Prem Keetanu arrives in theatres with a simple promise. Give the audience some romance, friendship, comedy and a little emotional drama. It clashes with mighty Drishyam The Conclusion. Directed by Apoorv Singh Karki and written by Girish A.D. and Deepak Kingrani, the film stars Veer Pahariya, Aafiya Sayed, Aparshakti Khurana, Nikhil Vijay and Rakesh Bedi. It is the Hindi remake of the Malayalam romantic comedy Premalu, but the film tries to give the story its own youthful flavour. With a runtime of 2 hours and 27 minutes, Prem Keetanu takes its time with its characters and relationships. Thankfully, it remains fairly easy to watch for most of its runtime.
Prem Keetanu Story
The story begins with Vishal (Veer Pahariya), a carefree youngster whose life revolves around college, friends and the usual struggles of figuring out what he actually wants to do. During the college admission process, he meets Suhani (Aafiya Sayed). Their first meeting is hardly romantic. In fact, they get into an argument, and a misunderstanding leads to Suhani cursing Vishal that he will not get a girlfriend for the next four years.
And that becomes an amusing part of Vishal’s college journey. He spends years trying to find love, but nothing really works out. After completing college, life takes another turn. Suhani gets a job at a company in Gurgaon, while Vishal finds himself struggling after being rejected from a job because of an exam-related issue. He eventually moves to Delhi with his friend Magan (Nikhil Vijay) and starts figuring out his next move.
Just when Vishal is thinking about going to the US for further studies, he unexpectedly crosses paths with Suhani again at a wedding. This time, things are different. Vishal falls for her and decides to pursue her. The problem is that he is not the only one interested in Suhani.
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Ranjeet (Aparshakti Khurana), Suhani’s team lead, is confident, successful and equally interested in her. What starts as a simple love story soon becomes a funny and awkward equation between three people. Vishal has to deal with jealousy, insecurity and heartbreak while trying to understand whether Suhani actually feels the same way about him.
The story keeps moving between romance, friendship and family dynamics before eventually bringing the characters to a point where they have to confront what they really want.
Prem Keetanu Review
The biggest strength of Prem Keetanu is its easygoing nature. It does not try to turn a simple love story into something unnecessarily complicated. The film understands that romantic comedies work best when the characters feel like real people having ordinary conversations.
The friendship angle works particularly well. Vishal and Magan share the kind of equation that feels familiar. Their conversations, teasing and random arguments provide several genuinely funny moments. The humour comes naturally from their personalities rather than from forcing a punchline into every scene.
This is where director Apoorv Singh Karki gets the tone right. He keeps the film youthful without making it overly loud. The college portions have an easy charm, while the later Delhi and Gurgaon portions give the story a more mature setting. The transition from college life to adulthood also gives Vishal’s character some room to grow.
The romance between Vishal and Suhani takes a little time to settle. Their relationship works better when the film allows them to talk and understand each other rather than pushing them into dramatic romantic situations. Aafiya Sayed and Veer Pahariya share decent chemistry, and their equation gradually becomes more convincing. The film’s writing is at its best in the smaller moments. That simplicity gives the film its charm.
However, the screenplay is not equally strong throughout. Some story developments are predictable, especially if you have watched similar romantic comedies. The love triangle also follows a familiar route. You can anticipate certain turns well before the characters reach them.
At 2 hours and 27 minutes, Prem Keetanu is not particularly short for this genre. Thankfully, it does not feel painfully stretched. Still, a tighter edit could have made the experience smoother. There are portions where the film could have moved faster, particularly when the narrative shifts between romance and family drama.
Music And Technical Aspects
Technically, Prem Keetanu keeps things uncomplicated. Arjun Kukreti’s cinematography is good and captures the youthful world without making it look overly stylised. The college environment feels lived-in, while Delhi and Gurgaon provide a natural backdrop for the later portions.
The music is composed by Sachet-Parampara, Annkur R Pathakk, Rahul Mishra, The Rish and Shashi Suman. The songs fit the romantic and emotional portions, but there is no track that stays with you for too long after the film ends. The background music supports the mood without becoming intrusive.
The editing is mostly effective, although the screenplay could have benefited from a tighter cut. The film has enough entertaining moments to keep you engaged, but a few portions could certainly have been trimmed.
Prem Keetanu Performances
Veer Pahariya gets a role that requires him to be charming, confused, immature and vulnerable at different points. He makes a confident impression as Vishal. His strongest scenes are the lighter ones, where he gets to play off his friends and react to the situations around him. There is an effortless quality to his performance that suits the character.
Aafiya Sayed is good as Suhani. She brings warmth to the character and does not overplay the romantic portions. Her chemistry with Veer works better when their relationship is allowed to develop naturally.
Aparshakti Khurana is a welcome addition to the film. As Ranjeet, he brings his familiar comic energy but does not completely turn the character into a caricature. His presence adds another layer to the love triangle, particularly because Ranjeet is presented as a more confident personality than Vishal.
Nikhil Vijay is one of the film’s entertaining performers. His dark humour and one-liners land well, and his chemistry with Veer feels natural. Magan could easily have become a generic best friend, but Nikhil gives him enough personality to stand out.
Rakesh Bedi brings warmth to the family portions. His presence adds familiarity and works well during the more emotional moments. The supporting cast also does its job without taking attention away from the central characters.
Final Verdict
Prem Keetanu is a sweet and breezy romantic comedy that knows what kind of film it wants to be. It has a likeable lead pair, entertaining friendship portions and enough humour to keep things moving. It works because of its simplicity.
It may not leave a huge impact, but Prem Keetanu delivers enough laughs, romance and emotion to make for a pleasant watch. If you enjoy youthful romantic comedies built around friendship and relationships, this one is a decent watch.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
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