Salaam E Ishq Film Reviews - Page 2

guys watch the movie first....i dont think it will be that bad either but we cant comment on someone else's review before actually seeing it...i do hope its good tho, at least the john/vidya track will be good 😊

yeah i agree dont read them

Whatever may happen i'll watch it for sure. 😛

Oodles of style, big stars, lavish sets and six different love stories make up

Salaam-E-Ishq.

The film is high on emotions, drama, and a bit of comedy, it is a typical bollywood musical film as it has plenty of songs. Unfortunately though the film lacks a direction, it has no concrete beginning, a forced middle half and even the end is abrupt. The film just throws you into the lives of six different couples and each of their love stories. These are six different short stories and though the director tries to bring them together in the end, it does not come across as convincing. Even the technique of using several short stories is not new in bollywood and has been attempted several times by other directors. Some of the love stories John-Vidya and Juhi-Anil do manage to touch a chord but unfortunately the rest of the film is unconvincing and abrupt in content and an overdose in style and glamour. Overall the film is also way too long and over hyped but the end result is just an average film.

The film is a tribute to love and deals with six different love stories and how love triumphs ultimately. The film has been directed by Nikhil Advani and stars Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Govinda, Shanon, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawala, Anjana Sukhani, Sohail Khan and Isha Koppikar. The music has been composed by Shankhar, Ehsaan and Loy.

Kkamini (Priyanka) is a super hit item girl who aspires to be an actress, unfortunately producers and directors want her to do item numbers but no dialogues. So Kkamini comes up with a plan to get noticed by popular director Karan Johar. But Rahul (Salman) forcibly makes himself a part of Kkamini's grand plan and the two of them are thrown in together and gradually fall in love. But love or Rahul does not fit into the ambitious Kkamini's plans and she reaches a point where she has to make a difficult choice, her career or love? So will Kkamini choose her career or Rahul's love?

Then there is the loving couple Ashu (John) and Tehzeeb (Vidya) who have been married for two years. The couple love each other and can't get enough of each other, Tehzeeb is a television news reporter and Ashu is a video editor and they work together. Tehzeeb and Ashu are devoted and committed to each other but an unfortunate accident with Tehzeeb changes their whole lives. Tehzeeb suffers a partial memory loss and no longer remembers Ashu as her husband. Ashu tries his best to revive their memories together, but will Tehzeeb remember their love and lives together or will their love come to an end?

Vinay Malhotra (Anil) and Seema (Juhi) have been high school and college sweethearts and are now married for fifteen years. They have a happy family with two kids; Vinay has a good job, a committed wife, two sweet kids, a secure home and a seemingly perfect life. He has a perfect life on the outside, but at forty Vinay is bored with his predictable and monotonous life. He wants excitement and fun in his life and then one day all the fun and excitement comes in the form of Anjali. She is fun, vivacious and unpredictable and she too wants Vinay. So will Vinay choose his family and the love of his life Seema over fun and excitement for himself?

Raju Taxiwala (Govinda) believes that a phirang girl will one day walk into his life and change it forever. He keeps waiting for this dream girl hoping and praying for her arrival soon. And one day Stephanie (Shanon) walks into his life but her aim is to meet her Indian boyfriend and marry him. Raju decides to put Stephanie's feelings before his feelings for her and helps her to find her boyfriend Rohit. While driving around Madame Stephanie, Raju falls in love with her. So will she choose to reciprocate Raju's feelings or will she choose Rohit?

Shiven (Akshaye) is an eligible rich bachelor who lives his life in a carefree style but he loves his girl Gia very much. Shiven enjoys being with Gia and is set to marry her when he suddenly decides that he does not want to get tied down with marriage. He is scared to commit for fear that their lives will change forever after marriage; he wants to be with Gia but does not want marriage. Unfortunately Gia wants a happy married life with Shiven. So will he finally see that love is the only important thing and marriage is a part of it?

Finally there is the last couple Ramdayal (Sohail) and Phoolwati (Isha) who are a newly married couple. Unfortunately the two of them don't get to spend their wedding night as whenever they attempt to be together some calamity befalls them or their home. This only further pushes Ramdayal further as he is unable to control his lust for his wife. Phoolwati too is anxious to fulfill her husbands desires, will their desires ever be fulfilled?

Director Nikhil Advani attempts to connect six stories and the issue of love together; unfortunately his technique of using the short stories does not work. The film has no beginning and just takes you abruptly into the lives of each couple, not much background is given on each of them, only the aspect of love is explored but the rest of their lives are not depicted. Even the climax is disappointing when almost all the couples are brought in together. One track with Sohail and Isha Koppikar no doubt had a few funny moments, but it seemed forced and unnecessary. Akshaye-Ayesha love story is good in concept but the execution made it seem like a caricature. Even each of the love stories seem over the top at times, the Salman-Priyanka track seems far fetched, the Akshaye-Ayesha track is amateur, the Govinda-Shanon track has not been delved into well and seems unbelievable. The length of the film is way too long and the film could have been trimmed further. Director Nikhil Advani seems to have indulged himself with too many stars, too long a film and an over the top script.

However there are few touching moments in the film, the touching sequence where John and Vidya are seen pouring their hearts out in the end leaves a lump in your throat, the poise and dignity of Juhi after she finds out that her husband wants to be with another woman. The funny moments are provided by Govinda whose track may not be etched out well but comes across as convincing and even cute at times. Even Shanon manages to elicit a few chuckles with her attempt at Hindi. The film manages to capture the audiences' attention in only bits and pieces.

It seems that Nikhil has just thrown in the six stories and tried to connect them at the end. The script is not well etched out and even the screenplay has not been executed well. The film tries to do justice to all the love tracks but does not manage to in spite of being excessively long. The soundtrack is good but unfortunately there seem to be too many songs too. Dil Kya Kare, Salaam-E-Ishq, Ya Rabba etc are sweet, hummable and have nice lyrics. Piyush Shah's cinematography is colourful and looks good. The performances by the stars are mostly average.

Salman Khan does not have a meaty role but his performance is merely average. He looks good but is unable to strike a note with the audiences. Priyanka Chopra overacts and her attempt at comedy is poor. John Abraham is average and manages to play his character with ease, Vidya Balan too looks comfortable and delivers and apt performance. Anil Kapoor too does an average job of playing an older guy fascinated by a younger woman, Juhi Chawala does well in her role of a dignified wife, Anjana Sukhani too does not have a strong role but is okay in her debut, Govinda is apt as the taxi driver, Shanon does an okay job as the phirang girl, Akshaye Khanna goes over the top in his performance and his acting is restricted to making funny faces, Ayesha Takia is barely there in the film, Sohail and Isha Koppikar are given a completely raw deal as they are barely there. The performances are barely average on the whole even though there is a lot of star power.

Salaam-E-Ishq is over hyped with a huge star cast and glamorous sets. But the script lacks the punch to keep the audiences engrossed and the execution has not been done adeptly. The film is too long and winding, and is just about average. At the box-office the film will benefit at the start due to its initial hype, but the film lacks substance and is disappointing. The film can be termed as just about average.

Reviewer: Rachel Ferandes
Score:

http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/movie-reviews-389-salaameishq .html

Salaam-e-Ishq movie review
Thursday, January 25, 2007 04:44:12 pm

Film: Salaam-e-Ishq Director : Nikhil Advani Cast: Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Govinda, Shannon Esra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar (Whew!) Rating : 1/2 (Good) So is Salaam –e–Ishq the desi version of Love Actually? Well, not actually. It is Marriage actually. The film is pretty obsessed with marriage – so (Shiven) Akshaye Khanna doesn't want to get married, his fianc Gia (Ayesha Takia) will pretty much marry anybody; Tehzeeb (Vidya Balan) has forgotten about her marriage with Ashutosh (John Abraham) – quite literally, Kkamini (Priyanka Chopra) is wondering if marrying Rahul (Salman Khan) is better than a film with Karan Johar, Vinay (Anil Kapoor) is married to Seema (Juhi Chawla) but has the 15-year itch, Ram Dayal (Sohail Khan) just wants to consummate his marriage with Phoolvati (Isha Koppikar) and Raju Taxiwallah (Govinda) has been dreaming of marrying a blonde woman for the last fifteen years! At close to four hours, Salaam – e – Ishq is also long. Very long actually!!! First things first, if you haven't got the point yet, Nikhil Advani needs to prune the film – by a good thirty minutes or so. He's already dropped one song, Mera Dil Mera – which is a pity because it was a nice number, but well, never mind! He could have done without the Sohail- Isha track completely because it is unconnected to the rest of the film and not really needed except for the odd laugh or two, but now, well, never mind! Never mind – because for the most part, Advani gets most things right in his second outing. The film works as a commercial mainstream entertainer – it is popular, yet at most times manages to be quite irreverent most deftly. Especially, Akshaye Khanna's character which has an inimitable take on love and relationships – and has the audience laughing along in complete approval. Salaam- e- Ishq works because it doesn't take itself too seriously – it is really not trying to be a deeply meaningful take on love – it is candy floss but with a great sense of humour. It is entertaining. It has some nice songs and stars – if only it were not so long, but then again, never mind! So who in the cast works? Well, just about everybody. Salman Khan hasn't bothered playing anything but himself for the last few years, and he does just that in this as well. Priyanka as the item queen, Kkamini is jerky to start with, but then settles down quite nicely. Juhi Chawla and Anil Kapoor are dependable. Vidya and John are quite earnest, and theirs is the most fleshed out love story, Ayesha Takia needs to watch 'Dor' over and over again and invest in make up removal tissues – she doesn't need that pancake!!, Govinda is a pure nostalgia trip and is supported pretty ably by actor Shannon Esra – but the stand out performer in the week – the reason, you can watch this film a second time is Akshaye Khanna. This actor's comic timing is super and his character, one of the best pieces of writing in the film. So a good second film from the director of 'Kal Ho Na Ho' – a film which ensures that Nikhil will have a pretty productive kal as a film maker in the industry .Go watch Salaam-e-Ishq, but just be prepared to spend a lot of time in the theatre, but for the most part, it is time well spent!! ( Reviewed by Naomi Datta. For more, tune in to TIMES NOW Weekend, Saturday 9:30 pm & Sunday 5:30 pm )

http://www.timesnow.tv/Salaam-e-Ishq_movie_review/articlesho w/1456414.cms

2 good reviews ive seen so far 👏

i agree i am not reading the reviews... i am gonna watch it.. i am sure it will be rocking !!

Anishma,
The second review you posted is the same as the one posted on the first page. 😉 lol. I thought it seemed similar.

PS khanrocks - No offense yaar but if the review critizes a movie, it's not neccessarily bad. 😊 No hard feelings hun.

Salaam-E-Ishq: Stars shine in mediocre film

More is merry. Excess is fun. But the key to it all is balance. Alas, director Nikhil Advani is no juggler. He manages to throw half a dozen balls in the air. But by the end of it, most of them find their way to the floor.


That's too bad, considering Salaam-E-Ishq could have really stood out. Not to say that the star-studded movie doesn't entertain. It does, but only in parts.


There are six storylines (scripted by Advani and Saurabh Shukla), parallel -- not interwoven. Eventually some of them become loosely connected to each other. Every story, however, has its own motive and mood. The switch from one track to another is simultaneous. This jump of sequences from Agra to Delhi to London to Mumbai is at times stylish, at others bumpy.


The movie opens with the most romantic pair of the ensemble -- John Abraham and Vidya Balan. They play Ashutosh and Tehzeeb --a happily married Hindu-Muslim couple working in the same news channel. They share an incredible chemistry and enormous love for each other. But a tragedy proves to be a dent on their blissful existence.


Then there's Raju (Govinda), the quintessential Bollywood cabbie -- eloquent, lyrical, golden-hearted dreamer. His lifelong fantasy involves a gori mem (white woman) walking into his taxi and them living happily ever after. One such fair female (Shannon Esra as Stephanie) does land in Delhi, but only in search of her pampered Indian boyfriend.


Meanwhile, London suburbanite Vinay Malhotra (Anil Kapoor) finds himself lusting after a pretty young thing (Anjana Sukhani), who conducts Bollywood dance classes. Obviously, dutiful wife Seema (Juhi Chawla) is not too glad about her hubby's naughty-at-forty ways.


Neither are we. Imagine AK, sans his moustache, in camouflage jackets and cargo pants, breakdancing in a nightclub.


High society young 'uns Shiven (Akshaye Khanna) and Gia (Ayesha Takia) are just engaged. Already their wedding seems in jeopardy thanks to Shiven's acute commitment-phobia. He tries every trick in the book, to hilarious effect, to push Gia towards a break-up. He succeeds, but is that what he really wants?


We all know the answer to that one.


What we don't know is why Rahul or Raoul (as Salman Khan pronounces his name in the movie) beats around the bush so much. He courts ambitious item girl Kamini (Priyanka Chopra) for her popularity. After she falls for him, he asks her to choose between him and a Karan Johar (making a telephonic guest appearance) film. As if!

Also, there's some lame mystery angle to his character's past which doesn't really make any difference to the plot. Except making Salaam-E-Ishq three-and-half hours long.


In this lengthy scheme of things, Advani incorporates a track featuring Sohail Khan and Isha Koppikar (at their over-the-top best), playing a newlywed perpetually in the mood couple from Haryana. The consistent mishaps foiling their attempts to be alone together are supposed to evoke laughs. But they leave you cringing. Humour at its worst.


Strange, considering Advani's debut flick Kal Ho Naa Ho was pretty amusing and chilled out in that sense.


This one makes silly gay jokes and contradicts itself by showing the television press as sensitive romantics and merciless hounds at the same time. Not to forget the relentless advertising of a jewellery brand, a movie magazine, a news channel and Karan Johar.


That's the problem with Salaam-E-Ishq. It's like a patchily stitched quilt; elegant in few places and tattered in others. It starts off slowly, picks up post-interval and then goes ballistic in the climax.


Even if Advani's execution is a letdown, most of the cast its job really well. Akshaye, John and Vidya emerge as the clear winners in this star-studded fare. Akshaye is mind-blowing. He plays a boyish, confused brat with a Calvin-esque (of Hobbes fame) flavour that is both endearing and entertaining. With Akshaye around, there isn't much scope for reel sweetheart Ayesha Takia. Yet the cute-faced actress infuses perky enthusiasm to an otherwise run-of-the-mill part.


John Abraham's body language is amazingly thoughtful and sensitive. He makes a wonderful romantic and bowls you with his uninhibited charm and compassionate aura. Also, he gets to say the best lines-- his chapter having shades of Fifty First Dates. Vidya Balan romances him back with equal fervour. Her transformation from a self-assured working woman to a helpless, vulnerable person is superb. They look lovely together and ought to team up more frequently.


With not too much to rely on in terms of characterisation, Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla rely on their own sensibilities and experience as actors to deliver touching performances. Their subtle gestures render layers to otherwise one-dimensional roles.


Priyanka Chopra showcases her flair for comedy, especially when she does take-offs on legendary tragedy queens -- Meena Kumari, Nargis and Madhubala. Plus, Priyanka looks like a million bucks in her chic designer wear and shiny make up. There's an interesting pub scene between her and Anil Kapoor towards the end -- quite confidently tackled by the young actress, holding her own against the veteran.


Her co-star Salman Khan's services are surprisingly underused. He plays the kind of lover-boy that made stars out of Biswajeet and Joy Mukherjee. Besides pronouncing his name with a funny twang and parading in fancy blazers, Sallu doesn't get to do anything substantial. Though he does a terrific job in an equally terrific song, Tainu leke (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy), strutting the streets of London with his trademark swagger and orange sherwani.

Govinda gets a good deal of footage and does an adequate job. Except his Raju is super-corny and gets overbearing after a while. His co-star Shannon Esra has an attractive screen presence, but cannot act.


Technically, Salaam-E-Ishq boasts of impressive camera angles (Piyush Shah) replete with Advani's penchant for the multiple-screen effect. On the flipside, Priya Raghunath's art design seems shoddy, discordant and Aarti Bajaj's editing could really do with a lot of help.


Did I mention the film is too long? Trust me, it is.


Finally, while it borrows the theme, format and even three plots (the ones featuring Alan Rickman, Colin Firth and Martin Freeman) from Richard Curtis's Love Actually, Salaam-E-Ishq never really celebrates the madness or magnitude of love. It merely skims the surface of the vagaries of its characters.


As a result, you feel neither involved nor sympathetic.


If only Salaam-E-Ishq had got its priority right. It is an ode to mediocrity, not love or cinema.



Rediff Rating: *** out of five

http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/jan/26salaam.htm