Prem Keetanu Review: Veer Pahariya’s Rom-Com Struggles to Connect
Veer Pahariya and Aafiya Sayed lead Prem Keetanu, a relationship drama that tackles insecurity and gender dynamics but struggles with its execution.
Prem Keetanu follows Vishal (Veer Pahariya) and Suhani (Aafiya Sayed), two engineering graduates whose relationship becomes complicated by career ambitions, jealousy and insecurity. Suhani lands a job at an IT company led by Ranjeet (Aparshakti Khurana), while Vishal turns towards GRE and TOEFL preparation after struggling to secure a placement.
Their paths cross again after college, leading to romance, misunderstandings and bruised egos. The film attempts to examine modern relationships through themes including toxic masculinity, rejection, women’s agency and the so-called “friend zone”.
However, the social commentary often feels inserted rather than naturally integrated into the story. The screenplay repeatedly circles around similar emotional conflicts, making the narrative feel stretched and predictable.
Pahariya brings energy to scenes involving heartbreak and anger, while debutant Aafiya Sayed shows promise in emotional sequences. Their chemistry, however, remains underwhelming. Aparshakti Khurana gets limited scope in a familiar jealous-boss role, while Rakesh Bedi emerges as one of the film’s more engaging performers.
Director Apoorv Singh Karki relies on conventional romantic-drama visuals, while the cinematography and music fail to leave much of an impression.
Prem Keetanu aims to present a modern take on relationships but struggles to move beyond familiar rom-com formulas.
