Tumsa Nahi Dekha Movie Review

When a triumphant team unites to make another film, the prospects are expected to be gargantuan. And if the team happens to be impressive names such as presenter Mahesh Bhatt, producer Mukesh Bhatt, director Anurag Bose and lead man Emraan Hashmi - the names behind the biggest hit of 2004, MURDER - you expect the moon.

Unfortunately, TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA disappoints. Reason: Archaic script. It just does not connect!

You need money to be rich, but you need love to be happy. That, in a nutshell, is the essence of TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA.

Daksh [Emraan Hashmi] is a perpetually drunk millionaire. He comes across a working class girl Jia [Dia Mirza], first at a bus stop and then shoplifting at a mall, and its love at first sight for Daksh. He subsequently discovers that Jia dances in a bar to earn a living.

Unfortunately for Daksh and Jia, the timing of this romantic encounter is odd. Daksh is scheduled to marry a hi-society girl Anahita [Pooja Bharti], whom he detests. But if Daksh doesn't marry Anahita, he would not inherit the millions.

Daksh has to choose between love and money…

A bit of CINDRELLA and a dash of PRETTY WOMAN. Combine the two and TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA is ready to be served. However, Bollywood is not new to these concepts. We have witnessed the rich man-poor girl saga, with parental opposition, since time immemorial. That explains why TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA walks on thin ice!

TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA follows the set pattern of similar-sounding love stories. However, the turning point in the tale is that the boy is forced to marry someone he despises and in turn, he makes an offer to his beloved to be his mistress. Other than that, there's precious little in terms of novelty.

A love story thrives mainly due to twists in the plot. TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA has characters, but not the type that would sustain viewer's interest and add spice to the goings-on.

While the writer has worked on the characterization of the two principal characters in the film [Emraan, Dia], he hasn't done justice to the supporting cast. Anupam Kher, for instance, looks perfect in the initial reels, but is suddenly hospitalized [not needed!] and succumbs to his illness subsequently [again, not effective!]. What prompted the writer to sidetrack Anupam's character so abruptly?

The other girl's father [Sharat Saxena] is the weakest link. His character is meant to evoke mirth, but it doesn't. On the contrary, the character grossly irritates. His introduction in the first half and the scene towards the climax could've been better knitted in the plot.

The characterization of the aristocratic grandmother [Surekha Sikri] is again one-dimensional. Making her smoke hukkah and making her deliver lines such as 'main badi kutti cheez hoon… teri behan ki…' just doesn't gel with her regal status, making it look completely out of character. The viewer would definitely find the character distasteful, although she does manage to bring a smile on your face towards the last scene [when she slaps Sharat Saxena].

Even the other girl [Pooja Bharti] - the third angle of the triangle - is limited to giving angry stares. There should've been at least some scene that depicts why Emraan detests her so much!

In a nutshell, TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA suffers not because of its execution, but because of an uninspiring screenplay.

Director Anurag Bose has handled certain sequences deftly. The initial reels are captivating and the moments between Emraan and Dia are well handled. But the best of storytellers take a beating if the story is not captivating enough - and that's precisely the case this time.

Nadeem-Shravan's music is a silver lining. The tunes are honey-sweet and the placement of songs in the enterprise is just perfect. 'Mujhse Tumse Mohabbat Hai', 'Maine Soch Liya' and 'Yeh Dhuan Dhuan' can easily be singled out for the rhythm and tune. These tracks have been filmed well also. Cinematography is functional. The locales of Dubai and Malaysia could've been better exploited on celluloid.

TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA rests on two shoulders - Emraan Hashmi and Dia Mirza - and both take to their characters effortlessly. Emraan is an absolute delight. Capable of delivering the goods, the actor emotes his part with complete precision. As an actor, he seems to be advancing a step frontward with every film.

Dia handles the difficult part with gusto. In fact, the pretty face catches you unaware with a super-confident performance this time around. This film marks the blooming of a fine performer.

Anupam Kher is efficient, although his character is half-baked. Surekha Sikri tends to go over the top. Sharat Saxena hams.

On the whole, TUMSA NAHIN DEKHA has excellent music as its trumpcard, but it falters in that one department that is the lifeline of every film - script. At the box-office, the film will have a bumpy ride, also because it is pitted with multiple releases, which will resultantly cut into each other's pie. Besides, the average to dull start will only limit its prospects.