By Narendra Gupta
Review: "Samrat Prithviraj" (Lost The Battle) Rating: 1.5/5 It Will Be An Impossible Task For Prithviraj To Recover The Cost Of The Film
Film Review - Samrat Prithviraj (Lost The Battle)
Rating - 1.5/ 5
Director - Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi
Producer -Aditya Chopra
Writer - Chandraprakash Dwivedi
Cinematography - Manush Nandan
Editor -Aarif Sheikh
Music -Sanchit Balhara,
Ankit Balhara, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Duration - 135m
Starring- Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Sonu Sood, Manav Vij, Manushi Chhillar, Manoj Joshi, Ashutosh Rana, Sakshi Tanwar etc.
Filmography
Akshay Kumar
1) Bell Bottom (2021)
2) Atrangi Re ( 2021)
3) Sooryavanshi (2021)
4) Bachchhan Paandey (2022)
Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi
(Director)
1) Pinjar (2003)
2) Mohalla Assi ( 2018)
Based on Prithviraj Raso, it’s about the story of the Rajput warrior and king Prithviraj Chauhan of the Chauhan dynasty, who clashes with Muhammad Ghori, a ruler from the Ghurid Dynasty who led the Islamic Conquest of Hindustan.
Plus points
1) It’s well picturised from the beginning till the end.
2) Some battle scenes are well captured.
3) Production design is above average.
Minus points
1) Though Akshay Kumar tried his best to act but he never looked like Samrat Prithviraj in the entire film. His body language and character mannerism are nowhere close to Prithviraj. In fact, his peers had a better body language and looks.
The same goes for heroine Manushi Chhillar. She failed to portray the character of princess Sanyukta. She doesn't have that grace and beauty to look like a princess.
Only Sonu Sood stands out amongst the large assembled star cast. He is quite effective and has done justice to his character. Sanjay Dutt, Ashutosh Rana, Sakshi Tanwar, Manoj Joshi and others are strictly ok. Manav Vij in the role of Gauri is seen carrying one expression throughout. He failed to look like a cruel king.
2) Director Dr. Chandra Prakash Dwivedi disappoints with his research work. He was researching on Prithviraj for the past 18 years but the story along with most of the sequences shown in the film are already known to the viewers. There’s nothing new. He could not visualise the grand scale on which the film was supposed to be shot. Many TV serials would have better presentation in terms of sets, costumes and grandeur which Samrat Prithviraj simply doesn't have. Wonder where the massive budget was spent on?
3) Story has nothing new to offer.
Screenplay has no twist and turns. Dialogues are least effective and fails to evoke any cheers in the Prithviraj force.
4) Music is forgettable, except for one track. All songs have no melody.
5) Editing is below standard. Film has many dull moments and drags in the first and second half. Songs randomly appeared without any need in the script.
Money has been wasted on picturising songs with 1000s of dancers which are forced into drama slowing the pace of the film.
6) Film looks like a new bottle with an old wine. It has outdated sets, costumes, war & Jauhar scenes; already seen in hundreds of films and tv serials.
Box Office
The trailer was below average failing to make any impact on the audience. With limited audience interest, opening was poor pan India.
Har film political netaon ko dikhane se aur tax free karwane se hit nahin ho jaati (film is tax free in UP, Uttarakhand and MP). The Kashmir files was an exception. And exceptions are not proven rules. After film Bell Bottom and Bachchan Pandey; Samrat Prithviraj would be Akshay Kumar’s third film which would struggle at the box office to cross 50 crore mark.
It will be an impossible task for Prithviraj to recover the cost of the film of 250-300 crore.
-Narendra Gupta
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