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Kunal
Kohli who made the disastrous Mujhse Dosti Karoge a couple
of years ago is back with a Mills and Boon kinda chick flick.
This
one has shades of When Harry Met Sally and even Men are
from Mars Women are from Venus.
Essentially,
there is hardly anything here that we haven't witnessed umpteen
times before but Kohli's mushy romance is forgiven.
Why?
Because, despite abounding in clich茅s, it still has its heart
in the right place making it worth watching at least once.
Karan
Kapoor (Saif) is a cartoonist and the creator of a successful sketch
'Hum Tum' - which highlights his views on men and women and their
different takes on life.
A firm
believer of living life spontaneously, he lives for the moment,
has a different girlfriend every week and doesn't really believe
in the institution of marriage or even monogamy for that matter.
At
the end of the spectrum we have Rhea (Rani), who despite being modern
in her outlook to life is a traditionalist at heart.
Fireworks
and friction ensue when she has a chance encounter with Karan on
a flight to New York, owing obviously to their different takes on
life.
Spanning
ten years and three continents, the film examines how their relationship
develops from initial hatred, gradual friendship and inevitably
into something much deeper and meaningful.
Hum
Tum runs on a simple premise and an extremely thin plot. It's
all been seen before but what makes it eminently watchable and enjoyable
is Kohli's treatment of the storyand
his sense of casting.
Each
and every one of the actors seem tailor made for their respective
roles even if they are just cameos.
The
wise cracking Karan is a role tailor made for Saif Ali Khan. He
gives the character just the right amount of cockiness, sarcasm,
arrogance and heart, in a way only he could.
It
would be difficult to imagine anyone besides him to pull it off
with such spontaneity, style and panache.
Hopefully
Hum Tum will put to rest any doubts about his credibility as
an actor and his ability to deliver in solo hero films as opposed
to being relegated to the sidelines.
Rani
is fast becoming one of the more dependable and versatile actresses
of her generation.
Here
she plays a role that is in complete contrast to her undoubtedly
award winning act as the downtrodden housewife in last week's Yuva.
As
Rhea she is elegance personified, looking gorgeous besides. Disarmingly
charming, her chemistry with Saif is terrific and this is where
Hum Tum scores most of it's brownie points.
The
supporting cast too delivers gems in terms of performances.
As
Rhea's loud, English attempting Punjabi mom, Bobby, Kiron Kher is
marvellous and is sure to bring the house down albeit in a brief
role.
Rishi
Kapoor and Rati Agnihotri as Karan's estranged parents are effective
too, especially Kapoor who gets to shine in a well written role
after a long time.
Shergill
as Mihir plays his part well and seems to be getting better with
each passing film - even if they are just fleeting guest appearances.
Abhishek
is suave in his surprise cameo. Isha Kopikar and ex veejay Shehnaz
Treasurywalla though, are just about passable.
Technically
the film has a rich look throughout which is hardly surprising considering
it's a Yash Raj Presentation.
The
idea of incorporating animation is novel though it hardly does much
to move the story along.
Jatin-Lalit's
music has a 'been there heard that quality' about it but a couple
of the tracks are undeniably catchy.
All
in all Hum Tum is definitely not novel nor is it path breaking
cinema.
At
times it's a tad cheesy too but overall it is a breezy entertainer
that works because of the difference in its treatment and some excellent
performances. A decent popcorn flick.
Jay
Mamtora
Guest Reviewer
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