Its been a long time since I saw Dharmesh Darshan combining well with Karisma Kapoor (My Fav) to give us all a super hit Raja Hindustani with Aamir Khan Alongside, But to my surprise , ever since then Mr. Dharmesh has not proven his justice to the film making and has come out yet again with a disaster after Mela. This time his brother produces the film and who get his hero Akshay Kumar and Dharmesh his actress Karisma Kapoor and to form a triangle not so experienced Abhishek Bachchan. Going to the movie, its a mere rehash of a old hindi movie with a new faces and cast and a simple music to complete it all. Dharmesh also never forget some part of Raja Hindustani and gives it here in this movie also.
It’s become a crime to expect anything worthwhile from a Hindi film these days. Dharamesh Darshan who catapulted Karisma Kapoor and himself to newer heights with Raja Hindustani, is back with Haan. Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya (HMBPK). To make matters more exciting, the film also has Abhishek Bachchan, Karisma’s off-screen beau, playing the romantic lead opposite her. So there were enough reasons to look forward to this film. Yet, having endured it, one can safely say HMBPK is as bland as saltless khichdi on a rainy day.
Now the movie , Pooja (Karisma) and Shiv (Abhishek) are vying for the same job. However, Pooja uses her charm and manages to send Shiv packing even before he is interviewed. But lo and behold, Shiv manages to get a job in the same company as Pooja. The two fall in love instantly and even steal a kiss in the presence of gaping colleagues! They get married and like all Hindi film heroines, Pooja too forsakes her career for her man. Everything is fair and lovely till Pooja catches Shiv (who is wrapped in a blanket) making sweet talk with the doodhwali (ugh!). Pooja sees red but Shiv is bowled over by his wife’s ’possessiveness’.
The two dash off on a business trip-cum-honeymoon in Switzerland. There they run into Shiv’s old college friend (Simone Singh). Pooja discovers an interesting facet of Shiv, hitherto unknown to her. Simone tells her that during college days, Shiv had been a bookworm who didn’t have the hots for any girl. Now, it’s Pooja’s turn to be impressed. Friend and Shiv both go to Geneva for their respective conferences. On their way back in the evening, a landslide prevents them from going any further and the two spend a night in a motel. And then like it happens in all Hindi films they get ’physical’.
Later, dear friend reassures Shiv that she was barabar-ki-hissedar in the haadsa that happened and that she would never ever come back into his life again. Also, it would always remain a secret with her. Alas, Pooja hears all this.
Cut to Delhi high court, where Pooja stands in the witness box and screams for ’talaaq’. Post-interval, cut to Mumbai. Enters Raj Malhotra (Akshay Kumar), a film star who is in need of a secretary. And guess who applies for the job? Pooja dear, of course. A couple of reels later, Raj is beginning to feel all tingly about his chiffon-clad secretary. The two with their entourage go to Naini hills for an outdoor shoot. Now who should be the manager of the hotel they are living in? Shiv Kapoor of course (miracles never cease in Hindi films).
By now, you should have guessed what happens in the climax. Darshan takes the viewers for a very tried-and-tested ride. It’s quite strange that when during an earlier incident, Pooja’s brother (Mohnish Behl) and his wife drill sense into Pooja and send her back to her pati ka ghar, the next time around when sister dear is asking for divorce, they are nowhere on scene. Secondly, Shiv doesn’t really seem to bother when Pooja asks for a divorce as he watches her without any expression. No explanations, no begging for forgiveness, nothing. Why do our filmmakers treat sensitive issues like marriage and divorce with such disregard? In the pre-climax scenes when Shiv and Pooja meet each other, the attitude of the man seems to be ’why is she creating such a fuss over nothing’ which is appalling.
The music by Nadeem-Shravan (except for the title song) and the climax song is unpalatable. As for the chemistry between Karisma and Abhishek, what chemistry? In fact, she looks better with Akshay Kumar. Untalented Abhishek gives a very not sincere performance but one wonders how it’s going to help him considering the film is so unexciting. Karisma should avoid playing such roles, as they don’t really do justice to her talent. Akshay’s role could have been played by anybody. All in all, Haan. Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya fails to recreate the Dharamesh Darshan-Karisma Kapoor magic.