Producer : Cheetah Yajnesh Shetty
Director: Nabh Kumar "Raju"
*ing: Govinda, Urmila Matondkar, Dimple Kapadia, Paresh Rawal, Nirmal Pandey
Music: Uttam Singh

Reviewed by: Anjali Abrol
dilwaliji@indolink.com

out of 
Years ago, when Govinda was a nobody and under the wing of martial arts instructor Cheetah Y. Shetty, he made a promise to Cheetah that if Chichi were to make it big and Cheetah, make a flick, that he would star in Cheetah's film. As someone who upholds professional promises (let's not comment on his personal life), the time came, and Govinda, true to his word, joined forces with Cheetah, alongside Nabhkumar (the assistant from the Barjatya clan) to make the mediocre Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain. Whether this was in Govinda's best interest is irrelevant...with Chichi primping to become the next Mithun, (not to mention Salman slipping into the Govinda clothes...ahh, the leaders of Bollywood), a hit or a flop on Govinda's part will hardly affect his flamboyant career.

The story is amazingly captivating. To put concisely, the padosis are also dushmans, led by the stone-faced businesswoman Dimple (who lives with Jill the kutti and Urmila, her sister-in-law aka the damsel in distress) and the cheesy Paresh Rawal (and his happy, mumta-filled ghar, with Himani Shivpuri, Johnny Lever, Jack the kutta, and the toothy Govinda). Naturally, Urmila and Govinda sing a few songs, few ishaare here and there, and fall in love. Ah and yes, this being a love story, Jack and Jill went up the hill (and fall in puppy love, I suppose), and the naukar and naukarani also have a chakkar going. Despite all the love, Dimple's wrath drives her to try to break them up (perhaps she didn't grow up with Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood). But how?

As the original storyline goes....the villain enters. No, this is not the original part. The original part is...is....the villain himself ! Who might he be? Well, he isn't who you probably thought (Mohnish Behl, of course!), nor who you might have hoped (the newest 'Reject for marriage in Bollywood', Salman Khan)....but Nirmal Pandey, Dimple's 'ridiculous but trying so hard to be sinister' business partner! And now the movie is worth watching, right? Of course.

The formula for a hit? Hardly. A timepass? I suppose.

Govinda's romantic role, though well-acted, hardly suits him--perhaps he ought to really stick to comedy. He isn't much of a variety guy like, say, Shahrukh (imagine Govinda in Baazigar), but he manages to remain the King of Comedy (and really should stick to his own kingdom). The only movie I can recall that was non-comedy and good is Swarg... disasters such as Naseeb are not in his league.

As for Urmila, the usual role of innocent princess to woo was hardly challenging. Dimple, though ravishingly beautiful, lacked desire to act, as such that she bored both herself and us to tears. Music, scenery, and such were average, of what I recall from what I didn't 'accidentally'

Since Chichi has emphasized that HTPMH is more of a romantic film, it is difficult to determine if the ridiculous scenes (of declaring his love and the usual silly stuff) were actually supposed to be comedic or just badly done. I think I would prefer to think of it as the former, though the latter may be more accurate. The family oriented Nabhkumar and the fight director Cheetah seem to be an odd team, both coming halfway to make the film, but unfortunately, both go in opposite directions. The result is a choppy film, a good entertainer if you also have those accidental fast-forward moments.