'Hum Tum' is new age cinema yet steeped in traditions. However the attempt to make it a new age film
has resulted in giving the film a very subtle treatment and feel which may be its undoing.
It is the story of a boy and girl who keep meeting each other every few years all over the world and
never realize that initial dislike has changed to friendship and then to love. Because of their unspoken
words they almost lose each other till he finally musters up the courage to say what is in his heart.
Saif Ali Khan is the bad boy one’s mother always warned one of. He likes girls and his cute charm
has them eating out of his hands. He believes that girls and boys are as different as chalk and cheese
and can never be friends and so far has never been proved wrong. He is a compulsive charmer and when he
meets Rani Mukherjee on a flight to America he directs it all on her. Most of it falls flat but he registers
in her consciousness.
Three months later, they bump into each other at a New York park. Karan is with his girlfriend Shalini
(Shenaz Treasurywala). Shalini and Rhea discover they are school friends. Rhea tells Shalini all about the
Amsterdam episode, at the end of which Karan and Shalini split.
Cut to three months later, when Karan is back in Delhi with his mother. She is a wedding coordinator
and ropes Karan in to help with a wedding. The bride turns out to be Rhea. Karan bumps into Rhea again on
a French train, where she cryptically tells him, "Samir is no longer part of my life." Karan lands up at
his father's (Rishi Kapoor) Parisian house and tries to find Rhea.
The post-interval portions begin on a promising note, but things begin to deteriorate in this half. The story actually comes to an end when the two foes turned friends develop a deep bond, but aren't able to express their feelings for each other.
Director Kunal Kohli succeeds on two fronts; he has shot the film exceedingly well and has also extracted fantastic performances from not just Saif and Rani, but also from every character in the film.
Saif is perfect for the role as Karan, the smooth-talking urban male whose main aim in life is to get every woman to date him. Rani continues with her Chalte Chalte tanned look for this film. She has done a competent job as the level-headed, no-nonsense Punjabi girl who knows what she wants. Kirron Kher as Rhea's mother is superb, with her Punjabi accent and mannerisms. The other supporting actors, Rishi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Jimmy Shergill, and Ishaa Koppikar, are adequate.
Jatin-Lalit's music is amongst the high points of the enterprise. The rule of the game is that a love story ought to be embellished with a melodious score and the narrative in HUM TUM does get a definite push thanks to a lovely score from this talented music director duo.
On the whole, HUM TUM is a decent fare, a feel-good film which will appeal to urban audiences.
