Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute To Love

Article Updated 26 January, 2007 09:47:49 PM IST

Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute To Love

Let’s warn you right from the beginning that this compilation of six love stories is too much for the audience to digest. It actually stretches into three and a half hours. This is the major minus point of the film. The film has more minus points than plus points, making it a boring film overall. But to give credit to the director, he has handled some sequences very well; the emotional as well as the funny ones. The director should have just stuck to three stories; Govinda- Shannon, Akshaye Khanna- Ayesha Takia, and John Abraham- Vidya Balan.

Although there’s nothing really new about these three stories, at least the actors have given it their own feel. Now for the other stories. The Juhi Chawla- Anil Kapoor-Anjana Sukhani story seems too clichéd. The Salman Khan-Priyanka Chopra is too amateurish. This combined with the over-the-top performances of the two actors makes it very irritating. The Sohail Khan-Isha Koppikar story is too crass. Why are the two there in the film? Their track lends a cheap element to the film.

Now for the stories.

Story 1:
Raju (Govinda), a taxi driver in Delhi, meets his dream girl Stephanie (Shannon Esra). She’s a firang who's come to India to look for her boyfriend, Rohit (Kushal Punjabi). Raju is smitten by her the moment he sees her. As luck would have it, Rohit decides to marry an Indian girl of his parents' choice, while Stephanie gradually falls in love with Raju. The culmination to the Raju-Shannon love story in the climax is superb. Raju carries the climax on his shoulders.

Story 2:
Shiven (Akshaye Khanna) is the most eligible bachelor in New Delhi. He gets engaged to his girlfriend, Gia (Ayesha Takia), but develops cold feet at the thought of becoming ‘Gia ka Pia’. Hilarious! He wants to break off the engagement. And he does so by hurting her in the bargain. Although one has watched him doing something similar in one of his previous films, with the same heroine, he gives it a different feel in this film. But gradually, he begins to realize that he is incomplete without Gia.

Story 3:
Tehzeeb (Vidya Balan) and Ashu (John Abraham) are a madly-in-love couple. They get married and the love is still strong. Things take a horrible turn for them one day. Tehzeeb is involved in a tragic train accident where she loses her memory partially. She remembers her parents but not Ashu!

Story 4:
Kamini (Priyanka Chopra), an item girl in Bollywood, aspires to become a heroine in a Karan Johar film. She devises a plot to change her image by announcing that she's in a serious relationship with a fictitious character, Rahul. Rahul (Salman Khan) appears out of nowhere! Someone please explain who is this character and why is he all over! And how does such an ambitious girl suddenly fall in love with him to the extent that she rejects a Karan Johar film in the end?

Story 5:
Vinay (Anil Kapoor) has a perfect life; a loving wife (Juhi Chawla), two lovely kids, and a lucrative job in London. But things change when he bumps into Anjali (Anjana Sukhani). Anjali belongs to a world that Vinay only dreams of. His life undergoes a drastic change. The romance or love between then is not developed properly so it looks very unconvincing when Anjali asks Vinay to leave everything and go with her to Paris. Reminds one of Nikhil’s mentor’s ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’.

Story 6:
Ramdayal (Sohail Khan), a middle class Haryanvi, is married to Phoolwati (Isha Koppikar). Every time they try to consummate their marriage, something goes wrong. Ramdayal ends up looking frustrated leading to this track looking very vulgar.

The performances
Like we’ve already said, Govinda is the best. He suits the character perfectly and it would be no understatement to say that he stands out in the crowd. Brilliant show! ‘Salaam-E-Ishq’ is truly his comeback film. Shannon is superb. She’s cute and really grows on you. Akshaye Khanna is remarkable, as usual. John Abraham is decent. Vidya Balan comes up with another wonderful performance. Juhi Chawla leaves a mark. Ayesha Takia doesn’t get much scope.

What is this new style of acting that Salman has devised. He tries to be very sober but ends up looking fake, right from his looks and expressions to his dialogues. Priyanka looks the item girl but hams big time. She even screeches in many scenes and is irritating again. Anil Kapoor looks jaded. He looks really ugly in the sequences where he’s shaved off his moustache. The scene in which he does a jig on the dance floor leaves you confused; you’re not sure whether to feel sorry for the man or laugh at him! Anjana Sukhani is okay and looks cut out for vampish roles.

The music- Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is pleasant especially 'Dil Kya Kare', 'Babuji Dheere Chalna', and the title track.

Overall, a disappointing film but the long weekend and the impressive star cast should see it through in the initial days

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