Partner Review

Some dos and donts you need to follow while watching PARTNER…

* Lock your brains in the almirah, before you head for the nearby movieplex to catch this zany entertainer.

* Dont look for logic. Dont ask questions. Dont raise eyebrows. .

* Dont argue with what the master chef David Dhawan serves on your plate. .

* Do carry some earplugs/earwax if youre allergic to noise. The cineplex will reverberate with high decibels of laughter, which could tax your ear-drums if youre overtly sensitive

Welcome to PARTNER, David Dhawans new comic caper. Its stylish, its crazier, its a bigger entertainer than Davids last two laughathons, MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA. Making people laugh is an art and David has mastered this art over the years. Like wine, he has only matured with time.

Lets come straight to the point. PARTNER is for those seeking non-stop entertainment. Its targeted at those who swear by masala films. Those who want to get transported to a world of make-believe in those 2 hours. Its definitely not for those who actually know what to expect, but pretend to rubbish escapist cinema. Also, its not for certain critics [looking for art cinema in a masala entertainer] whose star ratings are a much bigger joke than the one David Dhawan pulls off with élan. The film works, and works big time.

In a nutshell, if youre into escapist cinema, if youre looking for laughter unlimited, if youre curious to watch the bonding between Govinda and Salman Khan, if youre a big fan of David Dhawan movies, if you believe in shelling out Rs. 150 for a ticket and expecting entertainment worth Rs. 200, PARTNER is just for you!

Prem [Salman Khan] is a date doctor who, for a fee, has helped hundreds of men woo the women of their dreams. In his childhood, he understood a womans likes and dislikes in food, clothes or men. His aim is to help those men who like or love women, not to take them to bed.

The ultimate professional bachelor, Prem discovers that his tried and tested tricks are no match for Naina [Lara Dutta], the one woman he truly loves, who works for a newspaper as a journalist.

He comes across Bhaskar [Govinda], who is in love with Priya [Katrina Kaif], the rich and famous daughter of a tycoon [Dilip Tahil]. Prem helps Govinda find his lady love and eventually also finds a soulmate in Naina.

Inspired by director Andy Tennants likable Hollywood hit HITCH [2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film. Its glossy, has some stunning visuals, boasts of very catchy and hummable music and of course, hardly has any tense moment in those 16 reels.

What works is the casting of the two characters, whore as dissimilar as chalk and cheese. Although the romantic portions have the right chemistry between Salman and Lara and Govinda and Katrina, the USP is undoubtedly the terrific bonding between Salman and Govinda, whose on-screen escapades take the film to dizzier heights. Besides, the witty one-liners [Sanjay Chhel] are another ace that has the viewer in splits. The dialogues are truly funny and actually accentuate the impact of every sequence.

Any hitches? Yes, theres one! The track that leads to the misunderstandings in the climax looks unwarranted. Writer sahib [screenplay: Yunus Sajawal, David Dhawan], this track [Rajat Bedi, Aarti Chhabria] compels you to break into a yawn. Also, it adds to the length of the enterprise. But the subsequent portion [Govindas honeymoon travails] is rip-roaringly funny.

David Dhawan gets it right yet again. Hes on familiar ground and like a seasoned cricketer knows the game inside out. He hits a boundary yet again. Sanjay Chhels dialogues are superb. Sajid-Wajid make a terrific comeback, with every song having the stamp of a chartbuster embossed on it. Even their picturizations [choreography: Bosco-Caesar] are excellent. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is first-rate. The film bears an opulent look all through. Costumes of Salman and Govinda [Alvira Khan Agnihotri] are stylish.

The question is, who steals the show? Actually both! Salman performs like never before. Sure, he looks dapper [one compliment hes heard umpteen times], but he packs in a solid punch whenever hes on screen. His fans will only multiply with this film. Govinda sets the screen blazing with an incredible performance. Although the actor has featured in a few films after a hiatus [BHAGAM BHAG, SALAAM-E-ISHQ], PARTNER is his comeback film. He has the viewer eating out of his hands actually. Those who felt that hes a spent force will have to eat back their words.

Lara Dutta looks gorgeous and pairs off very well with Salman. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous and pitches in a natural performance. Rajpal Yadav is really funny. Puneet Issar is alright. Dilip Tahil is okay. Suresh Menon is excellent. Child artiste Ali Haji is wonderful. His confidence level is astonishing!

On the whole, PARTNER is a winner all the way. This ones a laugh-riot that will have the viewers laughing in the aisles and its distributors, laughing all the way to the bank. A sure-shot Hit.