हम तुम

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.

Hum Tum literally means Me and You.

At a book review for the new little cartoon, Hum Tum, journalists ask Karan Kapoor (Saif Ali Khan)if his story is hidden in the story that he wrote. Someone asks him what his story is, and Karan agrees to tell them. He begins where he first met a girl named Riya (Rani Mukherjee) on a New York destined flight. They meet and on a long layaway in Amsterdam, they can agree on one thing. They loathe each other. Riya thinks that she will never see Karan again, but she is wrong. When she is to wed Sameer, she sees Karan again. Karan was the wedding planner's (Rati Agnihotri) son. They still loathe each other, but Karan starts feeling a pull towards her. They have a couple of other quirky meetings that may either end in love or misery for them both.

As the main story is going on, Karan's cartoons take life and basically form a subplot. Hum and Tum are, ironically, each of the cartoon characters' names. Hum is the boy, and Tum is the girl. At first, they aren't friends, and as Karan's story goes on, theirs goes on in a similar way. Will Hum and Tum ever get together and form the celebrated Hum Tum? Or will they also never ever fall in love?

This movie is a very cute, clean romance between two people. It is not one of the regular Bollywood formulas, there is no parental interventions, and it just shows that love may develop over time. The romance that develops between Riya and Karan is strong, that even after viewing the movie, the watcher feels that they have been given something different from regular romantic movies. I recommend this film highly for anyone who even thinks of watching a Bollywood movie. Yes, there are cartoons, but they in no way detract from the movie.

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.

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.

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