Here’s how IMDB (international movie database) categorizes MHN
Genre: Action / Drama / Romance / Musical / Comedy
Keywords: arm-wrestling, army-officer, broken-family, college, family-conflict, general, hand-grenade, marital-infidelity, pakistan, peacemaker, prisoner-exchange, terrorism, terrorist-group, undercover
Dum Tara Dum tara Dum tara Dum tara Dum Tara Dum Aaaaah....
Well with a lot of musicians and singers those two lines of nothing sound rather good in fact a qawwali and you would agree. That’s what describes this film. You will be reading countless reviews here on MS and elsewhere (like every SRK film, many even by SRK bashers who somehow manage the time to toil for the first weekend ticket and then the time to write about the film of the actor they hate) but my advice go watch it and then decide whether you like it or not, unless until your boundaries of the word ’sensible’ are rather strictly followed.
Having said that here’s my version of what I saw but first a few facts (to put things in perspective)
This is the the first SRK film after Mohhabbatein that I saw within first three days.
This is the first film after ’Dil Se’ that I watched in the family show (6-9)(that is supposed to be the SRK target audience).
Well these firsts are not due to my anticipation of the film (I expect nothing from a hindi film now, after so many disasters in last six months) but rather due to some rather unlikely coincidences. Anyway after so many statements that it was a manmohan desai’s 70’s masala Khicdi (pic) I expected just that (and honestly, feared a disaster). But Farah Khan knows how to make a Khicdi, though the ingredients may have evolved in the past 30 years but the essence and the final outcome is more or less a Khicdi.
Story
It all starts when Chief of Army staff decides to release 50 pak prisoners in a unilateral act of goodwill called project milaap. But an ex-indian army court-martialed major dutta, Suniel Shetty, thinks otherwise and tries to kill him but the bravery of Maj Ram Prasad sharma(SRK) and his father(Naseeruddin Shah) saves the day but in the process Shah is shot. On his death-bed he tells him that he had a wife and a son(Laxman) who left when he(Ram), the result of his mistake, came into his life. As he had no one to turn to he decided to take care of him as a result he lost his family. His last wish is to bring home his family.
Meanwhile as Dutta had mentioned about Gen Bakshi’s estranged daughter(Amrita Rao) during the attack, he gets worried and sends Maj Ram as an undercover operative to protect her and to find his brother as he studies in the same college. So enter SRK as a student in a Riverdalesque college where his brother & and Gen. daughter are doing Archie & Betty all over again. What happens next( or how) is the whole film.
My Take
Well, this is film is one of the few mainstream films who make India-Pakistan peace as an element. Except that this just a fun film. People are saying that this a copy of some Hollywood film or other don’t believe them, because to say that this is copy of a Hollywood film will be unfair as Farah Khan has handpicked some elements of numerous Hollywood & bollywood films and used them in an amazing mix of borrowed wisdom. This works because this film has no pretense of being a classic or original and that’s the balance Farah Khan has achieved by not making the film too serious or to comic something that modern Hollywood musicals do. That’s why she has been able to incorporate matrisque stunts by an army major and a Shahrukh who can’t stop himself from singing when he sees his amazingly sexy Chemistry teacher(Sush) all in one film.
The film is more about various scenes than the big picture. So even with all those @speed of light stunts the ones you remember are the ones bet SRK & Sush. If you watch Hollywood movies these action scenes will not particularly impress you but after watching Rudraksh it was a relief to see that someone could do them without the strings being visible. Although the rickshaw chase (choreographed by SRK) though implausible was very imaginative and and very well executed. You can say that they did decent job with the stunts. The film has decent songs. In fact after a long time I have enjoyed both the film and the songs. The one that takes the cake is the qawwalli. Though I also like the not so well sung but well directed ’Chale jaisi hawayien’.
Farah khan as a director shows the flashes of brilliance but mostly relies on borrowed wisdom. But as they say ’borrowed wisdom but wisdom nonetheless’. She has incorporated India-Pak peace, Indian army, terrorist threat, Archie-betty love affair, an estranged family, an illegal son, an undercover operation, a rather unusual teacher-student love affair, remixed RD burman songs, matrix stunts all in backdrop of picture perfect riverdalesque college with beautiful mountains in background. She ensures that there is touch of vulnerability to SRK character as 75% of his audience is the fairer sex. As Sush had not much of a role she ensured that she looked so good that no one woud care why she is on screen as long as she is. She has ensured that film is rich in colour and characters essential for a fun film. In all she did a decent job.
Performences
Zayed Khan is Archie in the flesh and he has carries out his part with ease. This guy has future at least after this film. I think farah khan has worked hardest on his characterization.
Amrita Rao has carried on where she left in Ishq Vishq. Her role is similar to kajol in K2h2 and she also looks very comfortable and not to mention very pretty. Especially in Chale Jaise hawain with those Avril Lavigne look and flowing and uncomplicated dance steps.
Sushmita Sen does not have much role but what she lacks in substance she makes up in looks. It’s amazing that only after 10 years they found a way to make an Ex-Miss universe look sexy and glamorous. I thought that comes with the tag. Anyway better late than sorry. ;-)
SRK- He is doing everything in this film action, romance, comedy, emotions but he wont win any awards this year as he has cried only once in this film ;-) Well SRK holds the film together he keeps his profligacy in check (I just hope it doesn’t backfire for him as a producer). He gives a very decent performance and no doubt he is the star of the film. It was just unbelievable to see so many girls and families & girls in the first three days of the films release. Unlike big cities, here films are only released in one Cinema Hall. The families and girls usually avoid first week and leave it for the rabble rousers. Seems like they couldn’t resist SRK for that long. 4 Super Hits in 2 years it seems his golden days are back again.
How can I forget the amazing Boman Irani. He can no wrong these days. Suniel Shetty is fine as an extremist.
Bottomline
This is not an extra-ordinary path-breaking or unforgettable film. You may forget it in a few months but the 3 hours 4 minutes that I spent with it I enjoyed and if I may hazard a guess, you will too. This is the first film of SRK I have enoyed thoroughly without any major reservations after Mohhabbatien (even though they both were nothing less of modern fairy tales). Watch and decide for yourself.
Go On have fun, Njoy
P.S - No Today is not my birth day, My Birthday Was 15 days ago but as they as they say birthday is the day when you have the most fun in the year. ;-)