“Prassthanam” Review: Neither Suspenseful, Nor Engaging

Prassthanam is an official remake of the 2010 Telugu film Prasthanam. South Indian filmmaker Deva Katta, who helmed the original movie, has called the shots for the Hindi remake as well. Apart from playing the male lead, superstar Sanjay Dutt is also the producer of the movie.

Besides him, Prassthanam also stars Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Chunky Panday, Ali Fazal, Amyra Dastur and Satyajeet Dubey. Should you be watching the film this weekend? Let’s find out.

What Prassthanam Is All About?

Prassthanam is a political drama which unfolds in Ballipur, Uttar Pradesh. Patriarch Baldev Pratap Singh (Sanjay Dutt) is a powerful MLA. His half-son Aayush Singh (Ali Fazal) is his right hand. Aayush is a righteous man, while his step-brother Vivaan Singh (Satyajeet Dubey) is a rich spoilt brat. All these men are bound by Baldev Singh’s wife Saroj (Manisha Koirala). The legacy battle between the two sons of Baldev Singh forms the crux of the story.

Is Prassthanam Worth Your Time & Money?

Had it been released in the 90s, Prassthanam would have been loved by the masses. Alas, the film releases in 2019 when the audience has access to far better and richer content. Prassthanam looks stale from the word go. Its dialogues are trite and so is the screenplay. Director Deva Katta, who directed the original film some nine years ago, fails to bring any novelty to his Bollywood adaptation.

Talking about performances, Sanjay Dutt does impress with his act. In all the scenes he is a part of, he exudes authority. However, his character is very stereotypical which does not rise above average. Talking about Manisha Koirala, she pulls off her character well. But since it is a poorly written character with zero freshness, she could not help much.

Ali Fazal and Satyajeet Dubey deliver average performance. In the absence of a good storyline and taut characters, even actors like Jackie Shroff and Chunky Panday fail to leave an impression. Having said that, Panday manages to show his mettle in some of the scenes.

Final Verdict

Prassthanam lacks novelty. It is a political potboiler revolving around a done-to-death story. Despite having an army of actors at its disposal, the film just fails to keep you invested because of the sheer absence of a strong, palatable storyline. I am going with 2 stars.

Movie Details

Banner: Sanjay S Dutt Productions
Director: Deva Katta
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff, Ali Fazal, Chunky Panday, etc.
Runtime: 141 Minutes
STARBIZ Rating: 2 Stars

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