FTER the roaring success of FILM REVIEW AJurassic Park, there was speculation that the technological sophistication and artistic finesse of Hum Aapke Hain Koun Hollywood would dwarf Bollywood. Family as Bouquet But the unabated popularity of Hum Aapke Hain Koun (HAHK), ever since it was released in the middle of last Mahesh Gavaskar year, has reassured us that Bollywood will not sink. HAHK starts with Kailashnath Kailashnath decides that Rajesh As reported, certain innovative (Alokanth), who began his legal career should marry Nisha so that the infant marketing strategies such as not from a one-room tenement, and by will have a mother. But luckily, Rajesh selling the video rights of the film to sheer dint of hard work now owns a learns of the love between Prem and anyone, releasing the film palatial bungalow surrounded by lush Nisha and refuses to accept their simultaneously in all parts of India green lawns. Kailashnath has raised sacrifice. Nisha marries Prem and while at the same time only screening his two nephews who had been becomes mother and aunt to the infant. it in selected localities, and stuffing orphaned in their early childhood. the video of the films songs together Rajesh (Mohnish Behl), the older one, This story line is fleshed out in with a collage of brief clippings from an already established industrialist, is marriage, birth and death ceremonies the film, have definitely contributed about to launch his younger brother, interlaced with song and dance to its enormous and sustained earnings Prem (Salman Khan) into the sequences. Though glorious trophies at the box-office. It is predicted that automobile industry. Rajesh marries are won in the field of business, the the film will earn more than Rs 100 Puja (Renuka Shahane), the eldest world of work is not the thematic focus crore, leaving the blockbuster of the daughter of Siddharthbabu( Anupam of the film. The few events in the film ’70s, Sholay, far behind. In addition, Kher), a professor and buddy of located at work come as reports from the film has enriched the repertoire of Kailashnath from their college days. a bygone period (the economic rise to songs that grace many a family and Prem, the younger nephew, falls in prosperity of Kailashnath) or as neighbourhood gathering. love with Nisha (Madhuri Dixit), remote news of contemporary Siddharthbabu’s younger daughter. achievements (fax from the U.S. The total absence of sex and When Puja, after giving birth to a mentioning success in launching a violence in HAHK, and hence its child, trips over a staircase and dies, business deal). Almost all the film is suitability for family viewing, distinguishes the film from others. This achievement is all the more significant given that video tapes of the whole film are not commercially available. HAHK stands out in comparison with the recent spate of films containing lewd, double entendre songs depicted in equally indecent bodily movements. For instance, one can recall the exquisite body rhythms at the end of the song, Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai, signifying the delight of a pair of love birds. But in the process of rightly silencing all representations of controversial scenes, HAHK tips to the other extreme of subtly replaying certain conservative themes about well-fed families.

34 MANUSHI shot in indoor locales or nearby. The rejuvenate Rajesh is an ennobling characters, whose secular learning has outside world is of secondary enactment of ‘giving’ rather than a not distanced them from their cultural importance to the events unfolding in ‘giving up’ under compelling roots. Puja, herself, carries an element the interior. Thus, the home provides circumstances. The family doctor of divinity and Puja’s relationship with the setting, leisure the time-frame and plays upon the same theme: women Prem, her brother-in-law, is modelled play the style to the narrative of the are to men as giver is to receiver, as on the archetypal bond between Sita film. Whenever office events crop up surplus is to deficit; then he suggests and Laxman. Kailashnath it is merely to convey over the the remarriage of Rajesh to restore the compliments Puja’s mother for being telephone messages of domestic domestic health of the family. Puja a Lakshmi rendering Siddharthbabu’s significance. The logic of this passes away, but the life of Lalloo’s house a heavenly abode. Prem aesthetic erases the alienating features buaji is restored. The gimmick smacks resembles fun-loving Krishna, and of the outside world, making it of the deist principle of the divine Nisha, his Radha. hospitable for relaxation and maintenance of the equilibrium of the But it is, as expected, towards the enjoyment. A hand-cart, otherwise a universe to the point of mathematical end of the film that divine succour symbol of drab physical exertion, is a precision where every loss is becomes overt. The accidental death toy-like yellow, and the automobile compensated by a corresponding gain. of Puja leaves Rajesh forlorn. To broadcasts the handwritten nurture the infant it is message ‘I love family’ decided that Nisha, Puja’s across the fields. younger sister, should Another mechanism house Rajesh. At this used to extend the allure of juncture the clash between domesticity is the deliberate tradition and modernity collapse of the worlds of the comes to the fore. adult and the child. Besides Tradition expects Nisha the newborn and a few and Prem to sacrifice their smart sisters-in-law, there pyaar for the farz of are no kids in the film. rehabilitating Rajesh. Instead, it is the adults who Both Nisha and Prem, behave like children and taking guidance from play becomes the photographs displaying predominant metaphor of familial warmth, decide to this transmutation. Cricket forsake their individual is played by the adults and watched After her death, Puja’s presence shines desires for the well-being of Rajesh by children. Men wear caps with ‘boy’ forth from her photograph, a modern and the infant. However, timely written on them, women wear caps icon. And it is in the presence of this intervention allows the film to with ‘girl’ as an insignia. The song, photo that the ultimate reordering of reiterate the paramountcy of family Joote dedo, is woven around a contest relationships takes place. and brings about the transition from between the bride’s sisters and tradition to modernity without any Religious undercurrents animate bridegroom’s brothers. On certain skirmish. Importantly, it grants space the film’s text, hinting at a benevolent occasions men and women, aged and for religious legitimacy to function by gaze of the sacred over worldly affairs. young, team up in rows to dance to projecting the change in times as The engagement of Rajesh and Puja the music. emanating in accordance to a divine takes place at a pilgrimage site. plan. As we enter into the inner sanctum Rajesh’s maternal uncle presents a of human relationships, the aesthetic copy of the Ramayana as a marriage Besides this religious sanction, the mobilises the conventional theme of gift to Puja. The maternal uncle and very matrix of the film is constituted woman as the provider of food and Siddharthbabu are both professors, yet by a familial web of relationships. offspring. Puja, the ideal woman, are shown as having great respect for Almost all major actors in the film distributes the prasad for men to their religious heritage. The notion of have already appeared in the previous receive. Even the act of Nisha and modernisation without westernisation Barjatya production, Maine Pyaar Prem sacrificing their love to finds expression through these two Kiya (MPK). In a sense the actors are

No. 88 35 carrying on the tradition of the Barjatya family. When the characters in HAHK talk about their pichla janam (previous birth) they refer to their roles in MPK. In a tongue-in- cheek telephone conversation during the marriage ceremony, one of the sisters-in-law reminds Prem (Salman Khan, the hero of MPK) of Suman (the heroine of MPK). Prem equally suggestively remarks that his current concern is whether he will greet Nisha in this lifetime. Hit tunes of MPK also reverberate along with HAHK melodies, recreating tradition on the musical plane, too. And what better illustration of reincarnation, continuity and clone cluster can there be than when HAHK turns out to be none other than a rehash of Nadiya dowry is tantamount to blasphemy. In Thus, the majestic cultural ke Paar, a Barjatya product of the early contrast, memory becomes a mode superstructure of domesticity proffered ’80s. HAHK along with MPK through which intensity of authentic by HAHK seems to float above proclaim themselves as humble relationships amidst a proliferating material production embedded in the descendants of a rich lineage of cash nexus is maintained intact. cash nexus. But the very fact that a popular Hindi films. Wealth has not conceited Kailashnath; cultural artifact acquires such a strong prompt remembrance of hold over the popular imagination and The appeal of HAHK also lies Siddharthbabu even after a gap of shrewdly generates such enormous perhaps in its polished fashion of many years brings out his humbleness. revenues is an ironic comment on the building a sharp contrast between There is also a possibility that message of the film which projects commoditised and non-commoditised human relationships as overruling Kailashnath may have remained relationships. Repeatedly, through market forces. Thus, Lalloo’s taunt, unmarried because of his sincere but various episodes, the message is aimed at Bhagyavanti, that the bahu unrequited love for Puja’s mother. driven home that relationships are of the house turned out to be far more more than money matters. For Conversely, though he complies to priceless than an exorbitant dowry, example, when Bhagyavanti suggests marry Nisha, Rajesh has no carnal tends to gloss over Kailashnath's own that an aaya be kept to tend the infant desire for her. Thus, cherishing their lavish lifestyle. The incongruency since no woman would like to nourish respective beloved ones despite the between the material base and the a step-child, she meets with pangs of separation elevates the realm film’s cultural value orientation is too unanimous disapproval. A mother is of human relationships beyond petty stark to be swept beneath the carpet an epitome of giving; she cannot be concerns. of entertainment. bought. The film equally rejects the idea that motherhood can be achieved An Appeal To Our Subscribers only via biological parentage. As Rajesh mentions in the end, even by A lot of copies of Manushi get lost or stolen in the mail. We appeal to you to let us know if your copy of Manushi is not reaching you. A sure sign that you didn’t being a chachi Nisha’s motherly love receive an issue due to you is when your subscription skips one or more numbers - for the infant has not diminished. In for example, if you get Manushi 86 & 88 but not Manushi 87. this context, Bhagyavanti emerges as It is very important to us that you stay closely connected with Manushi and do a character through whom a money- not miss any issue. Therefore, we make it a point to send duplicate copies when a minded mentality is caricatured. subscriber writes to let us know about copies not received. However, we can send Where untainted relationships are duplicate copies only if you let us know within FOUR months. valued, Bhagyavanti’s harping on Please help us to reach you with every issue

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