It’s the season of actors turning directors. First we had Aamir Khan’s fabulous Taare Zameen Par and now it’s two-time-national award winning actor Ajay Devgan’s turn. Reportedly Sunny Deol is also donning the director’s hat once again with his forthcoming project Man. But back to this week’s new release U Me Aur Hum. It’s a special film for a number of reasons.
1. Ajay Devgan is making his directorial debut with a love story – quite unlike the films one associates him with.
2. Kajol returns to the silver screen two years after her 2005 hit Fanaa.
3. The real life couple of Ajay-Kajol makes yet another attempt at recreating some of their off-screen chemistry.
4. The promos give the impression of a story that spans decades as Kajol’s character is shown to take a mysterious turn.
So does U Me Aur Hum actually live up to all the hype?
What’s the plot?
U Me Aur Hum is about a smooth talking psychiatrist Ajay (Devgan) who falls in love with a stewardess on a cruise liner. The girl in question Piya (Kajol) tries hard to resist Ajay’s advances, but falls for his charm as he woos her with everything from liquor chocolates to white lilies to salsa lessons. Turns out it was all part of a well thought out plan, as Ajay had laid his hands on Piya’s secret diary, to find out just exactly what were her likes and dislikes. A couple of songs and misunderstandings later Piya forgives Ajay and the two get married. Post marriage life’s a dream till Piya is diagnosed with a mental ailment. Her condition poses a dilemma for Ajay, who has to battle the conflicting emotions of the psychiatrist and husband within him.
Ajay Devgan – A confident director:
This film is clearly Ajay’s baby from scene one. The actor-director loves his job and it is very evident in the way he experiments with camera movements and edit patterns. His repertoire ranges from a couple of downright tacky shots to some really good looking sequences.
Where Devgan really scores is in his handling of the emotional sequences. The second half is filled with dramatic interactions between the husband and wife. And Ajay manages to create just the right impact without getting too melodramatic.
Critics have been comparing Ajay Devgan to Aamir Khan, but we would beg to differ. Ajay is no Aamir Khan, who preferred to keep the look of TZP simple. Devgan loves to display his technical wizardry. Also while Aamir’s screenplay was more rooted in reality, Ajay chooses to weave a typical Bollywood tearjerker. He does not aspire to redefine the rules of filmmaking or make a breakthrough film but falls for commercial trappings such as unnecessary songs and comedy tracks.
The director saves the best for himself:
Ajay the actor is in form after a long time. The actor, who had been getting typecast in a series of assembly-line performances, displays a subtlety that one witnessed in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Be it his drunken breakdown in front of his friends towards the climax, or the lighthearted flirting with Kajol in the first half. Or even the scene where he explains his reasons for persisting with his wife’s worsening condition – Ajay Devgan lives his character. He begins almost every dialogue with “You know something,” and shoots off one gem after the other about the true essence of romance.
Kajol’s sincere performance:
She is a bundle of talent and can infuse life into any character. Kajol has a part that does justice to her histrionic skills. But she has an underwritten role. Not much is known about the Pia’s background. And post illness, the plot doesn’t focus much on her state of mind. But even when she is not the star of the show, she proves more than once why she can still give any actress a run for her money.
Ajay’s well defined role overshadows Kajol:
In fact most of the attention is on Ajay’s struggle to come to terms with his wife’s illness. At many points in the film, there is an attempt to convey that it is very easy to sympathise with the patient, but we often tend to ignore what the family members go through. Kajol and Ajay complement each other well but the director walks away with the best lines.
Some of the dialogues are strangely worded to sound like Hinglish rhymes. For example Kajol tells Ajay “Mujhe phool deke fool mat banao”. There are several such lines especially in the first half of the film which at times make you squirm.
What doesn’t quite work:
The film has a long and boring first half. Ajay and Kajol’s courtship on a cruise looks a little amateurish given the maturity of the actors. Due to the dragging first half, the film ends up seeming long despite the touching post interval sequences. At one point you can out the pieces together and figure out how the film will end. But the film still manages to surprise you in parts.
Vishal’s music is easy on the ears but not a single track stays with you once you walk out of the screen. Also the placement of the marriage song and seduction number in the otherwise crisp second half seems inappropriate.
The other two couples (Karran Khanna-Isha Sharvani and Sumeet Raghavan-Divya Dutta) and the two elderly gentlemen listening to Ajay’s story don’t make an impact. Their individual stories are like unwanted brakes in the narrative.
Cast & Crew:
Banner: Devgan Entertainment Software Ltd.
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Karan Khanna, Isha Sharwani, Sumeet Raghavan, Rituparna Sengupta, Sarika, Divya Dutta
Direction & Production: Ajay Devgan
Music: Vishal Bharadwaj
Verdict:
U Me Aur Hum is a sensitive story with several emotional sequences. In a phase of action and comedy, the pace of such a film demands patience. Yet the film is extremely engaging in the second half. U Me Aur Hum is often predictable but deserves a watch just for the solid performances by its lead pair.
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Tags: Ajay Devgan, divya dutta, Isha Sharwani, Kajol, Karan Khanna, Rituparna Sengupta, Sarika, Sumeet Raghavan, U ME AUR HUM, U Me Aur Hum - Hindi Movie Review, U Me Aur Hum hindi movie, Vishal Bharadwaj | Filed in Bollywood
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