Khoobsurat

<p>Mrinalini “Milli” Chakravarty is a physiotherapist who works for the . Her loud Punjabi mother Manju hopes that she will find a suitable and charming man to marry. Her services are called upon by a royal family in where King Shekhar Singh Rathore is paralyzed from the waist down. She is told that 40 doctors have already left a demanding job. Milli travels to the royal palace and meets the discipline-oriented queen, Nirmala Devi Rathore, who is not amused by Milli’s enthusiasm and clumsiness. Milli finds that her casual way of living clashes with the strict discipline of the royal household. She meets the prince, Vikram Singh Rathore, whose distant personality makes him similar to his parents. Milli befriends Divya Rathore, the youngest child princess of the family, and encourages her passion for cinema against the family’s wishes that she study business management. Shekhar avoids the exercises Milli prescribes and she turns to Vikram for help. He gives Milli the same answer that Nirmala gave her – if she can’t stand the heat, she might as well get out of the kitchen. Milli becomes frustrated and tells them that they should be helping Shekhar, accusing them of being stubborn, rigid and self-centered. Milli is about to leave when she learns from Ram Sevak, Shekhar’s trusted servant, that Shekhar’s injury came from a car accident that killed his eldest son. The queen’s demeanor changed due to his paralysis and the responsibilities thrust upon her, and the once-happy atmosphere of the royal household came to its present state. Milli shames Shekhar into getting over his guilt and tries to befriend him through conversation and video games, and encourages him to talk about the car accident. Milli sees improvements after 2–3 months with Shekhar, who persuades Vikram to take Milli with him to Surajgarh Palace. They spend some time together, and the prince leaves for a meeting while she shops. Milli is kidnapped; when Vikram saves her, they share a kiss. Though they agree to set aside their attraction, the two start falling in love. Milli confesses her love for him but Vikram refuses to acknowledge it, saying that they come from two different stocks; he is also engaged to a lady of his status, Kiara. Divya runs away for film auditions in Jaipur. Milli informs Nirmala that she knew about Divya’s plans, and is ordered out of the palace, heartbroken over Vikram’s rejection. Divya returns and tells Nirmala that she came back because of Milli. Shekhar then surprises Nirmala by rising to his feet and admitting that he saw Divya run away. He tells her that this is what Milli has been trying to teach them: to love life as it is. Vikram breaks off his engagement with Kiara and confesses his love for Milli; his parents give their blessing and send him to find her in Delhi. Vikram eventually finds Milli at a paintball arena, and declares his love for her. Covered in paint, he wins her mother’s approval by proposing in her style. They are married, with Milli given the title of “The Royal Misfit.” The music of was composed by , and . The lyrics were written by a range of artists including, Ikram Rajasthani, Badshah, , Sunil Choudhary, Amitabh Verma and . The first song, “Engine Ki Seeti”, was released on 7 August 2014, and samples Rajasthani folk song “Anjun Ki Seeti” which Ikram Rajasthani specifically re-wrote for the film. A promotional song titled “Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai”, composed by Punjabi rapper was released on 22 August 2014. The film’s soundtrack was officially released on 1 September 2014. The producers felt that the film lacked a soulful love song and upon the request of Rhea Kapoor, music composer wrote the song “Naina”, which is sung by his brother and Sona Mohapatra. In 2024, There were plans to have a sequel for Khoobsurat titled which will slightly release in 2026 which will star and in lead and directed by . opened to a slow start at the box office, with occupancies ranging from 15 to 20 percent at multiplexes and single screens across India. The film earned about (US$320,000) on its opening day, it is one of the lowest openings of Sonam Kapoor. Due to positive , showed 30% growth at the box office, earning (US$440,000) on the second day of release and (US$600,000) on the third. The film netted a total of (US$1.4 million) during the first three days of release, with describing the weekend collections as “low”, but with “good” trending. The film remained steady throughout the rest of the week, netting (US$2.3 million) in India alone. Remaining steady on its eighth day of release, the film collected (US$180,000), and a further (US$290,000) on its ninth day, being declared as a “hit” by various media outlets. Khoobsurat performed fairly well overseas. As of 21 September 2014, earned (US$1.3 million) in , (US$360,000) in the United States and Canada, (US$440,000) in the UK, (US$820,000) in the , (US$41,000) in Australia, (US$11,000) in New Zealand and (US$56,000) in . In the first two days of release, it had netted a total of (US$3.0 million) in the overseas markets. garnered mixed to positive reviews from critics but received widespread critical acclaim overseas. Koel Puri of gave the film 4/5, saying “[the film] is no path breaker but for the fact that I just can’t fault it, I still have a smile plastered on my face and I’ll probably go see it again… tomorrow”. also gave a 4/5 and said, “Hrishida won’t recognise this as his . But he won’t disapprove of what has been done to his work”. Rachit Gupta of gave the film a 4/5 and said that, “director Shashank Ghosh is no Hrishikesh Mukherjee” though manages “to make a perfect Disney movie. It makes you laugh. It makes you go ‘aww’ and that goes a long way in a young romance”. Saibaal Chatterjee of also gave a positive review, giving the film a 3.5/5 and saying, “in the end, Khoobsurat is a pretty good show. It is both funny and flashy, but its many flourishes are delivered in measures that religiously avoid excess”. Srijana Mitra Das of gave the film 3.5/5 and said, “This delightfully roguish romance tickles everything fun-loving inside you … that’s what makes it so .” of gave a rating of 3/5 and wrote, ” is for those seeking comfort in the familiar, it’s a pretty satisfying watch.” Sarita A. Tanwar of gave the film 3/5 and said it “is sure to connect with the hearts of girls of all ages”. Sonia Chopra of Sify also gave the film a 3/5, and said “this film has little of the gentle nuance of the Hrishikesh Mukherjee-directed original, but it’s still pretty good fun. This Bollywood-Disney fairytale combo is worth a shot”. Raja Sen, of gave the film 3/5, and compared it to candy, saying “wrapped in bright plastic and frequently too sweet for your own good, they act as sunny, unsurprising treats that lead to sticky, syrupy smiles”. Andy Webster of the also wrote positively, saying “Bollywood films have appropriated Hollywood genres and imagery for years, but Mr. Ghosh, using a pleasing pastel palette, deftly achieves a particularly Disney-like polish. And he avoids making-of-a-royal pitfalls: Ms. Kapoor’s character never abandons her humor for refinement. Twice, Mili says that she was raised to speak up for herself. Not a bad characteristic for a future Rajput princess”. A critic at gave the film 2.5/5, and said, “overall, is likeable in parts with good performances and stunning visuals; however the weak script is an ‘ugly’ hurdle this film will face at the box-office”. Sweta Kaushal of also gave a negative review, giving the film a 1/5, and said “the film could have been more tolerable”.</p>