Dil Hai Tumhaara

It starts off with a mother-stepdaughter conflict. Rekha cannot come to terms that her husband had a mistress and a daughter through her. Circumstances force Rekha to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up the daughter (Preity Zinta). Her own daughter (Mahima Chaudhry) takes to her stepsister immediately. Meanwhile, Rekha just gives her stepdaughter the cold shoulder.

That fact established, Shah plunges into the romantic angle. Shalu (Preity) and Dev (Arjun Rampal) are in love with each other. Trouble is, Nimmi (Mahima) loves him, too. More, Sameer (Jimmy Shergill) loves Shalu.

While you are still unravelling that one, Shah introduces the villains hatching some complex schemes. Mittal (Govind Namdeo) wants to become the mayor of Palanpur, Himachal Pradesh (where the story is based). The only way he can become one is to overthrow the current mayor Rekha.

With so many sub-events to tackle, no wonder Shah loses his grip and ends the film in a hurry. That is offered thus: a woman who sees her husband's betrayal every time she sees her stepchild, has an abrupt change of heart after 22 years. No valid reason given for that change of heart. A teary speech is all it takes.

All the characters, except Preity, who enjoys an author-backed role, are half-baked. Rekha, as the mayor, is never shown at work. The entire film sees her tackling only one problem --- the price of apples! Also, her house in the small town of Palanpur appears to be a mansion that has a transparent floor with water flowing underneath! Like her last film, Raj Kumar Santoshi's Lajja, Rekha's performance is top class. For the first time, she appears as a screen mother to two contemporary actresses. She looks gorgeous in the beginning of the film as a young mother. Later, she takes up the mature role of an elderly woman with dignity.

Preity is superb. Her last film with Kundan Shah, Kya Kehna!, won many accolades for her performance. Her spontaneous smile lights up the screen. As the neglected child, Preity does not spend her time crying and wallowing. Due credit for this should go to Shah. Preity is presented as the bubbly, vivacious girl, with a sensitive heart.

Though you wonder: given how close she is to her sister, why does she not breathe a word to her about her love life? Mahima looks great and dances well, and does justice to her role as the prim and proper girl who loves her younger sister to death. Here, Shah ought to have concentrated on her a little more and given depth to her role.

Arjun Rampal catwalks into the role with his easy smile and not-so-natural acting. Thankfully, he has no emotional scenes to tackle. His character raises a lot of questions. One: why does he allow himself to be pushed into marrying Mahima without a whimper? Jimmy Shergill as Preity's childhood friend has scant screen time. His skill as a ventriloquist is questionable. His puppet seems to have a life of its own, even talking at the same time as Jimmy. Once, the puppet is shown sitting away from Jimmy, and manages to talk and move its hands.

Shah doesn't seem to have paid attention to detail. While he establishes that Arjun comes to Palanpur from Delhi (at least six hours by car), there is a scene shown when Arjun gets some pastries smeared over his tie and shirt and wants to go home to change. He is shown changing his shirt at his Delhi home! A bit absurd? At one time Preity is afraid to go to Delhi alone from Palanpur and drags Arjun along. The second time, she simply runs out at night alone. Shah simply seems to have forgotten that Arjun's house is in Delhi, not Palanpur.

Preity and Arjun's office in small town Palanpur is shown as a modern designer office. Strange for an office that is incurring heavy losses and is on the verge of closing down.

Watch Dil Hai Tumhaara if you happen to be a Preity fan. And if you want to be treated to the rare opportunity to watch Bollywood diva Rekha.

An amazing movie. Especially for someone like me from the 90s, this one is sort of a comfort-film I never get tired of watching.

I do not think every single film needs to be too complex or a brain-teaser for it to be entertaining. And 'Dil hai tumhara' is one such example.

To talk about the other aspects of the film, the acting, dialogues, music, costumes, and literally everything seemed perfect to me. Nothing was overdone. Preity and Mahima look very pretty in the film. Loved the other actors too. The music is definitely one of my favourites and I have been listening to it for at least a decade.

In conclusion, I would give it a 10/10 but that would seem too crazy so I'm giving it 9/10 instead.

i was really anxious to see this movie because i am a huge Arjun Rampal fan and was therefore not really interested in the plot itself but more interested in how he handled the role. before this movie, i was also not really a Preity Zinti fan. i was stunned on both accounts. preity zinti is a wonderful actress and arjun's role, although nothing outstanding, was acted out well enough.

i am looking forward to a role where he will be given some real dance sequences though. the music was great, especially dil laga liya maine, and preity looks beautiful here.

good effort.

Dil Hai Tumhaara is one of those films that tugs at your heartstrings with its emotional storyline and well-delivered performances. It may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but there's no denying the sincerity of its lead actors. Preity Zinta shines as Shalu, bringing a lot of charm and depth to her character. Her portrayal of a carefree, yet wounded young woman trying to find her place in a family dynamic that's complex and often cold, is easily one of the best things about the film. Mahima Chaudhry as Nimmi also delivers a solid performance, and Arjun Rampal and Jimmy Sheirgill round out the cast with decent portrayals, giving us moments that feel genuine and heartfelt.

What really works for Dil Hai Tumhaara is its focus on familial bonds and relationships. The mother-daughter tension between Preity Zinta's Shalu and Rekha's character offers some of the film's most compelling and emotional moments. There's a certain warmth and sincerity in the way the film explores these connections, which is why, despite its flaws, it manages to leave a lasting impression on a personal level.

However, where the film falters is in its length and pacing. At just over three hours, Dil Hai Tumhaara tends to drag, especially in the second half. There are moments where you feel the story could have been tightened up, as some scenes feel unnecessarily stretched. The film's melodramatic tone doesn't help either. While emotional, some of the more dramatic moments come off as overblown, and after a while, it starts to feel repetitive. The movie leans heavily into sentimentality, which, although fitting in places, begins to feel a bit overdone by the end.

Another aspect that weakens the film is its predictability. The love triangle between Shalu, Dev (Arjun Rampal), and Nimmi feels formulaic and doesn't really bring anything new to the table. While the performances keep things afloat, the storyline doesn't have the same spark as the emotional family narrative, making it feel like a distraction from the film's more meaningful core.

Visually, the film does well. The locations are beautiful, and the cinematography, while standard for Bollywood films of this era, complements the tone of the movie. The songs are a mix of catchy and emotional, with "Dil Laga Liya" and "Chayya Hai Jo Dil Pe" standing out as memorable tracks. Yet, like the film, the soundtrack too feels a bit overstuffed, contributing to the already lengthy runtime.

In the end, Dil Hai Tumhaara is a mixed bag. It's a film with heart, carried by strong performances and a solid exploration of family relationships, but it's bogged down by its melodramatic excess and unnecessarily long runtime. If you're a fan of emotionally charged dramas with a flair for the sentimental, there's a lot here that you might enjoy. Just be prepared for a story that takes its time-and sometimes a little too much time-to unfold.

Movie with good story line good human behaviour clean plot no nudity no vulgar abusive dialogue. Preeti performance is superb full of life and enlightenment. Songs are the other star of the movie who Nadeem shravan don't disappoint us.