There is a stage in life when bunking a class feels like an achievement, a friend’s advice sounds like gospel, falling in love seems like the beginning of everything and heartbreak feels like the end of the world. Prem Keetanu goes back to that wonderfully confused phase of life and builds its story around Vishal, a carefree college student who is more interested in enjoying his youth than worrying about what comes next.
Vishal, played by Veer Pahariya, is your typical backbencher. College, friends, late night parties and the usual mischief form a large part of his world. Then Suhani, played by Aafiya Sayed, enters his life and the carefree boy suddenly discovers that falling in love can make life considerably more complicated. What begins as attraction gradually becomes an emotional attachment, and Vishal finds himself caught between the excitement of being in love and the insecurity that comes with not knowing where the relationship is headed.
Things become more complicated when Ranjeet, played by Aparshakti Khurana, enters the equation. Unlike Vishal, Ranjeet is confident, polished and knows how to make an impression. He too sets his sights on Suhani and, importantly, understands that winning her attention also means winning over her family. What follows gives Prem Keetanu much of its comic energy as the two men find themselves competing for the same woman, with friendship, ego, jealousy and love all getting mixed up along the way.
But the film does not remain a simple love triangle. That is where Prem Keetanu gradually changes its mood. The carefree college atmosphere gives way to confusion and emotional complications, and the laughter begins to share space with disappointment and heartbreak. The film understands something very basic about young love. When you are experiencing it for the first time, every feeling is magnified. A crush can become an obsession, friendship can become your emotional support system and a failed relationship can make you question everything.
Veer Pahariya fits into this world quite naturally. He has the screen presence required for a young romantic lead and is at ease with the comic portions, particularly when Vishal is surrounded by his friends. His performance becomes more interesting once the character has to deal with rejection and emotional turmoil. There is a vulnerability in those moments that helps Vishal remain more than just the foolish college boy getting caught up in a love triangle.
Aafiya Sayed makes a promising impression as Suhani. What works in her favour is the ease she brings to the character. Her chemistry with Veer is one of the film’s important strengths because their relationship does not feel manufactured for the sake of the plot. There is a sense of attraction and comfort between them, and the emotional moments become more convincing because of that familiarity.
The friendship between Vishal and his boys provides the film with much of its lighter side. Their conversations, teasing and youthful stupidity bring back the atmosphere of college days without making every scene dependent on a forced punchline. The supporting cast also contributes to the world, with Aparshakti Khurana standing out through the swagger and comic confidence he brings to Ranjeet.
The film’s humour is particularly effective when it comes from situations rather than jokes being thrown at the audience. The naughty banter, romantic confusion and rivalry have an easygoing quality. There are moments designed for laughter and cheers, but they also work because they remind you of how seriously people take seemingly silly things when they are young.
The transition into heartbreak is supported well by the music. Kaho Toh and Tu Mera Raiyyo capture the romantic side of the story, while Ishq Ka Ghulaam gives the film a more emotional register once love begins to hurt. The songs and choreography also add to the colourful, youthful world of the film rather than feeling completely detached from it.
Director Apoorv Singh Karki keeps the treatment accessible and allows the story to move through its different moods without losing its youthful character. The film’s colourful presentation, college atmosphere and energetic supporting cast keep the narrative moving, while the emotional portions give the story some weight beyond its romantic comedy surface.
What makes Prem Keetanu work beyond its college setting is the familiarity of its emotions. The film is not really about whether one boy gets the girl. It is about what happens to a group of young people when friendship, love, family expectations and their own uncertain future begin pulling them in different directions.
That is also where its nostalgia comes from. You may not have lived Vishal’s exact life, but you probably remember the feeling. The first crush. The excitement of seeing someone you like. Friends who seemed to know everything. Mistakes that appeared enormous at the time. The first serious heartbreak. And the gradual realisation that growing up means accepting that not everything will happen the way you want it to.
Prem Keetanu finds its connect in those memories. It is a film about love, friendship, mistakes and heartbreak, but ultimately it is about growing up and learning that sometimes the people and experiences that hurt you most are also the ones that help you understand yourself.
Movie: Prem Keetanu
Directed by – Apoorv Singh Karki
Featuring: Veer Pahariya, Aparshakti Khurana, Aafiya Sayed, Nikhil Vijay, Rakesh Bedi
Theatrical Release Date: October 2, 2026
Run Time: 2hrs 18mins
