Tere Naam Hindi Movie

Feature Film | 2003
Critics:
Aug 8, 2003 By Subhash K. Jha


For campus loafer Radhe Mohan, life's all about having the weirdest hairstyle in Uttar Pradesh, smoking like a chimney, getting into street brawls and ragging girls. But when he encounters simple 'n' sweet Nirjara, he tries to change.


A remake of the Tamil film Sethu, director Satish Kaushik's Tere Naam looks at a ruffian's obsessive love for an ordinary girl. It's said to be based on a true story, and as such, doesn't provide the regular dose of predictable twists.



However, though the first half has its absorbing moments, the film moves on a completely different tangent post-interval, and is badly affected by many over-dramatised and loud portions.


Here, Radhe (Salman Khan) is killing time at the railway station, when he comes across Nirjara (Bhoomika Chawla), the priest's daughter. Though he initially rags her by taking her lunch box and asking her to salute him, he slowly falls in love.


Nirjara is terrified of Radhe, who proposes to her by saying he'll settle down with a job as a bouncer in a beer bar. She's too stunned at that moment, but a few days later, says she doesn't have any feelings for him.


Angered at the rejection, Radhe kidnaps her and tells her: "I don't want to rape you, but just want you to be happy." That's enough for Nirjara to fall for him too, but before anything happens, he's beaten up by goons and loses his mental balance.


In showing the attempts to cure Radhe, the movie loses control. Scenes at an ashram for mentally-impaired people are particularly disturbing. Despite some unexpected twists, the excess drama messes up things.


Though the tale has its ups and downs, the film is boosted by Himesh Reshammiya's superb music, Mahendra Verma's action sequences and Jainendra Jain's well-structured dialogues. S Sriram's cinematography is appealing, though the flow is marred by too many shots of the Taj Mahal and passing trains.


In her first Hindi film (she's pretty well-known in the Telugu film world), Bhoomika is fairly spontaneous. However, it's Salman who really impresses - despite that hideous hairstyle. Whether he's playing the confused vagabond or the helpless lunatic, he comes across naturally.


You only wish Tere Naam sustained your interest till the end.



Subhash K. Jha

   

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