The other day, I watched Ajay Devgan’s first directorial venture, U Me Aur Hum. Unlike many favourable media reports and the box office collections (“Average”), I was mighty disappointed. The first five minutes usually tell me if i would like the movie or pan it. This one didn’t tickle me at any point in its two-and-a-half-hour spiel. The movie lacked the emotional quotient that could have sent my tear glands into over drive.
The story is about a happy-go-lucky guy falling dropdead in love with a girl on a cruise and even marrying her. But later, his love is tested when she becomes a victim of memory failure – attributed to a medical condition called Alzheimer’s disease. The rest of the film is about how his love is unfailing. How he tries to keep her away from an asylum and how he finally gives in.
No wonder, no one really talks about Devgan’s directorial skills in the same breath as Aamir Khan or even closer to that. Why? Because the movie failed to sing and dance. It whimpered all the way and doesn’t even have 5% of the fire and passion displayed by Aamir’s Taare Zameen Par.
The biggest failing of U Me Aur Hum is that it fails to connect. Can’t believe an actress like Kajol even accepted this film. It’s anything but engaging. Could have better served as a documentary. And again, only if it’s length was chopped by more than half.
