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                             Impressive star cast. Competent technical team. A
                              much-awaited project… So, does HAR DIL JO PYAR
                              KAREGA live up to the big expectations? Yes! All the
                              way!

                              Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment's HAR DIL JO
                              PYAR KAREGA is a love triangle. Raj (Salman Khan)
                              arrives in Mumbai from Goa to fulfil his dream of
                              becoming a top singer. After a long struggle, he realises that his        long-awaited dream has   nothing but a dark end.    His life takes a new turn when he saves Pooja (Rani Mukherji) from a deadly accident. Pooja goes into a coma, but her rich and loving family mistakes Raj to be her husband,  Romi.

                              And then Raj falls in love with Jhanvi (Preity Zinta), who happens to be Pooja's best friend.  He is in a dilemma and is forced to make a choice between the two women in his life!   Loosely based on the South film CHANDRALEKHA, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA is a  winner from the word 'go'. The introduction of Salman Khan in the 'Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali ' number, interspersed with the titles, makes the mood upbeat and is an indicator of     things to follow.

                              HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA has a very basic plot, but
                              the way the screenplay has been developed and
                              handled, is where the film scores. HAR DIL JO PYAR
                              KAREGA has zing, gloss and of course, tremendous
                              youth appeal, which is the mainstay of this enterprise.

                              HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA is a triumph for director
                              Raj Kanwar and writer Rumi Jafry. The writer-director
                              team have used stars as characters and interwoven them in the story in such a way that  the outcome is thoroughly enjoyable. The film has comedy that clicks instantly with the masses (Shakti Kapoor), tender moments between the three principal characters and    romance in plenty.

                              Add to it a hit musical score (Anu Malik), brilliant choreography (Farah Khan) and stylish   camerawork (W.B. Rao) and the outcome is paisa-vasool. But where the film actually  scores are the dramatic moments – the relationships between the characters. The relationship Rani and Preity share, plus the friendship between Salman and Neeraj Vora AND Paresh Rawal's relationship with his boss and his family members, have been handled  with extreme care.

                              The unmistakable stamp of director Raj Kanwar is
                              visible throughout. The interval point when Shah Rukh
                              Khan enters the hospital, claiming to be Rani's
                              husband, shocks the viewer completely. The handling of
                              this scene and prior to it, the sindoor sequence, keeps
                              the viewer on tenterhooks.

                              Post-interval too, a number of scenes have a lingering
                              effect on the viewer even after the show has ended, notable among them being:  * Salman setting foot in the house, holding Rani in his arms and Preity by his side;
            * Salman and Preity praying for Rani's recovery in a temple and Rani moving her limbs simultaneously;
           * Preity Zinta breaking down in her father's (Paresh Rawal) arms, informing him of Rani's  obsession for Salman; · The climax, wherein a heart-broken Preity is all set to take the pheras with someone else, thus clearing the path for the wedding for Salman and Rani.
 

                              The film does have its share of weaknesses too, but not
                              that affect in changing the opinion of the viewer. The
                              sole drawback, if one can call it, is that the film is
                              slightly lengthy towards the second half and can do
                              with trimming for a better impact.

                              Anu Malik's music is top class. The music composer is
                              in command and belts out some winning compositions,
                              which include the title track, 'Aisa Pehli Baar Hua Hain' and 'Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali Ho',     which is undoubtedly one of the best numbers of this year! Sameer's lyrics are wonderful and prove his versatility in the title track.

                              Anu's compositions get a boost with Farah Khan's expert choreography and W.B. Rao's  first-rate cinematography. The film has a rich look and the colour combinations (art director:   Sharmistha Roy) make the film a rich visual experience. The titles (Binny Paddha) are amongst the best witnessed so far.

                              Performance-wise, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA clearly belongs to Salman Khan. He takes    a giant leap in motional moments, handling the most difficult scenes with aplomb. In the    light moments as well as the romantic ones, he is in total command, not going overboard   one bit. There is no denying the fact that Salman will win adulation in this film, more for his performance than his star appeal. His overall look and performance deserves the highest  marks.

                              It is truly difficult to pinpoint who amongst the two
                              heroines is better in the acting department. Both Rani
                              and Preity get equal footage, are at their glamorous
                              best and get great scenes to perform. And it goes
                              without saying that both pass with flying colours!

                              Paresh Rawal is superb yet again. Shakti Kapoor's
                              comedy sends you in peels of laughter. He plays to the
                              gallery and emerges triumphant. Kamini Kaushal is adorable as Rani's grand-ma. Rajiv  Varma is adequate. Neeraj Vora is very likeable. Razzak Khan is nice as well.

                              On the whole, HAR DIL JO PYAR KAREGA has all it takes to emerge a winner – great  stars, great entertainment and great making. Combined together, the film is sure to prove a  hit, making the distributors laugh all the way to the bank.

                                        By Taran Adarsh
               (Taran is the Trade Guide editor and writes for IndiaFM)