Shehzada: Kartik Steals Spotlight review in 1Min

The Bollywood film Shehzada, directed by Rohit Dhawan, follows Bantu (played by Kartik Aaryan), a boy switched at birth by a factotum of a wealthy tycoon, who ends up in the home of the naukar when he should have been raised in the palace of the wealthy maalik. The film follows Bantu's quest to figure out who he is and right the wrongs done to him. While the film is somewhat of a fits-and-starts affair, with parts of the film being fairly watchable, it is solely because of what Aaryan brings to the table - a likeable persona whose masculinity is tempered with a clear sense of the line that separates the acceptable from what is not. Aaryan goes on in one fell swoop to be a lover, an action hero, a mamma's boy, an angry crusader against those that have wronged him, and a firm protector of the family he has an embryonic bond with. The focus of Shehzada is squarely on the actor, and the other cast members, including Paresh Rawal, are at hand primarily to help the male lead display his wares. Kriti Sanon is a lawyer who is never in a courtroom and is the romantic interest and the focal point of a couple of musical set pieces. The film has an unmistakable retro ring to it, but the film is harmless and a remake of the 2020 Telugu superhit Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. Overall, the film is watchable, but without Aaryan, there might not be much left.