Hum Tum - Ich & du, verrückt vor Liebe

on the surface, everyone's condemning it for its 'inspired' storyline. but then, even Shakespeare picked up stories from the common database. i am not comparing it to his work.. you could point a finger at its not so original storyline, but credit is due where it is due. the movie is refreshing in the treatment it gives the girl-guy thing. it incorporates a cartoon strip = animation smoothly. and, not only does the movie manage to stay restrained almost throughout without following the general "second half" drag, it also deals with more than just the "cover story" or theme.

at its base is this endearingly constant bickering and loving relationship between karan and rhea. but go a little deeper and you see the sub plots of the rishi kapoor-rati agnihotri marriage-that-didn't-work, and the lonely kirron kher. kunal kohli deals with the theme of loneliness, and puts his point forward subtly in their stories. no one can live alone. and finding a way to make relationships work - is in our hands after all - as rati says towards the end - god might not give us a second chance, but we have to find it for ourselves.

the movie is realistic enough - contrary to what some of the obtuse commentors have posted already. and definitely a complete whole structure. minor glitches notwithstanding, it's a delightfully entertaining and heartwarming movie.

Hum Tum is an extremely modern and lighthearted romantic comedy. It is very well directed, beautifully shot, and is interesting and entertaining. Kunal Kohli makes a very good job in depicting the world of young Indians who travel the world and live their individual lives with passion and independence. The portrayal of relationships between the characters in the film, particularly that of the main lead, Karan and Riya, is handled with a mind-blowing mix of comedy and emotional drama. The film moves at a steady pace, the animated characters of 'Hum' and 'Tum' are really fun, the music is suitably racy, the cinematography and editing are excellent, and the entire concept of following the hate-to-love relationship of two young people for a period of several years across many different countries, is refreshing and convincingly done.

Having mentioned its light mood and refreshing tone, Hum Tum, above all, has true heart and soul, and there's actual depth beneath its comic tone and pretty visuals. It's not a fluffy rom-com which is just enjoyable, it is actually an affecting human story. Part of what makes it so good is the freshness of the narrative, which is mostly conversational. The conversations between the two leads are first quite confrontational but later become interestingly philosophical and intellectual and, in time, emotional. As the story develops, you find yourself increasingly engrossed in the proceedings and familiar with the characters, liking them and wishing for a good resolution to their story. Karan, the male lead, is a particularly interesting character of a spoiled man who is always well-meaning and has his heart in the right place, but actually grows as a person throughout the film.

The film leans on a truly electrifying chemistry between the two leads, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee. Mukherjee is very appealing and natural and performs brilliantly throughout the film, but it is Saif Ali Khan who steals the show big time. Playing a trendy, humorous, carefree yet gracious womaniser, Khan seems to be tailor-made for the role of Karan, which gives him ample scope to showcase his superb comic-timing but also capture the human beneath the mischief and register his personal growth. He completely inhabits the part, performing with natural ease, infusing it with the right amount of depth, wit and energy, and consistently appearing so real and effortless that it can be rightly concluded that no one else would have been able to do it as well as he did. This is an exceptional, unforgettable performance and, indeed, one of the greatest comic-dramatic acts I can think of.

In support, Rishi Kapoor is very enjoyable in one of his finest and funniest performances. Kirron Kher is outstanding and simply hilarious in an all-out comic part as the loud and loving mother. Rati Agnihotri is as beautiful as ever in a smaller part, and Jimmy Shergill and Isha Koppitar provide great support. The soundtrack, as already mentioned, perfectly suits the film's mood; the title song is particularly beautiful in both melody and screen visualisation. Please note, Hum Tum is definitely not a rip-off of When Harry Met Sally, as some people have suggested. There are some tiny similarities in the general concept but nothing more than just that, and it has pretty much a story of its own. Finally, Hum Tum is a lovely and memorable film. It is both very funny and moving, and is overall a heartwarming picture which can always be a great watch for the entire family.

The writers have done a remarkably good job with the story. Taking an outline of "When Harry Met Sally" and weaving a whole new story (and mind you, likable) was really tough and they have succeeded. Saif has definitely matured as an actor and improved his comic timing. He, as Karan, is one of the big factors, who has contributed to the likability of this movie. The other factor is the female lead Rhea (played by Rani Mukherji), who adds to the fun as well as the sensitive side of the movie. Rishi Kapoor and Rati Agnihotri's (Arjun and Anju Kapoor of the movie) bit of tit-bit was not at all needed. However, the good part is, the director did a good job containing that sub-plot in its small shell and not interfering the main storyline. The main hindrance to the movie were not the songs (as one would typically expect from a Bollywood/IFI movie) but small snippets of animation. I felt that was really unimportant. A good recommendation on similar lines would be the Korean movie "My Sassy Girl" (Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo). However, unlike "My Sassy Girl" this film is a bit predictable (nothing compares to that huge twist of "My Sassy Girl" that ends the movie) and lacks heavily in subtleness of emotion. If you are new to Bollywood/IFI (Indian Film Industry), this might be a good place to star off with. The same applies to people who wish to introduce someone to Bollywood/IFI. Overall, this film is highly enjoyable. Highly Recommended.

After seeing Hum Tum here are my opinions on the film. Story: Obviously not original, but the writers have handled the subject well and the result is a refreshing romantic, comedy. Acting: Saif Ali Khan is brilliant, no other actor would have been able to enact the role of Karan Kapoor as well as how Saif has done it. His humor and comic timing is perfect. And with this film he has proved that he can do solo hero films as well. Rani Mukherjee has shown once again that she is one of the finest actresses today, her pairing with Saif is flawless. Kiron Kher is First Rate as Rani's mother, . Rati Agnihotri is adequate and Rishi Kapoor is fine in a small role. Although the screenplay is good in the first half, during the second half and towards the climax the film drags and is very much predictable towards the end. I don't think the cartoon characters helped the proceedings in anyway. The cinematography is awesome, and the music is great, especially the title track, Chak De and Ladki Kyon. And they have been shot well too. On the whole a good film, with wonderful performances and great music. I give it 8.5/10

I enjoyed Hum Tum. To no one's surprise, Saif and Rani did a superb job. I don't think anyone has better comic timing than Saif. He's a natural actor. Rani has always worked really hard. Songs were great. I especially liked the Mere Dil Vich Hum Tum track and the title song. Like all other Yash Raj films, this movie has a very fresh feeling. I was rather delighted to see all the guest appearances. I was completely unaware of that. I really am not a fan of Rishi Kapoor. I don't know why, but I find him really irritating. He just doesn't seem that convincing to me. The cartoons got really irritating. It's weird, in the middle of a real-people movie, to all of a sudden start watching cartoon characters. Thankfully, the cartoons died down a bit in the second half. It's also a bit annoying how the film spans over nine years. Every half hour it says "3 years later," "1 year later," "4 years later." Being a Yash Raj film, my expectations for this movie were super-duper high, but I still liked it. It's a fun-filled romantic comedy.