Prem XL Review: A Simple Love Story That Works Because Of Its Innocence

Prem XL, written and directed by Tony Deori Basumatary, does not try to reinvent the romantic comedy, but it does something equally important: it takes a simple story and makes it work through its characters, performances, and treatment.

The film follows Mihir (Sanjib Kalita), a carefree young man who returns to Guwahati after failing to pursue his higher studies. Back home, he finds himself under his parents’ (Sarmistha Chakraborty and Sudarshan Nath) watch, with little to do beyond a fairly uneventful routine. Things change when Diya (Anisha Hazarika), a new student, moves into Happy Girls’ PG, the accommodation run by Mihir’s mother.

It was love at first sight for Mihir—a clichéd concept. Even more clichéd is the hero and heroine’s first meeting in the worst possible way. Diya enters the scene when Mihir is being taught a lesson—slapped across the face by his father for failing in his higher studies, wasting time in Delhi and returning home with a big zero.

But some clichés look good sometimes!

Nevertheless, Mihir falls for Diya but keeps his feelings under wraps, waiting for the right moment to express them. When he finally does, the moment certainly is not conducive, and eventually his love is rejected—another cliché!

Well, all’s well that ends well, and Prem XL also ends on the “all’s well” note, but not before we go on a journey of love, friendship, laughter and some tears through a series of events that brings Mihir, Diya, Mihir’s childhood friend Biki, and Diya’s roommates Dhriti and Gauri closer together.

Prem XL is a simple story, and the broad direction of the narrative is hardly difficult to predict. The movie doesn’t rely on a major twist or a complicated plot, but it still keeps the audience interested and engrossed.

As a debutant director, Tony Deori Basumatary understands the story’s limitations and doesn’t try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. The film follows the story it sets out to tell, without unnecessary experimentation. The narrative’s simplicity is reflected in how the film is made, and in this case, that works in its favour.

A major strength of Prem XL is its ensemble of actors—some making their debuts, while a few are familiar faces. The likes of Sanjib Kalita, Anisha Hazarika, Mridupawan Parashar, Nayanjyoti Dutta, Nandini Handique, Sudarshan Nath, Sarmistha Chakraborty, Jannu Baruah and Tanmay Das Bora, among others, have done more than a decent job of bringing their characters to life.

What stands out most is the chemistry among the actors. The friendship and familiarity between the characters do not feel artificially constructed for the screen. The performers seem comfortable with one another, and their interactions feel natural. They feel like a group of young people who genuinely know each other rather than actors simply performing friendship. There is little sense of forced performance, which helps the film retain the innocence central to its story.

That innocence is perhaps the most important quality of Prem XL. It is present not only in the story but also in the performances. The film is about a relatively uncomplicated period of life, when falling in love can be as simple as noticing someone, feeling happy when that person is around and gradually becoming emotionally attached to them. The film preserves that quality instead of over-dramatising it.

The film’s technical aspects are generally effective as well. The cinematography is pleasing for the most part, although a couple of moments feel somewhat jarring. These moments, however, do not significantly affect the overall experience.

The editing is another strength. The film moves at a pace that suits its story and doesn’t feel unnecessarily stretched.

One of the more interesting choices in Prem XL is its use of silence.

Indian films often rely heavily on background music, particularly during emotional or dramatic scenes. Sometimes filmmakers seem to feel that every scene needs music to tell the audience what it should feel. Prem XL occasionally chooses not to. Some scenes could easily have used a loud musical cue, but the film instead lets the moment play out in silence.

That choice makes some of those scenes more effective. Silence gives the audience room to experience the scene without being told how to react. This is something Assamese filmmakers could pay more attention to, and Prem XL uses it effectively in several places.

The makeup also deserves mention. It is realistic and lacks the artificial, overly polished look that can sometimes distract from performances. The characters look like the people they are supposed to be, which again contributes to the film’s natural quality.

The screenplay, however, is not without its problems. There are a few logical gaps, and the writing isn’t flawless. The script did feel a bit stretched at times, and the emotional pitch during the climax seemed missing. I felt the ending wasn’t properly written and felt rushed and convenient. If this part had been handled better, the movie would have benefited.

By the time the film ends, what remains is less about the story’s details and more about the feeling it creates. Moments are likely to remind viewers of their own teenage or early adult years, when a crush could occupy a disproportionate amount of one’s thoughts and simply seeing someone could make an ordinary day feel different.

That is where Prem XL succeeds particularly well. Its innocence doesn’t come across as artificially manufactured. It grows out of the characters, their relationships and the performances.

Among the Assamese films released this year, Prem XL stands out as a film made with a clear understanding of what it wants to be. It is not a perfect film, and its predictable story and occasional screenplay problems are difficult to overlook completely. But its direction, performances, cast chemistry, editing, realistic makeup, and selective use of silence make the overall experience far better than its simple plot might suggest.

The film leaves you with a few moments rather than a big cinematic revelation. You may walk out remembering the characters, their friendships and the uncomplicated emotions that drive the story.

And perhaps that is enough for a film like Prem XL.

Rating: 4/5

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