Review: Partner is a laugh riot

Ninety nine percent of women get the men they want and 99 percent of men don't get the women they want. How to bridge the gap? Partner has the answers.

Partner is a laugh riot. Barring a few exceptions like 'Golmal' and a few Priyadarshan movies, in Hindi films comedy was restricted primarily to comedians like Mehmood, Jagdeep, Asrani, Keshtoo Mukherjee, Satish Shah, and Johnny Lever. In the 90's David Dhawan and Govinda changed that trend and made several romantic comedies. Govinda was the first choice of David Dhawan for making romantic comedies and still remains so. Together they ruled the box office with a number of comedy hits. After a hiatus the duo is back with 'Partner'.

Partner is the story of a sensitive and yet gauche Bhaskar (Govinda). He is a dud when it comes to get hitched to the woman he loves. He fumbles and stutters in the presence of the woman he is besotted with. To make matters worse his love interest is none other than his boss, Priya Jaisingh (Katrina Kaif), a rich and an elegant beauty. That's when Bhaskar decides to take the help of Prem (Salman Khan), a love guru that trains people in winning their loves.

Prem initially refuses to help Bhaskar as he gauges without much difficulty that the guy is a hopeless case. But later he gives in to the persistence of Bhaskar.

Giving lessons to his student on love, the love guru finds himself smitten with a gossip columnist Naina (Lara Dutta). As his student struggles to overcome his own short comings and win his dream girl, the guru tries to woo his love who is a single mother. How they manage to win their respective loves forms the rest of Partner.

Though inspired from the 2005 Hollywood movie Hitch, Partner is a thoroughly entertaining movie. The way the movie has been adapted to the Indian context is remarkable. While every one from Partner can share the credit of working hard and giving their best, it's Govinda that stands out. The entire film rests on his superlative acting talent and comic timing. And in Bollywood there is hardly anyone better than Govinda in doing that. In one word his performance is 'impeccable'.

Just a few minutes after the starting, Partner makes the viewers sympathize with the main protagonist Bhaskar. A common man, neither strikingly well built and handsome like his love guru nor experienced in affairs of romance and love, soon gets the audience on his side. Because more than half of the viewers who themselves are not perfect, start identifying themselves with Bhaskar.

From that point on the movie keeps on scoring high on the basis of perfect rib tickling dialogs, acting, and plot. Add to that a steady dose of emotion, and Partner pulls at the heart strings of the viewers harder.

Of course there is the breathtakingly elegant Katrina Kaif. Interestingly she is not paired opposite the hunk Salman. The crowned beauty Lara Dutta is good as a journo and a single mother.

The finale of Partner is the most hilarious. If other comedies made the viewers roll with laughter in their seats, Partner will make them roll with laughter on the aisles.

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Partner