By Goher Iqbal Punn, Film Critic & Entertainment Analyst, Showbiz Bites
Producer: Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor and Siddharth Roy Kapur (UTV’s Walt Disney Pictures)
Director: Shashank Ghosh
Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan and Ratna Pathak Shah
Music: Sneha Khanwalkar, Badshah and Amal Malik
Rating: 
(1.5 / 5)
Khoobsurat, a well-promoted movie, hits the screens today. It was being predicted before the release about its good opening. Now wait and let’s see if that happens. The film’s face value clearly shows it is something of a cinematic fairy tale story or romantic novel written in Urdu. The story also lets you sense as if the concept was taken from some romantic Urdu novel – quite popular among Urdu readers in particular among the women. Well, it clearly seems so that the concept has surely been borrowed from the same source whether admitted or not! The film talks about a loud-mouthed chirpy girl who steps into a royal house, heals the ailing person on wheelchair, brings love among the family members by getting all of them come closer to each other.
First thing first – there is no novelty in the story at all. We have watched these kinds of fairy tales on celluloid umpteen times and read a number of novels/stories as well. Nothing new has been even added to make the story sophisticated and modern to live up to the taste of today’s viewers. The writing could have been crispier more. Had a very careful attention been given to the story and then to the script (which is weaker more than the story), the cinematic result would have been simply lavish and attention-grabbing.
Apart from the weak points, Khoobsurat is a light-hearted entertainer from every sense of the word. The film gives you laughter, comedy, fun and romance to enjoy with. If you put your mind aside and just watch this film to extract pleasures, you can enjoy it thoroughly. Although it is called an official remake of the 80s classic of Rekha with the same title, but this film does not have anything in common with Rekha’s Khoobsurat. Yes, in this sense, you may find the novelty otherwise it does not carry it at all.
The movie begins with a professional physiotherapist Mili Chakravarthy (Sonam Kapoor), who works with IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders team. For the treatment of the royal King Shekhar Rathore (Aamir Raza Hussain), she enters into the royal palace of Sambhalgarh that is run by the strict rules, manners and commands by the strict Queen of the palace Nirmala Devi Rathore (Ratna Pathak Shah). Mili also stumbles upon the son of the royal family Vikram Rathore (Fawad Khan) and their daughter Divya. The entire palace and the royal legacy are maintained only by the Queen herself. The outspoken Mili is an utter misfit in this ambiance. From the moment, Mili steps into the house, the royal decorum is tossed upside down. During the process of treatment, she starts realizing that there is something more of what she is able to see at the palace. Therefore, she then begins befriending the King and then subsequently changing his life into a fun. Although both Nirmala and Vikram do not like Mili at all, but when they see the progress in Shekhar’s health, they start approving her. Vikram is engaged to a royal heiress Kiara (Aditi Rao Hydari). But he now begins liking Mili, who too starts finding the similar feelings inside her for the prince.
As for story, everything has been mentioned in above lines. The screenplay is quite weak – no careful attention has been conferred to it. There are many flaws into the narrative. The first half is interesting, but post interval portion is simply drastic and full of flaws. Only a bit of attention to the screenplay could have saved the movie from drowning. Indira Bisht is the main culprit, who has penned the script for this film. Dialogues by Juhi Chaturvedi are witty and attention-fetching. Editing is fine. Cinematography by Tushar Kanti Ray is top notch. Music is below average. Only Engine Ki Seeti is the pick of the lot. Director Shashank Ghosh could not succeed in fetching in viewers’ attention, as direction is just average.
Sonam Kapoor is fantastic in her outspoken avatar. She delivers the goods aptly and perfectly. The film revolves around her and she carries it bravely on her shoulders. Sadly, when the content is mundane, well-delivered performances could do nothing. Pakistani TV actor Fawad Khan makes his Bollywood debut with this film. His looks and personality are charming. He enacts his part luminously. He can foresee his career in Bollywood. Good luck to him. Ratna Pathak Shah is efficient. Kiron Kher, as a Punjabi mother, is brilliant, but irritates at places. Aamir Raza Hussain is fine. Others too do justice to their own respective characters.
Final Verdict:
On the whole, Khoobsurat carries no novelty at all. Bad story and weak script are the main flaws. If the film fails at the box office, badly written script and the story would be the main culprits for the same.
Also read Daawat-e-Ishq Movie Review, Daawat-e-Ishq opening occupancy, Khoobsurat opening occupancy, Khoobsurat box office prediction with analysis, Daawat-e-Ishq box office prediction with analysis, Ranbir and Jacqueline spotted in Malaysia and special feature on Holly Hagan’s weight loss secret (diet plan) REVEALED.
