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MERE YAAR KI SHAADI HAI - (Reviewed By Komal Nahta)

Director: Sanjay Gadhvi
Music: Jeet-Pritam
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Producer: Yash Chopra
Starring: Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergil, Bipasha Basu & Sanjana

RATING: 3.5/10

Yash Raj Films Pvt. Ltd.'s Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai is a love triangle with a difference. Sanjay Malhotra (Uday Chopra), a confirmed Casanova, is made, by his good friend Ria (Bipasha Basu), to realise that his true love is Anjali (Sanjana). But this realisation comes when Anjali is about to get married to a boy, Rohit (Jimmy Shergill), living in the USA. Sanjay now decides to go for the marriage - not to attend it, but to break it.

Once at Anjali's house, he does all he can to spoil Rohit's impression in the eyes of Anjali's extended family. Rohit, after a while, realises Sanjay's evil intentions, confronts him and challenges him to play it fair in wooing Anjali. Rohit promises to leave Anjali if Sanjay succeeds in wooing her, but also takes a promise from Sanjay that he (Sanjay) would not come in the way of Rohit if he failed in his mission.

From there begins the game of one-upmanship. Sanjay even uses his good friend, Ria, who poses as his girlfriend to make Anjali jealous of her. Sanjay and Ria feel, their closeness to each other would arouse the emotion of love for Sanjay in Anjali's heart. It does, but by then, Sanjay realises he is wrong, and leaves the wedding scene just one day before the ceremony. In the end, one guy sacrifices and the other wins Anjali's hand in marriage.

Inspired from the Hollywood film, My Best Friend's Wedding, the film's story is quite novel and a bit unconventional. But the comedy punches, which should have been the film's high point, are sadly not very entertaining. Yes, some light scenes do evoke laughter but they hold appeal mainly for the elite audience in cities. Even the game of one-upmanship is lacklustre and devoid of enjoyable punches. Several comedy items are even childish and in the mould of, as also less than, what one has seen before. A couple of sequences even look contrived. For example, involving Anjali's mother (in the pre-climax) in the drama of who should marry Ajnali, looks too forced and unwarranted.

Besides the above, there are some blatant flaws in the script (Sanjay Gadhvi and Mayur Puri). For instance, the family members of Anjali disapprove of Rohit dancing with girls in a bachelors' night party even though Ajnali's own brother, uncle and brothers-in-law do the same thing in the same party! Anjali's love for Sanjay is hardly established and, therefore, her confession of it to Rohit looks like a weak link in the drama. What's more, Anjali herself does not appear desirable enough for two guys to be fighting over her.

Uday Chopra has a heavy Shah Rukh Khan hangover and, although he imitates him well, he does not have the superstar's spontaneity at all. Uday's voice is another letdown. Jimmy Shergill is restrained but also not fiery enough. Sanjana looks good only from certain camera angles. In her debut performance, she is just average. Had the film been made with three competent actors, it would have been a different story altogether.

Bipasha Basu (special appearance) acts well and also looks sexy. Neena Kulkarni, Bindu, Alok Nath, Saurabh Shukla, Sheela Sharma, Tanaaz Currim, Deven Varma, Tushar Dalvi, Raja Vaid, Dina Pathak, Parikshat Sahni, Resham Seth and Mehul Buch lend average support. Shamita Shetty looks sexy and impresses greatly in the 'Sharara Sharara' song.

Sanjay Gadhvi's direction is average. In several sequences, he takes too long to come to the point. Moreover, he doesn't seem to realise that brevity is the soul of wit - and a hit! Except for some comedy scenes, he finds the others difficult to handle and round off.

Jeet-Pritam's music is the best part of the film. 'Sharara Sharara' is a hit number and its picturisation is eye-filling. 'Hum dono jaisa', the tilte track, 'Jaage jaage' and 'Ek ladki' are the other tuneful songs but their picturisations should have been much better and richer. Production values are okay. Camerawork (Sunil Patel) is good. Dialogues (Mayur Puri) are witty at several places. Background music is too loud - and even unnecessary and jarring - at places.

On the whole, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai may be different but merely being different is no guarantee for success. It will do well in cities and good cinemas on the strength of the youth audience. Business in Bombay and South India will be better because of its appeal for classes and balcony audiences. In the other circuits, its chances are barely average.

RELEASE DATE: 7th June 2002

REVIEWED BY KOMAL NAHTA