Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating
Impressive star cast. Competent technical team. A much-awaited project? So, does HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA live up to the big expectations? Yes! All the way!
Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment's HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA is a love triangle. Raj (Salman Khan) arrives in Mumbai from Goa to fulfil his dream of becoming a top singer. After a long struggle, he realises that his long-awaited dream has nothing but a dark end.
His life takes a new turn when he saves Pooja (Rani Mukherji) from a deadly accident. Pooja goes into a coma, but her rich and loving family mistakes Raj to be her husband, Romi.
And then Raj falls in love with Jhanvi (Preity Zinta), who happens to be Pooja's best friend. He is in a dilemma and is forced to make a choice between the two women in his life!
Loosely based on the South film CHANDRALEKHA, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA is a winner from the word 'go'. The introduction of Salman Khan in the 'Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali Ho' number, interspersed with the titles, makes the mood upbeat and is an indicator of things to follow.
HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA has a very basic plot, but the way the screenplay has been developed and handled, is where the film scores. HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA has zing, gloss and of course, tremendous youth appeal, which is the mainstay of this enterprise.
HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA is a triumph for director Raj Kanwar and writer Rumi Jafry. The writer-director team have used stars as characters and interwoven them in the story in such a way that the outcome is thoroughly enjoyable. The film has comedy that clicks instantly with the masses (Shakti Kapoor), tender moments between the three principal characters and romance in plenty.
Add to it a hit musical score (Anu Malik), brilliant choreography (Farah Khan) and stylish camerawork (W.B. Rao) and the outcome is paisa-vasool. But where the film actually scores are the dramatic moments ? the relationships between the characters. The relationship Rani and Preity share, plus the friendship between Salman and Neeraj Vora and Paresh Rawal's relationship with his boss and his family members, have been handled with extreme care.
The unmistakable stamp of director Raj Kanwar is visible throughout. The interval point when Shah Rukh Khan enters the hospital, claiming to be Rani's husband, shocks the viewer completely. The handling of this scene and prior to it, the sindoor sequence, keeps the viewer on tenterhooks.
Post-interval too, a number of scenes have a lingering effect on the viewer even after the show has ended, notable among them being:
* Salman setting foot in the house, holding Rani in his arms and Preity by his side;
* Salman and Preity praying for Rani's recovery in a temple and Rani moving her limbs simultaneously;
* Preity Zinta breaking down in her father's (Paresh Rawal) arms, informing him of Rani's obsession for Salman;
? The climax, wherein a heart-broken Preity is all set to take the pheras with someone else, thus clearing the path for the wedding for Salman and Rani.
The film does have its share of weaknesses too, but not that affect in changing the opinion of the viewer. The sole drawback, if one can call it, is that the film is slightly lengthy towards the second half and can do with trimming for a better impact.
Anu Malik's music is top class. The music composer is in command and belts out some winning compositions, which include the title track, 'Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hain' and 'Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali Ho', which is undoubtedly one of the best numbers of this year! Sameer's lyrics are wonderful and prove his versatility in the title track.
Anu's compositions get a boost with Farah Khan's expert choreography and W.B. Rao's first-rate cinematography. The film has a rich look and the colour combinations (art director: Sharmistha Roy) make the film a rich visual experience. The titles (Binny Paddha) are amongst the best witnessed so far.
Performance-wise, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA clearly belongs to Salman Khan. He takes a giant leap in emotional moments, handling the most difficult scenes with aplomb. In the light moments as well as the romantic ones, he is in total command, not going overboard one bit. There is no denying the fact that Salman will win adulation in this film, more for his performance than his star appeal. His overall look and performance deserves the highest marks.
It is truly difficult to pinpoint who amongst the two heroines is better in the acting department. Both Rani and Preity get equal footage, are at their glamorous best and get great scenes to perform. And it goes without saying that both pass with flying colours!
Paresh Rawal is superb yet again. Shakti Kapoor's comedy sends you in peels of laughter. He plays to the gallery and emerges triumphant. Kamini Kaushal is adorable as Rani's grand-ma. Rajiv Varma is adequate. Neeraj Vora is very likeable. Razzak Khan is nice as well.
On the whole, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA has all it takes to emerge a winner ? great stars, great entertainment and great making. Combined together, the film is sure to prove a hit, making the distributors laugh all the way to the bank.
