After his raggedly likable supporting turn in the aces “Kal ho naa ho,” Saif Ali Khan proves he’s more than capable of carrying a romantic comedy in “Hum tum,” the latest colorful piece of candy floss from veteran producer Yash Chopra. Otherwise, this Westernized tale of mismatched friends who just can’t fess up to their real feelings is a couple of notches below the Chopra par, with so-so dialogue and lack of strong chemistry between leads Khan and Rani Mukherjee. Pic opened well in Indian metros May 28, but looks set for only OK returns in the long term.

Film is one huge flashback, as well-known cartoonist Karan Kapoor (Khan) reminisces about the love of his life, Rhea Prakash (Mukherjee), at the launch of his first novel, based on his popular battle-of-the-sexes comic strip “Hum tum” (literally, “Me and You”). Structured as a series of episodes, as the pair meets in various locations (Delhi, New York, Amsterdam, Paris) across nine years, pic is never less than an easy sit, but fails to deliver the emotional goods in its latter stages.

Playboy Karan and seriously studious Rhea meet cute on a plane from Delhi to Gotham, where both are going to study. Despite his attempts to charm her during an Amsterdam stopover, the Western-hip lothario fails to impress the over-serious prude, and when he plonks a kiss on her, she slaps his face.

Six months later, they bump into each other in Central Park, where he’s romancing his g.f., Shalini (Shenaz Treasurywala), who turns out to be an old school-chum of Rhea’s. That meeting also ends badly.

Three years on, back in Delhi, Karan is now a well-known cartoonist with a shaggy “Tom Cruise haircut,” and at a mehndi (engagement party) arranged by his mom, Anju (Rati Agnihotri), Karan discovers the bride is none other than Rhea. When he tells Rhea that her husband, Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan, cameoing), sounds boring and asks if they’ve had sex yet, Rhea’s ire is raised again. However, her mom, Parminder (Kiron Kher, eating up the role of a colorful Punjabi mother), takes a liking to him.

Following a minor reversal prior to the intermission, as they meet on a train outside Paris, pic’s second half fans out into a more conventional romance, with Parminder playing discreet matchmaker and Karan’s friend, Mihir (Jimmy Shergill), entering the mix.

Both Kher and fellow vet Rishi Kapoor (as Karan’s estranged dad) bring some character heft to Part 2, but the central duo’s relationship doesn’t gain the necessary depth to click emotionally with the viewer. Khan is very good as the jokey womanizer who can’t put the lessons of his cartoon strip into personal practice, but Mukherjee’s Rhea remains a one-note, reactive character who’s difficult to like or understand. Instead of sparking, their scenes together simply coast along in well-worn Bollywood grooves.

Helmer-writer Kunal Kohli, whose super-fluffy “Mujhse dosti karoge!” showcased the gravel-voiced Mukherjee far better, here directs competentlyrather than at full throttle, and musical numbers are lively and tuneful without ever really taking off. (Rhea’s mehndi, staged as a comic battle of the sexes, is a case in point.) Copious Yank-style animated segs — showing the cute boy and girl from Karan’s comic strip — basically repeat what’s just happened between Karan and Rhea in the movie.

Production values are OK, without being super-glossy. However, Amsterdam doubling as the French capital won’t fool anyone familiar with Paris for a second. One musical number is even shamelessly staged in front of the famous Concertgebouw building.

Hum Tum (translation: Me and You) is a 2004 Indian romantic comedy film directed by Kunal Kohli and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under their Yash Raj Films banner. The movie stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles.

Hum Tum follows the encounters of the two main characters until they, after several years and various meetings, become friends and finally fall in love at the end of the movie. The comic characters Hum and Tum have their own animated sequences in the movie, where they represent the current state of Karan's and Rhea's relationship. The animation for this film was done by Kathaa Animations^[2] and the Special Effects by Tata Elxsi. The director Kunal Kohli has stated that the film is inspired from the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally...^[3]

The film was generally received well by critics,^[4] and special praise went to Khan's and Mukerji's performances. It won several Filmfare Awards, including Best Actress (Mukerji), Director (Kohli), and Actor in a Comic Role (Khan). In June 2005, Khan won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

• 4Awards

Plot[edit]

Karan (Saif Ali Khan) is a cartoonist and a self-styled ladies' man. His daily comic, named 'Hum Tum,' explores the battle of male/female behavior. On a plane from Delhi to New York, he meets Rhea (Rani Mukerji) who doesn't seem to be interested in him. His feeble attempts at flirting go nowhere, but when they have a stop-over in Amsterdam, she agrees to explore the city with him. Karan quickly learns he has little in common with the feisty but proper Rhea, but he won't give up. He ends their contentious time together with an unwelcome kiss. Outraged, Rhea slaps him, and storms off, but Karan insists they'll meet again. After six months, he spots her in a park in New York, and he makes a scene with his girlfriend (Shenaz Treasurywala), who turns out to be Rhea's childhood friend, which ends in their break-up.

Three years later, Karan is helping his mother plan a wedding that turns out to be Rhea's. Rhea is marrying Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan). They bicker again, but this time, they part on good terms. Years later in Paris, Karan is visiting his father (Rishi Kapoor), when he runs into Rhea. He learns from Rhea's mother (Kirron Kher) that Sameer has died in a car accident, and he sets out to help her reclaim her positive outlook on life. Karan returns to Mumbai, and three months later, Rhea and her mother visit. Sensing that she needs to be with a strait-laced, 'boring guy,' he conspires with Rhea's mother to fix her up with his shy best friend, Mihir (Jimmy Sheirgill). But eventually Mihir falls in love with a friend of Karan's, Diana (Isha Koppikar) and they get engaged. On the engagement night, Rhea learns from drunk Diana about the conspiracy and gets upset with Karan. Mihir makes Rhea realize hers and Karan's love for each other. That night Rhea and Karan consummate their relationship. Karan deems it a mistake and asks Rhea to marry him as he feels he took advantage of her, and that marriage will rectify the mistake. Rhea becomes upset, as she did not consider their actions a mistake; she realizes she loves him but tells Karan that they should not commit one more mistake by marrying for the wrong reasons. Rhea leaves him since Karan projects his confused feelings as guilt rather than a love for her. Karan realises his mistake and seeks her out. One year later Karan's cartoon Hum Tum becomes a hit and he writes a book about Hum and Tum. Basically, the story is based on his love story with Rhea. Rhea reads that book and finds him in the press conference. Karan and Rhea reunite again. Karan admits his love for her, and they get married and have a baby girl.

Cast[edit]

• Saif Ali Khan as Karan Kapoor
• Rani Mukherji as Rhea Prakash
• Rishi Kapoor as Arjun Kapoor
• Kirron Kher as Parminder Prakash (Bobby)
• Rati Agnihotri as Anju Kapoor
• Jimmy Sheirgill as Mihir Vora
• Isha Koppikar as Diana Fernandes
• Abhishek Bachchan as Sameer
• Shenaz Treasurywala as Shalini
• Parinita Seth as Pooja
• Yash Chopra as Piano playing old man in the song 'Hum Tum'

Reception[edit]

The film had an above average opening and did fairly well at the Box Office, with a net gross of ₹305 million (US$4.4 million) (unadjusted for inflation). It was the seventh highest-grossing film of that year.^[5]

Critical reception of the film was mixed to positive.^[4] The most common form of criticism came from its 'simplistic and at times dragging script'.^[6] While critics were divided amongst their opinions about the film itself, the direction by Kunal Kohli and the performances by its lead and supporting casts were adequately praised.^[7][8][9]Disk drill 2.4 activation code download.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama says that 'casting is one of the film's strengths', arguing that 'It would be hard to imagine anyone other than Saif as the wisecracking Karan..he makes Karan insufferable and likable at the same time..His arresting performance is sure to sky-rocket his fan-following amongst the youngsters.' Adarsh also argues that 'Rani's effervescent personality infuses Rhea with buoyancy, and, later in the film, she too shows a vulnerable side. Rani takes a giant leap as an actor..her performance is flawless.'^[6]

Awards[edit]

2005 National Film Awards[edit]

• Won, National Film Award for Best Actor - Saif Ali Khan

2005 Filmfare Awards[edit]

• Won, Best Director - Kunal Kohli
• Won, Best Actress - Rani Mukerji
• Won, Best Performance in a Comic Role - Saif Ali Khan
• Won, Best Female Playback Singer - Alka Yagnik
• Won, Best Scene of the Year
• Nominated, Best Film
• Hamid special award

2005 IIFA[edit]

• Won, Best Actress in a Leading Role - Rani Mukerji
• Nominated, Best Actor in a Leading Role - Saif Ali Khan
• Nominated, Best Director - Kunal Kohli
• Nominated, Best Picture
• Nominated, Best Playback Singer Female - Alka Yagnik

2005 Screen Awards[edit]

• Won, Best Actress - Rani Mukerji
• Won, Best Director - Kunal Kohli
• Won, Best Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi For 'Saanson Ko..'
• Won, Best Special Effects
• Nominated, Best Actor - Saif Ali Khan
• Nominated, Best Film
• Nominated, Best Music Director - Jatin-Lalit
• Nominated, Best Supporting Actress - Kiron Kher
• Nominated, Best Dialogue - Kunal Kohli
• Nominated, Best Screenplay - Kunal Kohli and Siddharth Raj Anand

2005 Zee Cine Awards[edit]

• Won, Best Actress - Rani Mukerji
• Won, Best Song Recording - Pramod Chandorkar (Studio One) and Vijay Dayal (Studio One)
• Nominated, Best film
• Nominated, Best Director - Kunal Kohli
• Nominated, Best Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi For the song 'Hum Tum'
• Nominated, Best Supporting Actor - Rishi Kapoor
• Nominated, Best Music Director - Jatin-Lalit
• Nominated, Best Comedian - Saif Ali Khan
• Nominated, Best Comedian - Kiron Kher
• Nominated, Best Editing - Ritesh Soni
• Nominated, Best publicity design
• Nominated, Best Screenplay - Kunal Kohli and Siddharth Raj Anand^[10]

Soundtrack[edit]

Nearly all of the songs in the film were composed by Jatin Lalit and have lyrics written by Prasoon Joshi, with the exception of 'U'n'I (Mere Dil Vich Hum Tum)', which was composed by British-Indian producer Rishi Rich. The following are the songs of the film:

The CD and audio cassette also feature an instrumental version of 'Hum Tum' and a deleted song called 'Yaara Yaara'. This tune was reused in Kunal Kohli's next film, Fanaa, in the songs 'Chand Sifarish' and, more noticeably, 'Chanda Chamke'. The latter has the same tune throughout the entire song. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 1,600,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's eighth highest-selling.^[11]

Graphic novel[edit]

• A graphic novel named Hum Tum: The War Begins! has been published by Yomics in 2012.^[12]
• Another graphic novel named Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web has been published in 2012 by Yomics, which also features some Hum Tum characters.^[13]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abhttps://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=456
2. ^'Animation Dimensions acquires Katha Animation, scales to 300'. Animation Xpress.com. 18 December 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2011.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. ^'Pehli nazar mein pehla pyaar is crap!'. Rediff.com. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
4. ^ ^ab'Hum Tum'. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
5. ^'Boxofficeindia.com'. Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
6. ^ ^ab'Hum Tum : Movie Review by Taran Adarsh'. Bollywoodhungama.com. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
7. ^'Bollywood - Film Review - Hum Tum'. Planetbollywood.com. 28 May 2004. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
8. ^'Hum Tum Movie Review - Hindi Movie'. Apunkachoice.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
9. ^'Hum Tum: a casting coup!'. Rediff.com. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
10. ^'Hum Tum (2004) Awards'. IMDB. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
11. ^'Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)'. Box Office India. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008.
12. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
13. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)

External links[edit]

• Hum Tum on IMDb