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By Taran
Adarsh, April 11, 2008 - 08:49 IST
 Aamir Khan has raised the bar with TAARE ZAMEEN PAR.
Comparisons between Aamir and Ajay Devgan, who makes
his directorial debut with U ME AUR HUM, would be
erroneous, but you can't turn a blind eye to the fact
that the viewer would expect an encore with U ME AUR
HUM. Will U ME AUR HUM live up to the humungous hype
and expectations? Does Devgan have the trappings of a
fine storyteller? Oh yes, he does!
Let's come to the point right away. Devgan needs to be
lauded for choosing a daringly different theme in his
debut film and most importantly, doing justice to it,
handling it with extreme care. We know him as a
powerful actor, now there's yet another designation
added to his name -- avant-garde director.
Write your own movie review of U Me Aur Hum
Let's move on to the next query! Is the real-life
couple -- Ajay and Kajol -- as dynamic yet again? The
answer is, they're electrifying. Both pitch in bravura
performances, reaffirming the fact that this jodi is
amongst the finest of this generation.
One of the prime reasons why U ME AUR HUM works, and
works big time, is because it's aimed at the heart.
Anyone who's into relationships, anyone who believes
in love, anyone who thinks from the heart, anyone who
has watched his/her partner grapple a grave disease,
will identify with a film like U ME AUR HUM.
 To cut a long story short, U ME AUR HUM marks the
birth of a powerhouse of talent. Watch U ME AUR HUM
for various reasons, but most importantly, watch it
for a new director who respects your 2.30 hours and
the hard-earned bucks that you invest on watching his
movie. It's time to fall in love with love… again!
The first time Ajay [Ajay Devgan] saw Pia [Kajol], she
served him drinks. She affected him more than the
alcohol, it was love at first sight. The first time
Pia saw Ajay, he had a drink too many. She watched him
make a fool of himself and was relieved when he passed
out.
Ajay is on a cruise with his friends -- Nikhil [Sumeet
Raghavan] and Reena [Divya Dutta], unhappily married,
and Vicky [Karan Khanna] and Natasha [Isha Sharwani],
happily unmarried. Ajay is having a wonderful time
dealing with martial strife, lots of bad language and
huge hangovers, when he finds Pia and time stands
still.
After a disastrous first meeting, Ajay tries
everything to woo her. He wants her, by hook, crook or
even her little private notebook. She's not an easy
catch at all, but finally, by sheer perseverance, he
dances his way into her heart. Ajay and Pia develop a
strong and special bond.
Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love,
and they blossom when we love the ones we marry. And
Ajay-Pia love each other dearly, but no marriages can
be complete without problems, and Ajay and Pia have
also have to face hurdles. Kajol is diagnosed with
Alzheimer's. How does the couple face the crisis?
 The one thing you must carry when you set out to watch
U ME AUR HUM is a kerchief. For, this film makes you
shed a tear at times, cry at places and weep in at
least two vital sequences. But it's not just
rona-dhona that you get to see in U ME AUR HUM.
The first hour, strictly average in terms of writing,
has several sunshine moments. It's breezy, funny, at
times silly, but interesting. What also catches your
eye is the eye-filling cinematography [Aseem Bajaj in
top form, yet again] on the cruise. The songs, the
glam look, the subtle humor… you don't take to the
film instantly, but you know for a fact that a volcano
is brewing.
And the volcano does erupt in the second hour! Ajay
Devgan, the director, shows his expertise in this hour
as the story does an about-turn, exposing the
delicate, sensitive and fragile relationships. Devgan
reserves the best for the concluding reels and you
finally get the answers in the end.
U ME AUR HUM is more of a director's film, than anyone
else's. A theme like the one projected in this film
could go dangerously haywire if entrusted in inept
hands, but Devgan seems to have done his homework
well. The only glitch is the length in its second
hour. A shorter narrative would've only helped!
Robin Bhatt, Sutanu Gupta and Akarsh Khurana's
screenplay casts a hypnotic spell in the second hour.
Sure, the germ stems from THE NOTEBOOK [2004; James
Garner, Gena Rowlands, Rachel McAdams], but the
writers have altered the screenplay keeping Indian
sensibilities in mind. It works! Ashwani Dhir's
dialogues touch the core of your heart. Every spoken
sentence has a meaning. Vishal Bhardwaj's music may
not be a chartbuster, but it alternates between
soulful and melancholic beautifully. Aseem Bajaj's
cinematography is topnotch. Monty Sharma's background
score is effective.
 Now to the performances! U ME AUR HUM is like a medal
that glimmers on Ajay Devgan's body of work. He's
exceptional! Kajol, well, what can you say of an
actress who has proved herself time and again? That
she's undoubtedly the best has been proved yet again.
Sumeet Raghavan is first-rate. Divya Dutta gets into
the groove in the subsequent portions. Karan Khanna
and Isha Sharwani are okay. Sachin Khedekar does a
fine job. Aditya Rajput and Hazel get minimal scope.
On the whole, U ME AUR HUM is a well-made, absorbing
love story that's high on the emotional quotient. And
that holds tremendous appeal for ladies/families
mainly. At the box-office, it's the kind of film that
will gather more and more speed with each passing
show. Its business at multiplexes should be fantastic.
Overseas too should be excellent. Very strongly
recommended!
Rating:- * * * *
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