Producer: Chandra Haasan & Kamal Haasan
Director : Kamal Haasan
*ing: Kamal Haasan, Naseerudin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee
Music: Ilayaraja

Released on : February 18, 2000

Reviewed by: Anjali Abrol
dilwaliji@indolink.com

out of 
A more serious movie out of a string of either flops or jokes, Hey Ram! will definitely stand out from the lot. For one, the movie is directed by Kamal Haasan, and that speaks for itself. Two, the subject is controversial, dealing with the Partition, Pakistan and India, Mahatma Gandhi, the whole lot, and hence, publicity. Third, this was allowed to go forth despite its controversial undertones (as opposed to Water). Fourth, the movie managed to pass by the censors despite some of the explicit content. Five, Kamal Haasan and Naseeruddin Shah play key roles, and they are both quality actors. Six, Mahatma Gandhi's great grandson, Tushar Gandhi, plays a small role. And seven, Shahrukh Khan plays a pivotal role, and that in itself is worth watching the movie for! Oh right, and Rani Mukherjee is in it as well.

The movie begins at present day with Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan), an 89-year-old South Indian Brahmin who is dying. The scene reverts back to the past as Saket remembers the 1940's, when he and his good friend, Amjad Ali Khan (Shahrukh Khan) were archeologists working together under their boss, Mortimer Wheeler, in Mohanjodaro (Indus River Valley Civilization) in Karachi. Relations are pleasant between the Indians and the English, and Saket and Amjad do not approve of the Partition and the creation of Pakistan.

Rani Mukherjee plays the role of Aparna Ram, Saket's simple Bengali wife. She is living in Calcutta in the midst of riots and chaos over the issue of the formation of Pakistan. Saket goes to Calcutta and is swept into the madness. In one instance, Saket saves an innocent Punjabi girl from the hands of a Muslim gang. The Muslims are angered and decide to take revenge; the group is headed by Aparna's tailor, Altaf, who break into Saket's home. They brutally rape and maliciously slit Rani's throat, and the scene, so vividly shot, leaves little for the imagination. Saket, unable to cope with such a tragic loss, goes completely mad and seeks to kill every Muslim he can. He soon joins fanatical Hindus and loses sense of himself, falling victim to the chaos and religious hatred around him. He is also urged to marry again and agrees to it reluctantly.

Mahatma Gandhi (Naseeruddin Shah) is solely blamed for the division of India and of the two religions. The Hindu fanatics, including Saket, are furious and plot to murder Mahatma. Saket goes forth with the plan, until he runs into his good friend, Amjad, again...

Kamal Haasan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Shahrukh Khan do justice to their roles, though personally, I would have preferred some more scenes with Shahrukh. (What can I say?) Shahrukh also sports a beard, which looks pretty good. Rani Mukherjee is passable in her small role but could really use the makeup.

The story itself is so serious and the the movie in its entirety is very intense. It is difficult not to get caught up in the movie. The sexually explicit scenes were a little too much and it is surprising that the Censor Board did not cut cut and cut! They could have been toned down a bit and not have taken away from the overall effect of the movie. (CUT CUT CUT!) The technical aspect of the film are up-to-par, and though not flawless, the film is well-made.

I suspect, though, that the way the story is portrayed is most likely to stir up controversial sides, both in agreement but more likely in disagreement. I myself have chosen not to comment since the issue is highly sensitive.

Overall, the film is excellent and worth watching in the theater, both for visual/techinical effects and because it is definitely a high quality, intense film.