Ready

Die-hard fans of mindless ‘masala’ Bollywood potboilers will love this Hindi remake of a Telugu hit. Prem (Salman Khan) must save his orphan lady-love Sanjana (Asin) from her unscrupulous uncles who want to usurp her property. Forget about the outdated formulaic plot: this is a star vehicle to showcase ageing A-lister Khan’s immense star power. He rises to the occasion assaulting our senses with his trademark gym-bunny antics, with dialogue delivered with an inexplicable American twang and a larger-than-life screen presence. This works in the film’s favour: it’s loud, crude and unpretentious. Peppy hit songs shot in ‘exotic’ locales (Sri Lanka, Bangkok) add to its appeal. Depending on your sensibilities, this reaffirms everything which is depressing or delightful about ready-made commercial Indian cinema.