Two really good Hindi Movies

As the title suggests, this post will tell you about two Hindi movies that you should have watched but probably didn't for whatever reason. Now I am probably not a certified critic, but usually I find too many flaws with Hindi Movies (and English ones too sometimes), so you can be rest assured that if I am actually recommending a movie, then there must be something about it which will appeal to classy people. (I like to believe that). You can read up my review of Dhoom 2 to get an idea that I like substance in movies. So here goes










1) Ahista Ahista : Now most of the guys who watched this movie's trailer must have been put off by the Himesh music I am sure. I believe that the promos let the movie down. They could have put together a few sweet scenes from the movie (with reduced nasal sounds) and I am sure it would have piqued the interest of a few more people.

The movie is set in Delhi with its theme centering around the characters portrayed by Abhay Deol and Soha Ali Khan. Deol plays Ankush, a man who earns money by playing witness at the marriage bureau to total strangers. He happens to meet Megha (Soha Khan) because of his occupation. I wouldn't like to tell you more, because it kinda divulges the sweetness of the film. The story develops from there and just when everything seems to be falling into place for Abhay, there is a twist in the tale.

I liked this movie because it has a believable plot for one. Two, I think it has been directed very well. The only fault that I could think of (it wasn't much of a fault to me, but I guess people will complain about this) is that the movie is slow. But I didn't mind it one bit. Because while the director reduces the pace of the story-development he builds on each character. Three, I was amazed that all the actors have actually done a good job. Abhay deol plays his role to perfection. He suits these roles. There is a dialogue in the film where he says to Soha "Mujhe jaisa ladka...tumhari jaisi ladki ke saaath....I mean...tum toh classy ho na" comes so naturally that you dont smirk at it. Imagine Salman saying something like that.

Soha Ali Khan plays the lost-in-love girl very well. I wouldn't say that her performance is mind blowing, but compare it to Aishwarya/Kareena/Priyanka and she comes across as a Meryl Streep to me. Honest. She plays her part well and she looks very fresh. In fact everybody does.

This movie is good. I really liked it, and I watched it twice. At home. Even I was fooled by the promos and thought this film would suck, but if you like straightforward no-nonsense movies, then this one is for you. I particularly love the ending. It is very different from a conventional Bollywood movie. And that makes it better for me.

Having said it all, please don't watch the movie with sky high expectations. Just watch it as you would another Hindi Movie. You should like it.

2) Hum Dum : HAD any of you seen the trailer to this movie, you would have probably been forgiven to think that it was a B-Grade skin flick. I actually didn't watch the promos, but I am guessing that they didn't really portray the theme too well, in fact when I watched the first 2 minutes of the movie, I thought it was pretty much a B-Grade movie. But something about it kept me watching, and I actually watched the whole movie, engrossed and wondering how it was gonna end. And amazingly, it made me smile at the end. Very rare that....though I smiled at the end of Salaam-E-Ishq too..but that was because I was so happy I could go home to a disprin (That was a very sad movie). Hum Dum is good.

For the hip folks, the name of the movie is kinda corny. I understand. But the movie itself is not. The movie revolves around Siddhant (Romit Raj) and Rutu (Anjana Sukhani). Both characters are oblivious to each others existence, and both are involved in problems of their own. This is probably the only place where the story is weak, but I can let this pass in a good movie. Both need a little financial assistance and agree to participate in a game show aptly

titled "For Love or for Money". Rutu is already engaged while Siddhant

is just this loafer kinda guy. Here I must say that Anjana Sukhani is way out of his league. More about her: She appears in Salaam-E-Ishq as the HOT HOT HOT Bollywood dance teacher who seduces Anil Kapoor. Oh man..what I would give to be Anil Kapoor.

Back to the movie. So both of them participate in the game, and quite understandably and predictably are drawn close to each other. How they come close and fall for each other is shown rather cutely. Also the characters are consistent. Siddhant is still the stupid guy at the end of the movie, no life changing moment where he turns into this hero of the millennium. He always says the wrong thing at the wrong times. And Anjana Sukhani is sooooo adorable. She is very cute, and if anyone knows her, please tell her I would like to meet her sometime. Again, both the actors look fresh, and act well within their limits. Watch out for Siddhant's best friend, who is around for a little comedy.

There are various sub plots within the movie, and they have been dealt with very well. Again, I think the direction is good. The non-communication between the father and the son, the dilemma of choosing between money and love, all the angles are well dealt with. At the end, it is a very sweet movie, which had it probably starred A-List holly wood celebrities would have been rated as a somewhat cliched but well made movie. Wont compare with Bollywood actors though. A-rate Bollywood stars would have probably messed it up.

Both Ahista Ahista and Hum Dum are unconventional Hindi movies and that's probably another reason that I like them. Again, I stress, don't watch them with Titanic expectations and you should probably feel the same way that I do about them.