I have to admit that it’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam that made me mad about movies. My viewing experience was unforgettable. My admiration for Aishwarya Rai has only increased since then. Every revisit makes me fall in love with the film more and more. Since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial debut Khamoshi: The Musical didn’t garner as much love at the box office, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam almost pinned him on the map of Hindi/Indian cinema, making him a household name. I can’t forget the buzz around his Devdas. Even now, his films remain the most anticipated films of the year.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam aced in providing a wholesome movie-watching experience. It was a technically sound film. I still remember the first bird-eye view shot of the foreign location that made me lean forward in my chair out of awe. Sanjay Leela Bhansali almost defined grandeur in movies with this film. He pretty much set a benchmark and made his vision worth aspiring for future filmmakers. Grand is an understatement for the visual of his films. One can’t get enough of the mansion, its set design and its optimal usage in terms of space. We see various places within the mansion, happily notice the curtains, colour and design on the wall and admire its architecture. While Sanjay Leela Bhansali may not be responsible for the last bit, his idea to select this particular location is noteworthy.
Gujarati culture was very well witnessed in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. We hear about Gujarati food, see the kind of clothes they wear, and admire its design. We see the festivals they celebrate. The way all of it is blended in the film looks very organic. The heroine playing Lagori in her introduction song, a song with the entire cast celebrating the kite festival (Sankranti/Uttarayan), and a well-choreographed Garba for the Holi song look fascinating. Sanjay Leela Bhansali almost showed how it’s done. It won’t be wrong to call the film culturally rich.
I don’t think there is anyone who hasn’t liked the immortal soundtrack of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, composed by Ismail Darbar. It rightly deserved the National Film Award for Best Music. The romance overflowed in Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan and Chand Chupa Badal Mein. The melancholic touch to Tadap Tadap Ke, Jhoka Hawa Ka and the title track made us weep in sadness and pain. Kaipoche, Nimbooda and Dholi Taro Dhol Baje made it hard for us to control from tapping our feet to their beats. While Albela Sajan and Man Mohini were rooted in Indian instruments, Love Theme sounded perfectly Western. The soundtrack of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was wholesome, with a song for every possible mood.
The background score of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is equally wholesome. It’s grand, like the visuals. There is sufficient drama and intensity in it to enhance the moment. The theme also heard at the beginning of the title track, if heard today, will instantly remind us of this film. That’s how amazingly powerful it is. My favourite bit of the background is actually a specially composed song sounding like a folk song. We hear it when Aishwarya Rai eats chillies out of frustration when she orders something absolutely weird at a restaurant in Italy. I can never forget the look she had on her face at that moment.
During my recent revisit, I noticed many such moments, which made me wonder what would have been Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s brief to his actors to get these priceless expressions. Another example is the scene after this where Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgn are in the tram, and she is angry with him after they meet the mistaken Salman Khan at a music school. The close-ups of the first meeting between Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan pour passion. The lighting in Aishwarya Rai’s two crucial scenes (independent) with her parents is quite fascinating, where the light is on half of their faces while the other half is in the dark.
Another thing that I found interesting in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was how secondary actors owned their scenes with and without the A-Lister leads. Vikram Gokhale asks Aishwarya Rai to leave the room amidst a tense family discussion, Sheeba Chaddha shines in the same scene and Smita Jaykar in the scene where Aishwarya Rai tells about her love for Salman Khan. Kenneth Desai (Bhairav) and Rekha Rao (Kamna Fui) also stayed with us as much as the popular leading actors. It’s fun to notice Vinay Pathak and Atul Kumar in the film now. All the actors delivered impressive performances.
The performances of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’s leading trio are still considered to be some of their best works. There isn’t any second opinion about how amazing Aishwarya Rai was in the film. She richly deserved every award she won for it. The fun-loving nature and emotional depth she showcased in her performance were commendable. Ajay Devgn was immensely impressive in his intense portrayal of a no-nonsense man. We see him doing something different in this one, and that novelty remains unmatched. Salman Khan was charming beyond imagination. He wonderfully portrayed a man every woman would desire. His portrayal of passionate love made us fall for him, and his heartbreak made us weep with him. These performances remain effective even today after twenty-five years.
The only thing I question during every revisit is the weakly written character of Aishwarya Rai. I don’t understand what Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to depict by showcasing his heroine as so naive that she thinks kissing would make her pregnant. The core idea of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam of showcasing passionate and selfless love fascinates even today. The film has a great recall value for various reasons, but the biggest of them all is the one-of-its-kind extravaganza feeling it gives. Without a dull moment, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam will always be that gorgeous spectacle one would never get tired of.
meri maaa, CINEMAAA 