Shehzada (transl. Prince) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Rohit Dhawan and co-produced by T-Series Films, Haarika & Hassine Creations, Geetha Arts and Brat Films. A remake of the 2020 Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, it stars Kartik Aaryan, who also co-produced the film, alongside Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Rajpal Yadav, Ronit Roy and Sachin Khedekar.
Principal photography commenced in October 2021 and ended in January 2023. The film is shot extensively in Mumbai, Delhi and Mauritius. The film score and soundtrack album are composed by Pritam. Initially scheduled for theatrical release on 10 February 2023, Shehzada was released a week later on 17 February, due to the success of Pathaan.
Valmiki and Randeep start their career as clerks in the company of Aditya Jindal. Randeep, who marries Jindal's daughter Yasoda "Yasu", becomes wealthy while Valmiki remains poor. On the day of the birth of both their children, Randeep's son appears to be dead. When nurse Sulochana informs Valmiki about this, he pities Randeep and Yasu and offers to exchange his baby with the dead one.
After switching them, however, the apparently dead child begins to cry. Sulochana tries to switch them back, but Valmiki, sensing an opportunity that his son would have a better life growing up in a rich family, prevents her from switching, pushing her accidentally off a ledge. Sulochana goes into a coma, while Valmiki gets a leg cramp that makes him limp permanently. The two boys grow-up in different ways. Raj, raised at Jindal's house, is timid, innocent, and soft-spoken, while Bantu, who is raised at Valmiki's house, is smart, truthful, outspoken, and hard-working. Valmiki, who favours Raj, treats Bantu with disgust due to his true parentage.
After his MBA was denied by Valmiki, Bantu heads to an interview for a job at a law firm headed by a young woman named Samara. Samara initially rejects him for the job but is later impressed by his knowledge and quick-wittedness and hires him. Bantu starts to develop romantic feelings for Samara. Meanwhile, Raj returns from abroad, having finally completing his MBA after multiple failed attempts. Jindal sends Raj to reject Sarang, a wealthy, powerful and influential man who offers to buy 50% of their company's shares. Randeep watches the deal from a restaurant where Samara has a meeting with Kakkar, who attempts to bribe her to move a case in his favour. When Samara refuses and he keeps on insisting, Bantu interferes and supports Samara in the matter. Randeep is disappointed by Raj's hesitance and inability to say no to Sarang but is proud of Bantu and Samara for saying no to Kakkar. Following this, Raj is engaged with Samara on Jindal's suggestion, but Samara is in love with Bantu.
When Samara reveals her feelings for Bantu, he convinces her to ask Randeep to call-off her marriage with Raj. Sarang attempts to kill Randeep for refusing to sell the shares moments before Samara and Bantu arrive to call off the marriage. Bantu saves Randeep by taking him to the hospital despite several attempts by Sarang's men to stop them. There he meets Sulochana, who comes out of her coma and reveals Bantu's true parentage. The furious Bantu slaps Valmiki, telling him that he learned the secret about his birth. Bantu then manages to enter Randeep's house. Jindal is fond of Bantu for saving Randeep.
Bantu begins to address the issues plaguing the house by patching up Randeep's broken relationship with Yasu (which was fragile, as Randeep had an affair once with a woman 7 years ago), settling the dispute with Sarang, and reforming the corrupt family members. He and Samara also tell the truth to Raj about their relationship and Raj calls of his marriage with Samara, also making his parents realize that he is an adult and should be allowed to take his own decisions regarding his life and career. At a party thrown at their house, Sarang uses the situation to his advantage by kidnapping and threatening to kill Yasu unless Randeep gives away the shares to him.
Bantu thrashes Sarang and his goons and saves Yasu. Bantu and Valmiki arrive at Jindal's house, where Jindal slaps Valmiki and reveals that he overheard the conversation between Sulochana and Bantu right before her death. Bantu unites with his biological father, Randeep but asks him not to reveal the truth to Yasu, fearing she might be disheartened to know that Raj is not her real child. Unaware of this, Yasu remarks that Bantu is equal to Raj as he saved her and the family, thereby giving Bantu 50% of its shares. Yasu then asks Valmiki to train Raj for five years to be as competent as Bantu and become the CEO of the company. Bantu also forgives Valmiki and mends his relationship with him
All songs are composed by Pritam and lyrics are written by Kumaar, Mayur Puri, Shloke Lal and IP Singh.
The first single titled "Munda Sona Hoon Main" was released on 16 January 2023. The second single titled "Chedkhaniyan" was released on 24 January 2023. The third single titled "Mere Sawaal Ka" was released on 2 February 2023. The fourth single titled "Character Dheela 2.0" was released on 9 February 2023. The song, Character Dheela 2.0, is a remix of the same song, Character Dheela, from Salman Khan's Ready (2011).
