I just realised - this is the FIRST film for which I am writing a good report !! Tere Naam, though not an outstanding achievement in terms of extraordinary film-making, but is definitely, refreshingly DIFFERENT.I might probably be influenced by the fact that the last film that I saw (and, reviewed) happened to be ’Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’. It was easily, one of the worst movies ever made in Indian cinema (if you share this view, PLEASE read my review on that film for some sadistic pleasure !!). The same shitty story of two guys, one girl. Girl falls in love with the wrong guy, then realises her mistake and enter another guy, whos the future husband. Then in the end, the all forgiving ’’supporting hero’’ gives the gal to the original ’’lead hero’’. Think - Saajan, RHTDM, Chal Mere Bhai, Na Tum Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, MPKDH, .... Hey, I almost lost count. I only got five fingers man !! (I’m using my mouse with the other hand dummy !!).
I am absolutely, so mad at all these crappy lovey-dovey shit-pieces of story making, that I was seriously thinking of suing these pigheads....until I realised, I don’t have the time (not to mention, the money, of course !!). Anyhow...just out of that desperation, probably, I happened to watch this film. In the recent few years, I’ seen very few films, start to end. The most memorable ones would probably have to be ’Hera Pheri’ and ’Aankhen’. Besides that, ’Tere Naam’ is one more film that I’ve watched as a whole (ha ha ha...remember this joke, guys ??). Lets just dissect it now !!
Tere Naam starts off with Salman as Radhe-Mohan, the college bully whos major interest is beating up people, ragging freshers, permanently adorning the college ’katta’ and yeah, not to mention, smoking like hell. Typical...
Nirjara (Bhumika...the name I came to know after reading another review [;->] ), is a fresher. Very first day in, Sallu rags her, though not too harshly. She just turns out to be ’super-innocent’ !! Well, I know, probably this is sounding a little crappy, but hey...think Kareena in MPKDH !! Oh my god no !! Lets just stick here.
Thing is, Salman happpens to come across Nirjara quite a few times, and he realises that for the first time in his dogged life, he feels longing for someone. Here, the different part comes in. He just doesn’t try to change himself and become all decent bunny baby boy. He just can’t shake his own personality. He keeps up the lafdaas and pangaas, while trying to woo his lady. After a little thought, and pushing from his ’chamchaas’, he finally ends up proposing to the girl in the library. The poor confused girl just mumbles something, that sounds like consent to Sallu. Then, things change when he tries to give her a gift. She flatly refuses and sez that she never thought of him so. She tells him that she thinks of him as a bloody goonda and nothing else. Radhe’s quite infuriated, yet helpless. Then, he tries to forget her, but can’t. In the meantime, he does a few good things for a lady who just happend to be Nirjara’s sister. He does this without knowing his fact, of course.
The twist in the story is when a few gangsters that Radhe’s beatne up turn to take revenge. They get holf of him and beat him to pulp, literally. The beat-up scene is quite a gory one at that too. Now, do not expect the hero to go to hospital and come back in one week hale and hearty (and...ready to sing a song, of cousrse !!). I will spoil a little suspense here and tell you one thing. Salman, doesn’t have even a single dialogue in the film after this point (really !!). the film turns a few events like taking Radhe to an ashram which is VERY weird, gotta say. Well, this part, was pretty outrageous, I believe, but still, if you are watching a film, you might wanna sacrifice a little logic in some cases. Again, theres no magic mantar that cures the hero in ten minutes of celluloid flat. The changeover is slow. In fact, hes never finally cured, I guess. The things that go on in his family’s and Nirjara’s life in the meantime are pretty convincingly real too. I am sure, if something like this were to take place in anyone’s real life, the path taken by the film would obviously, be the most logical one.
The climax, I guess was a little hushed up. In fact, when I saw Salman running towards Nirjara’s house and he sees all the garlands and stuff, I almost bet my whole property (well, it not much, but hey !!! I’m just 20 years ole’ man, gimme a break !!) taht he’d find her getting married and then the whole marriage would stop and the ’’supporting hero’’ would quietly gift the babe to Sallu after giving out a three-page senti dialogue. But nope...something else lies in wait. You’ve probably guessed now, but only coz I leaked the clues. The very last scene does signal what the whole movie is really......’’A Little Different’’.
Of course, its got a lot of idiosyncracies associated with Hindi movies, but still, its got something unexpected once in a while. I just do not agree with my friend whose review I read yesterday. He sez Sallu sleepwalks through the movie. Probably he didn’t notice. That is because Sallu is supposed to sleepwalk. He’s out of his mind, and thats the reason he’s like that. I dunno how convincing it might seem to a person whos hell-bent on criticizing the movie, but for someone who hasn’t seen the film...you might wanna cross-check.
I also would like to believe Salman does do a pretty GOOD job. Now, note that unlike my other reviews, I didn’t say decent job, I said good job !! I think he does the desperate bit pretty well at the start. Yeah, the hair sux, but still, he’s tried out a new look atleast. Think poor Shahrukh whos got a decent haircut in ’Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani’ and has never tried to move his hair even an inch. Ever seen a fella’ calling himself Hrithik do a new hairstle ?? Nope, I haven’t !! Anyway, its not a GREAT achievement or anything. Also, its not a GREAT hairstyle. But hey, I’ll give him points for atleast trying to do something. Like we all were super-quick to comment positively on Aamir Khan’s (just as)outrageous hair-style (and that shitty shitty...SHITTY soul-patch copied from none other than yours truly !! Look closely in my pic...’twas taken ’bout 3 or 4 months before even the promos of DCH came out !!). Probably, Salman’s just taken his personal life too far into people’s minds. Please dudes, when you are watching a film, think of the character and not the actor. Else, we’d never be abe to appreciate Mike Tyson’s boxing or Shane Warne’s bowling too. Sallu might be definite moron(yeah the site wouldn’t allow this too) in the real life, but no denying the fact that he can act. And, this comes from someone who has been critical of Salman for a major part of his life, believe me.
Also, throught the second half, we see a desperate Salman Khan again. But this time, hes desperate in a different way. Its not his mind thats in shackles, its his body. And, he obviously, finds these bonds easier to break. The final closing scene is very very aptly placed which is what any desperate man would do when he comes to terms with his failure !!
I know a lot of people would crap out this movie. But please in doing so, make sure you do not discourage this healthy new trend in our industry of making off-beat films, how ever small that difference may be. I am FED UP of mushy-mushy love stories. So watch Tere Naam !! And, if you got any views, differences, I will be glad to get your comments, as always!!