Salaam Namaste

I'm someone who likes to go into a movie knowing very little about the plot, so when I heard that "Salaam Namaste" was a remake of the American film "nine months" i was not phased in the least bit, especially since i had not yet seen that movie. Yes the movie addresses an off beat issue, but bollywood's attempt to address such an issue should be applauded. It has its shortcomings, just like any bollywood movie does. Preity and Saif have good on screen chemistry. The beginning of the film was a bit slow and trite, in terms of the humor employed, but it was still bearable. The development of the plot and the climax was well handled. The soundtrack had one or two memorable songs, but otherwise it was mostly forgettable. All in all, I feel that "salaam namaste" is a movie worth watching.

Salaam Namaste Starring : Saif Ali Khan, Priety Zinta and Arshad Warsi. It has taken nearly nine years for an Indian Director to be "inspired" by Nine Months. What we get then is a Siddharth Anand meets Chris Columbus in a Yash Raj package. So you could meet Hugh Grant (Khan-competent),Julianne Moore (Zinta-dependable), Tom Arnold (Warsi-getting better) and Joan Cusak (Tania Zaetta- getting worse) and Robin Williams (Abhishek Bachchan in one of his most hammiest cameo) or go to Blockbuster and pick up the original instead. Too much hype little spike. I will be posting a more a detailed review on dus-ka-bees.blogspot.com

I was pleasantly surprised. Went to this movie for a Charity Fundraiser to help orphans in India. Never seen an Indian/Bollywood movie before as these movies never interest me. I have detested reading subtitles in the past.

When it started I though, oh my, I have to sit through this, I thought "how corny".

However, the more I got into the movie the more and more I liked it. It is a lighthearted, predictable romantic comedy who's target audience would be 15yo to 40 yo women. It is not really a mens movie.

The acting was excellent and I loved seeing Melbourne.

The end birthing scene was over the top but overall a great movie

Salaam Namaste started off really well. Although the concept of the movie was nothing new (Remember, Chalte Chalte and few others that deal with people in relationships..), I liked seeing Melbourne on the big screen. It makes me want to visit that place. There were certain scenes I thought were really rude and against our Indian culture. The scenes between Javed Jaffrey and his girlfriend. After a while it also got pretty irritating to hear words like "Exactly" and "Sorry" over and over again. The worst part of the movie was the ending. Abhishek Bacchan seemed totally unnecessary in the movie. I wonder what made him chose this role! The ending could have been a little more graceful and all the chaos in the hospital was totally unwanted and rather unpleasing to watch. Saif, Arshad and Tania go a good job. Preity is also good but at times she does get pretty loud in the movie. I would give this movie a 5 out of 10... for acting credentials (except Abhishek) and Melbourne.

Salaam Namaste is one of the lightest and boldest Hindi entertainers in recent years. It is on par with any well-made Hollywood rom-com. The film addresses two very controversial issues in India: live-in relationships and premarital pregnancy, yet does not try to emphasise them or take them too seriously. It is brilliantly shot, with great production values, great cinematography, light and beautiful songs, and well-cast actors. The film is entirely shot in Australia, and the various locations of Melbourne, the sets and the beautiful landscapes are breathtaking and extremely pleasing to the eye. While it is a modern comedy, it never forgets that it is actually a Hindi film, and in the second half becomes loyal to its Bollywood standards. By the same token, while it turns into a dramatic feature, it never forgets to remain modern. The emotions of the film are reserved and not overly cheap. They are natural and consistently flavoured with great comedy.

Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta are irreplaceable in their parts, and their chemistry is fantastic. They are sensitive, cool and modern actors who understand this foreign lifestyle and act accordingly. Khan's character is quite unsympathetic, as he is portrayed as someone who fears commitment and does not want to take responsibility for his actions. Yet, the transformation his character goes through over the course of the story is very well done. Zinta is quite the owner of the show though. Oozing charisma and sex-appeal, she is utterly charming and attractive as the strong-minded, moody and lively Ambar. Her vivacity in the first half and then pain and hilarious hysterics in the second are excellently done. But what's more, she actually captures the real person beneath the strong and sometimes comic surface - Ambar's struggle and optimism amidst loneliness throughout the pregnancy are convincing, touching and inspiring.

There are many memorable scenes in Salaam Namaste. First, the kissing and love scenes between the leading actors are surprising and must be noted. I really liked the "My Dil Goes Hmmm..." song. The scenes when Nick and Ambar fight intensively are funny and well-acted. The scene when they meet at their friends' house and the subsequent "Tu Jahaan" song are moving. The entire birth scene is exciting and funny. But my favourite scene is the "Ben and Jerry's Dark Belgian Chocolate ice cream" one. This is one of the greatest acts of the film, spontaneous and wholly entertaining. I recommend Salaam Namaste to everyone. It's not an extraordinary film, but it's a spectacular and visually stunning romantic comedy for the entire family.