U, Me Aur Hum is another film that enters the doors of Bollywood’s meaningful cinema after Taare Zameen Par; another film that stays with you long after you’ve left the theater. After all the hype and noise, is it really worth all that? Well, the first thing that comes to your mind is Ajay’s direction; he’s done a great job. You wouldn’t even recognize it’s his first film. Of course it has flaws as it slows down during certain parts of the story but the film couldn’t have been better. Especially considering the treatment of a subject as serious as Alzheimer’s disease that is presented in a joyful yet sensitive manner. The first half is the fun part: comedy, romance and lots more; while the second half is the serious part: full of engaging, tearjerker moments.
As a director, Ajay carries the film on his shoulders with ease. As mentioned, the movie does seem to drag at times; nonetheless, he’s done a good job considering it’s his debut film as a director. He made Kajol perform in a way that no director has made her perform before; you wouldn’t recognize that it’s the usual Kajol performing. Now the question surrounding people’s minds is if it’s a remake of the Hollywood flick The Notebook. To make matters clear, the film is highly inspired by The Notebook but made with Indian sensibilities!
The story surrounds around a psychiatrist, Dr. Ajay Mehra (Ajay Devgan), who falls for a waitress, Pia (Kajol Devgan), while on a cruise. Falling in love at first sight, Ajay tries to unrelentingly woo Pia. He gets ample help from his friends – unhappily married Nikhil (Sumeet Raghavan) & Reena (Divya Dutta), happy unmarried Vicky (Karan Khanna) & Natasha (Isha Sharvani). After several failed attempts, Ajay accidentally goes through Pia’s “Book of Possibilities” and discovers what can catch the eye of the pretty girl he seeks. Slowly, Pia begins to fall in love with Ajay; that is, until she discovers the truth: Ajay has read her private book. However, Pia forgives him and they become happily married. A few months later, Pia finds herself pregnant; she delivers a baby boy. Everything is going smoothly until unusual events start taking place. Pia begins forgetting everything, whether it’s her home address or Ajay’s phone number…. Ajay seeks help from the mental hospital where they confirm that his wife is suffering from Alzheimer’s; he has no choice but to admit her to the hospital. The rest of the film surrounds the events that take place after she is admitted to the hospital: how Ajay manages to take care of his son and whether he has made the right decision by admitting her to the hospital.
There are many memorable scenes in the film, such as:
– The fights between Nikhil and Reena
– Post-interval portions when Pia forgets her address.
– Pia gets admitted to the mental hospital.
– Ajay apologizes to Pia.
– Pia screams at Ajay for breaking his promises.
The music is good; Vishal Bharadwaj has done a good job fitting the music into the mood of the film. The songs are placed really well in the film; Jee Le and the title song stand out the most. Dialogues by Ashwani Dhir are superb. The cinematography is the weakness of the film; Aseem Bajaj has done nothing notable.
As for the performances, Ajay is excellent. An honest performance all the way! And he has done an even better job as a director. However, Kajol is the show-stealer; the film completely belongs to her! Even in the presence of Ajay, Kajol steals the limelight and has the better role, which gives her ample scope to perform. A performance that is sure to be recognized at the awards! Sumeet and Divya are good at providing the comic relief in the film. Karan and Isha are alright. Aditya Rajput makes his presence felt in a brief role while Hazel makes a short appearance.
Overall, U, Me Aur Hum is one of the best films of 2008. Even if it hasn’t opened as well as was expected at the box office, the film should definitely do better in the coming weeks. It is sure to leave a mark on audiences who enjoy watching meaningful cinema. Definitely a treat to watch – go for it!
