Film Review: U, Me Aur Hum

I have a great deal of respect for first time film directors. So I make it a point to definitely watch their films (in the theatre) in the first week itself. And of course, when the film is made by someone like Ajay Devgan, the anticipation is even more, and justifiably so!

But unfortunately, the film- though strong in its conception- didn't quite live up to my expectations. I expected the film to have a tried and tested template- you know- boy meets girl, something goes wrong, but they get back together, marry, again something terrible happens but they tide over it and well...live happily ever after! This fact in itself was surprising, considering romance isn't exactly what Ajay Devgan is known for, in the film industry. But though the start is pretty typical (especially the title montage with love quotes amidst white clouds!), the story takes on a brilliant turn after the initial mush is done with. Surprisingly, the brilliant Kajol and Ajay Devgan pairing doesn't quite make the mark this time. Their earlier films together- who can forget the frothy Pyaar to hona hi tha and the sensitive Dil kya kare- had a freshness and genuineness to them that made them stand out. But somehow, the whole part where Dr. Ajay, a psychiatrist meeting Piya, a waitress on a cruiseline, falling in love with her "at first sight" (phew!) and trying to charm his way to her heart, comes out a tad too artificial. The sequences are cliched (salsa and liqueur chocolates.....really!?) and Kajol and Ajay look too comfortable with each other to seem like first-time lovers! This is probably why the first half doesn't make an impact!

The story does pick up a lot in the second lot- that's when you actually have a "story" to the film actually! The whole Alzheimer's issue and what each of the characters go through while dealing with it has been brought out brilliantly! That's the sort of stuff you expect from a veteran actor, who's done more than his share of meaningful cinema. There's limited yelling, screaming and depression and the film does progress through all of that to successfully bring out its point- that is to convey the true meaning of togetherness and commitment. But again, one thing I didn't like about this part is the supremely detailed visuals. I distinctly remember this scene where it's raining and Kajol loses her way home and can't remember her address etc. There's this part where the camera focuses on the raindrop falling off her eyelashes as she blinks! And there's this other part where we have orange brain cells trying to transmit some information and slowly turning a dull grey (obviously decaying coz of the disease) I mean, what is that about?! The way I see it- if you have a complicated and layered storyline, keep the visuals simple so that it doesn't get too garish on screen! Remember TZP?! Special effects are used to add charm to otherwise cocky stories- like in Dhoom 2 !!

One thing I really liked about the movie though- are the supporting characters. Brilliant performances by Sumeet Raghavan and Divya Dutta- as expected, of course. Isha Shervani and Karan Khanna don't do much, except add a few laughs here and there! What's different in this film is that the supporting characters don't waltz in every 15 minutes just to sing-n-dance or drink vodkas! They actually "support" the main characters- like extended family. And since there are no sasu-mas and pitajis in this film, these friends provide the love, support and encouragement to the main couple when the need arises. This is the kind of importance not given very often to the supporting star cast. As a director, Ajay Devgan has really scored brownie points here!

Songs are nice, nothing that lingers on in our minds! All in all, it's a film worth a watch- at least for its second half. I think after this film, no one will be questioning Ajay Devgan's competence in handling love stories. But one suggestion- maybe everyone in Bollywood should steer clear of the "love at first sight" concept yaar. It was great when Yash Raj Films did it but it's become a bit too commonplace now and well, everyone knows that doesn't work! ;-)

(Read an awesome review of the film here)