Thursday, October 13, 2005

Salaam Namaste… egg-xactly ;))



It was bound to happen --- when the 3 ruling (?) Khans would grow older; the younger and 4th Khan would get his due share [read big banner movies].

Salaam Namaste {SN} is the story of Nikhil Arora…sorry Nik (played by Saif Ali Khan {SAK}) and Hambarrr…oops Ambar (played by Priety Zinta {PZ}). Then there’s Nik’s friend Ranjit Mathur…no no …Ron (played by a “versatile” Arshad Warsi).

Nik is an architect+chef. Ambar is a medical student+radio jockey.

These two, like most of the characters in the movie, have left India to life live on their terms [it makes one wonder… is it really that important to leave one’s country to live life with complete (?) freedom (??)]. They meet, think that they are in love, decide to stay together to know each other and then how their attitude about life changes.

Javed Jaffrey plays the owner of the house in which Nik and Ambar stay as tenants. He is a pleasure to watch… plays a weirdo and has a “phorener” wife. When ever he asks some ridiculous question like “tell themz hows much I hates the indians”, the wife says “Saw-ree” [she never understand what he says :)) ]. To this he replies --- EGG-XACTLY. Wonder where can one think of some gag like this!!!

The climax is a bit unenviable… but Abhishek Bachchan (his the surprise package of the movie) definitely makes you giggle.

SAK is as usual very suave and very much the character he plays. It makes one wonder whether the movie was written with him in the mind. PZ is surprisingly good too. Still SAK rules ;) . The costumes aren’t worth a mention, sadly though. Arshad plays a thankless role… but still you feel nice to see him worried.

Some things noteworthy in the movie are: there is almost no mention of religion (seems like, here in India too we’ll have the fad of accepting Humanity as the only religion), woman at any point doesn’t try to seek sympathy from any one (shows how financial independence can change attitude of people).

The editing is good…the film doesn’t lose the tempo anywhere. The music is good…songs come as-and-when required. Personal fav is obviously… “My Dil goes Hmm”.

Letdowns include:
1. SAK and PZ looking really old in some scenes… wonder whether the make-up wasn’t up to the mark either.
2. Ambar’s fake stomach [is there any need to talk about it at all]


The movie tries to tell something different but there isn’t any preaching else guess the box-office wouldn’t have rolled the way it would, otherwise!

PS: Well the movie has already done well!