitive. Khoobsurat, though, was a great choice for a debut where he does what he does best. For now, he has all of Bollywood, and beyond, swooning over his dashing prince. 

Credit also goes to director Shashanka Ghosh for masterfully playing up the romance between the two leads. The covert glances and flirtations, with the inner thoughts of the leads contradicting what they’re actually saying, are designed to please the hopelessly romantics amongst the audience.

And Khoobsurat, essentially, is a movie for the romantically inclined. It’s no unforgettable magnum opus and nor does it claim to be. Give it a miss if your tastes veer towards hard-hitting, message-laden cinema. But if you love chick flicks, lighthearted romance, Fawad Khan and have the forbearance to stand Sonam Kapoor’s more irritating moments, do watch it. You may love it enough to watch it again.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 28th, 2014