As I am writing this review and playing and replaying the movie in my mind, I am smiling away, ear to ear!
Ok, so this review is about an (almost decade ago) old movie, but like many, I consider this movie as a classic comedy- and perhaps one of the best, if not the best, Hindi comedy movie made in the history of Indian Cinema! This is one such movie which we would hate to miss out- I really would request people who still haven’t seen this movie to get a video cassette or VCD/ DVD and watch it (I don’t think it’s presently running in any of the movie theatres).
The story is about two sadak chap aashiqs (translation: road side Romeos...for our Angrezi audience!) - Aamir Khan (Amar) and Salman Khan (Prem)= AmarPrem: bhakti aur pavitra ras se bharpoor (sorry, can’t translate that to Angrezi) who go to town to make it big. Ahem , make it big, but how- well, they decide to marry a rich man’s daughter who is coming to India to marry a suitable guy...aha in simple words, in search of a ghar jamai (househusband??!!...lol) What follows next is a roller coaster ride packed with some stomach paining comedy (of events!) with encounters with the guys trying to impress the wrong girl (the two girls- Raveena and Karishma had interchanged their names so that Karishma finds her true love who would only love her and not her money!). But finally, Aamir Khan settles for the assistant- Raveena Tandon and Salman Khan gets the rich girl, Karishma Kapoor! Call that celebration of true love!
The two guys come across the funniest of characters on their way to their respective woman’s heart like:
a) A stingy lodge owner-Harish Patel whose rooms have lights only in the day time and not at night, water in the tap only after mid-night and doesn’t mind renting out the same room to two people!
b) A confused police inspector who is in search of the first luccha, lafanga, badmaash...lol! (translation: culprit, in one word...lol!) for the inagauration of his new jail !
c) The two assistants at Ram Gopal Verma’s house Robert (whom Sallu calls Rabbit...lol!) played by Viju Khote and Ajit’s son who try various stunts and tricks to do away Amar and Prem but they all seem to rebound back on them like a boomerang!
d) The original Ram Gopal Bajaj played by Paresh Rawal, father of Karishma Kapoor, and a time particular man!
e) The duplicate Ram Gopal Bajaj, played by Paresh Rawal, who is the brother of the original, the main villain
f) Crime Master Gogo played by Shakti Kapoor, who is a magician cum second villain who policy in life is not to go away empty handed from his prey even if he has to contend himself with the old cycle of Robert and Ajit’s son! An undoubtedly classic comical character!
g) And Javed Khan who too wanted to marry the rich girl but leaves his desire halfway after his realizes that he has no match infront of the two mischievous but cute Amar Prem!
I am sure that if an Indian was asked to name the to ten Bollywood comedy movie, Andaz Apna Apna would definitely figure in the list! The reasons are very simple- it is a fast paced natural comedy with no monotony and some amazing immortal comical characters. I would like to take this opportunity to note down the movies USPs:
1) The starcast consisting of some fine actors like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Paresh Rawal, Deven Verma, Jagdeep, Viju Khote, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor, Tiku Talsania and Harish Patel and the very creative director – Raj Kumar Santoshi.
I always believe that anything to do with comedy- be it be writing a book, directing a play or movie is very difficult, because the sole purpose of such a piece of art is to make the audience laugh and Andaz Apna Apna lives up to it!
2) The story line is smooth and well connected. The characters fit in perfectly in each role. The timing of the comedy is spot on!
3) The music is superb and according to the flow of the movie.
4) The visuals and the camera work are on par to any good movie.
Sad but true that even though critics and the audience at large appreciated the movie, but it did not fare well in the box-office collections, the reason still remains a mystery to many.
Call that a TRAGEDY OF A GREAT COMEDY MOVIE!
Hey readers, I know (it’s not difficult, is it?!) many of you must be replaying the scenes of this movie again and again by now, and I can see the smiles on your faces ( I am still smiling...lol!) by my mann ki aakhen....lol. I would welcome your comments on this review.
Till next time,
Keep smiling India, Chhail Chhabila:-)