Film: Partner
Director: David Dhawan
Producer: Sohail Khan and Parag Sanghvi
Global Distributor: Eros International
Cast: Salman Khan, Govinda, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif, Rajpal Yadav, Aarti Chabria, Deepshikha, Rajat Bedi, Suresh Mennon
Rating: 3/5
Keep your brains in the jar and lock it in a safe; that is possibly the best way you can enjoy the film, Partner. Filled with tons of antics and witty lines the film is not for the weak hearted and frowning faces.
The plot is almost like that of the will smith starrer Hitch. Love guru Prem (Salman Khan) is the best in the job of fixing people up with their ideal partners. Of course that until a practically impossible, Mr.-all-wrong, middle class Bhasker (Govinda) approaches him for help with wooing Priya (Katrina Kair), an industrial heiress. While Prem is working hard at helping Bhasker with his love, he falls for Naina, a single mother (Lara Dutta).
All ends well, but then, a movie such as this is no fun without a whole lot of confusion and misunderstanding. So following is a whole lot of problem solving and one funny chota Don (Rajpal Yadav), who is inconsequential to the film.
The thing is if one wanted to rip apart the film, they could very well do so with the million odd inconsistencies the film possesses. Like including pointless characters who have nothing to do with the story and jumping locations without establishing them (Phuket to Dubai to Mumbai, God knows where the characters are located). But then you’d miss the entire point of watching the film; that of being a non stop entertainer from start to finish.
Everything contained in the film leads to promoting the two lead characters and their larking about. The dialogues are well written and the actions only enhance them.
Though the location is nowhere close to being established in any scene, what is captured is remarkable. The camerawork, cinematography and editing all come together to make one helluva film that holds your attention. The characters are human and with being human comes a whole lot of impromptu gestures. Pairing Salman opposite Govinda allows for a bagful of antics that seem spontaneous and this is exciting to watch.
There are many levels the film scores on, besides the side-splitting actions. The music is great and comes exactly at places where the film slows down in pace, thus getting it back on track. The styling of each actor is true to their character and is striking, which results in them looking their best till date. What is most remarkable about this film, which makes it incomparable to any other film, is that in spite of being irrational it provides a great cinematic experience.
Govinda cake walked through the entire film and has delivered a great performance. Salman conjures up some great funny expressions. As a pair, they carry the film, without you questioning a thing. It is the ladies who do a so-so job in delivering great performances. Dutta does well until a point and then fails to elevate her character. Kaif who looks dazzling in the film, has little to do and thus an actual performance is really not seen.
Questioning its box office do is foolishness in itself. Partner has enough comedy in it to sail through good collections. Besides the star cast who will draw in a good amount of crowd, the excessive marketing will prove to be an added plus.
The king of comedies, David Dhawan has done it again with Partner.
