Hum Aapke Hain Koun
Why I like this movie the most
Years after I first saw Hum Aapke Hain Koun, I still keep viewing it repeatedly. I could not stop myself from wondering why is it that so many years since and so many movies since I first saw this movie, it is still my most favorite one. One answer that I definitely know is that it had a great influence on my (childhood) mind. I was in the 5th standard when I saw the movie.
I have recently discovered that there are innumerable little things in the movie that keep me tied up. First of all, every character in the film is coherent. It feels that the actors are the characters themselves. It is like I tell you about a person in great detail, and you imagine the character. Then you will be able to tell how a person will react in a particular situation. This is the coherence I noticed in the movie. I am not providing a summary of the movie and someone who has not watched it may not derive any pleasure from the following monologue.
Let us start from Siddharth Choudhary (Anupam Kher). In the opening sequence when we see him on screen, we instantly know that he is a food-lover (and a magnificent cook). Moreover, we get a glimpse of how close knit the family is (in the "Yeh barni kisne todi?" sequence). This is very important for the rest of the movie. Pooja (Renuka Shahne) and Nisha (Madhuri Dixit) are emotionally close to each other. If you have not already observed, look at the sequence starting from when Kailasnath (Aloknath) meets Pooja and Nisha in the manager's room. After the initial "namaste" Pooja takes away "Nisha" to their home while Kailasnath is meeting their father, Prof. Siddharth Choudhary. When Kailasnath expresses his desire for a match of Pooja and Rajesh (Mohnish Bahl) to Siddharth Choudhary, the (non-verbal) actions of Pooja and Nisha express their bonding for each other. When Rajesh comes in the living room, both Nisha and Pooja are watching from the kitchen. The contrast between the expressions on Nisha's and Pooja's face speaks volumes about the difference in the two characters. Nisha gets overly excited whereas Pooja shies away. Nisha models a bold personality exactly as per our expectations from her opening sequence on roller skates.
Pooja has a knack of finding the right words at the right time. This is evident from the movie but never "spoken" about. A shy girl that she is she could have found no words when Rajesh praises her for her painting. Her "Painting toh aap bhi karte hain, hain na?" plucks the correct string. Two more instances in the movie backup this observation. Later when Rajesh is going overseas, Prem feels guilty that Rajesh is compelled to go leaving pregnant Pooja alone. The way Pooja convinces Prem at that time is marvelous. That dialog could have come only from a person with the knack of finding the correct words. The other instance is when Bhagvanti (Bindu) mami insults Lallu (Laxmikant Berde) by claiming that the telegraph may have been fraudulent. Pooja handles the sensitive situation perfectly.
There are precise points in time when Nisha starts developing feelings about Prem (Salmaan Khan). There first meeting was a quarrel! The quarrel continues through the song "Wah Wah Ramji" and the time when Nisha visits Prem's house for the "shagun" ceremony during the brooch ("Ouch! Sorry, chubha? ... Chubhtahi toh aise hi lagta hai!") sequence. This quarrel continues till the marriage ceremony and the song "Jute do Paise Lo". But at the end of the song, when Prem catches hold of Nisha's hand, and then suddenly releases her, is the instant when Nisha has a positive feeling about Prem for the first time. Shortly thereafter, she acknowledges a (non-verbal) thanks for letting her keep the shoes by looking back at the upper floor where Prem is standing. She develops a soft corner for Prem later when Prem asks Nisha to forgive him of any silliness he might have inadvertently committed during the wedding ceremony. Lata Mangeshkar's "Ne sa re ga re sa re ga re sa re, Ne sa re ga re sa re ga re sa sa!" marks the first occasion and this is a classic tune of this movie. Later, Nisha's excitement when Prem is going to pick her up is understandable. On the journey to "Prem Nivas", Prem gifts Nisha with flowers and chocolate trying to impress her. Prem tells her that he asked for forgiveness (during the wedding) since Nisha was very sad and it was an awkward occasion. Prem felt that he could share the tension of the "bidayee". This paints a character sketch of Prem. Prem is a jovial young man who is also sensitive to other people's feelings. There are two instances when Nisha notices this fact. The second instance is when Rajesh is leaving for abroad. Notice that after Pooja convinces Prem, Nisha has a sparkle in her eyes. She notices how close Prem, Rajesh and Pooja are. For Nisha, this characteristic is very important. I must make it clear that there is no sympathy anywhere in these occasions. It is warmth between relations.
"It is bad manners!" and "Don't be a spoil sport." are sentences from the same person--Nisha. The manner in which she delivers these sentences, matches with her character sketch. For coming up with dialogs that assert and reinforce a character requires ingenuity on the part of the dialog writer. The character lives through these dialogs. Nisha does not voice her opinions in a manner similar to Pooja. Most of her dialogs with Prem are (more) non-verbal, with immense hidden meaning. She bridges the gap by persistent eye contact and expressions. Just before the passing-the-pillow game starts, Prem calls (through cleverly thought-out actions) Nisha to come and sit next to him. Nisha complies and is happy with herself for having accomplished it gracefully. In this sequence, the expressions on her face are a mirror into her exact feelings.
At the start of the "Pehla Pehla Pyaar" song, Prem unties the (pink) ribbon that holds Nisha's hair together. This is the point where he crosses the "line". Had Nisha not had feelings of love towards Prem, he would have earned a tight slap. The non-verbal factor is again in action here. Close to the end of the movie, when Rajesh confronts Nisha she does not utter a word and breaks down. Through her character, the way Nisha is, she would not have had any words for that episode. Pooja would have had very appropriate words had she been in a similar situation. It is not that there exists no dialog appropriate for Nisha (though I cannot think of one right now), but it is that Nisha would not find one (not that she could not).
There is one sequence in the film when I always find tears in my eyes. It is at the end of the "Aaj Hamare Dil Main" song when Reema (Reema Lagu) joins her hands in a "namaste" gesture requesting Kailasnath to take good care of her daughter Pooja who will soon be his daughter-in-law. Kailasnath, acknowledging the sentiment, accepts the responsibility with folded hands. It is very much in the spirit of the film and the healthiness of bonds shown.
Rajesh is a man of high elegance. When everyone urges him to marry Nisha he says, "Pehle Nisha se pucho". His letter to Nisha reaffirms his concern about not spoiling the dreams of a vibrant young girl. Rajesh has immense confidence in his wife. This is demonstrated when he is about to leave for a business tour abroad and Prem voices his own guilt of causing Rajesh to go when Pooja is in advanced pregnancy. Rajesh could have soothed out things himself. Instead, he brings Pooja into the scene and lets her handle it. This goes a long way in showing the bonding of Pooja and Rajesh and the respect and confidence they have in each other. At the same time, of course, as I mentioned earlier, Nisha gets a peek into the 'thoughtful' facet of Prem. This is a time when characters of three most important roles interact and still hold their own character traits.
When few actors are speaking with each other on the screen, the actions of the other (background) characters are meaningful and often essential. I have mentioned earlier how Pooja takes away Nisha when Kailasnath and Siddharth Choudhary are talking for the first time. It requires that you not watch the active characters (those who are speaking), and pay attention to the other characters to notice this.
Tuffy needs special mention. The dog's actions have a role in the movie. He is not just a pet, he is a member of the plot (and the family)! It is important that Tuffy be present when Prem gifts the necklace to Nisha. He is the witness. Tuffy's acting is simply fascinating!
The movie contains plentiful of every character. You want to watch Madhuri Dixit, you may do so; in clear light, for long enough time, without the alterations caused by special effects, and without the distractions caused by loud "background" music. This is true about all actors. Rajesh does not open the vital letter three times, Nisha does not express shock when she knows who she is marrying by moving her head three times! All the emphasis comes from subtleties, facial expressions and background sound (that never invades into spoken dialog).
I am overwhelmed by what I have noticed; not to mention what I have not noticed! I shall never know if each of these observations is true, in the sense that were these subtleties intentionally added. But if they were, it must have taken enormous concentration on the part of the actors, the director and the script writer to not miss out on any of the fine details. Many people feel that the movie progresses through the songs. I feel, it does so more through non-verbal communication and subtle actions. Of course, the songs are an essential part of the movie and add to the overall appeal of the movie. But they are not all. There is a lot of appeal in the other part of the movie too!
Just to add one more observation, Nisha never calls out Prem's name. The only time we hear the word "Prem" in her voice is through the letter she writes to him!
The movie is available for free viewing and paid download at Rajshri Production's website.
It is also available at YouTube.