Salaam Namaste (2005) User Reviews

Making of a typical Indian romantic comedy.

[jisingh · 5/10 · 13 September 2005]

How they came up with this movie:

Aditya: ...But you know it gotta be new.

Siddharth: Lets see what we can do? How about a new location?

A: Oh yes! In the past movies, We've been to London, new york, LA.. how about Melbourne this time?

S: Fantastic! and we can have a couple of beach songs there, you know thats the latest trend these days.

A: OK Lets talk about the story. I've an idea, lets do a different kind of romantic movie.

S: What different?

A: How about if we make a modern day love story, girl and boy both living outside India. That way we can also capture those NRI sentiments you know?

S: Whoa whoa. But that we have already seen in so many other movies lately. Need to add something more to it.

A: How about if the boy and the girl live together?

S: Live-in relationships? Indian audience will never accept that.

A: Ha! They are going' to jump on it, it will be a fresh story, wholly new idea, you know. Boy and girl stay together, fall in love, have sex, and then the girl becomes pregnant.

S: You are talking about "nine-months"?

A: whatever! how many in India have watched nine months? forget it. people are just going to love the idea.

S: OK so the story is finalized. What about the music?

A: Yeh, we need one or two dance item numbers, one wedding song?

S: why a wedding song?

A: You don't understand! its that superstition thing!

S: OK OK! But how are we going to have dance numbers when the heroine is pregnant?

A: Don't worry! Audience won't care. They come only to see the dance and songs. Nobody gives a damn even if she dances while giving birth to her baby.

A: I've got this gut feeling, in last movie remember, people loved the comedy. We have to have that in this movie too.

S: But its a serious movie. How can it have comedy?

A: Then arrange some part time TV actor. You know those anchors, they can speak so much on the spot you don't even need to worry about writing dialogs for them.

S: Thats fine. How about the cast?

A: Lets see, Preity is hot these day. See if we get dates from Preity, else go for Rani. Male actor, I don't think Shahrukh is that good after Swades. and Aamir, just don't approach him, he'll demand the god-damn script first.

S: Then how about Saif.

A: He'll do. Anything else?

S: We'll see that on the sets. Lets start working on it.

It is a light comedic Hindi film with a study of "modern " lifestyle

[sfairburn · 7/10 · 11 November 2005]

I have just returned from India, on holiday, and discovered that this is a film that just about everybody over there has seen. In fact many people talked about the film because I was from Australia. Because of this I went to see the film with some Indian friends and enjoyed it. It is not the greatest film I have ever seen, but it doesn't pretend to be . It is a fun light comedic Hindi film with a study of "modern" lifestyle. I am looking forward to the Australian release with English subtitles, so I can pick up some things I missed due to my lack of knowledge of Hindi.I am also anticipating finding Ben and Jerry's dark Belgian chocolate ice cream somewhere here. One thing I should advise Indian guys if they come to Australia. You may be surprised to find that most Australian girls are not so fast, and that prostitutes are not found at suburban bus stops.

Hindi Romantic Comedy

[jcnsoflorida · 7/10 · 14 November 2006]

This Hindi film is said to be a remake of 'Nine Months' and to be derivative of certain Hindi films, but not having seen any of them I am not entitled to comment on that. (I felt an undertone of 'Sleepless in Seattle', not a bad choice to emulate). In 'Salaam Namaste' practically everyone is young and successful and gorgeous, so it is admittedly an escapist fantasy. One could criticize that but on the other hand it's a hard film to dislike. The stars are wonderful together, and Melbourne, Australia, is a major character the way New York often is. Living in Melbourne, the main characters deal with certain issues that they might not face -or would deal with differently- had they stayed in India. Likewise, traditional Indian viewers might find some elements a bit shocking but I don't think the filmmakers set out to put off anyone. Yes, it's manipulative and predictable, but it's a 'feel-good' movie that works. If you can handle a little sugar, I recommend it.

Yash Raj do it again!

[Dingataca · 27 January 2007]

I thoroughly enjoyed Salaam Namaste, I have seen it many times, and each time, I love it even more.

Saif does a perfect job with his role, its flawless. He makes you laugh more than a few times, and he is brilliant. He is one of the few actors that have created a niche with the loverboy role, and can actually pull it off. Preity Zinta does also, an amazing job. She looks fresh, and has updated her sexy status. She still has the same charm she had back with earlier roles, which is fantastic, I love her acting too, its humorous, and great fun to watch.

Javed Jaffrey, Abhishek Bachchan, and Jugal Hansraj make up important, but short appearances. I liked the way Abhishek narrated the story, with each introduction of a new character, the story paused and showed their history. It was very clever.

Music is enjoyable - it has it all. A slow song, a fast song, a great title track, a cheesy song...

The end gets a bit dreary and tries hard to maintains the humour. There are times it works, and times when it doesn't. Easier to understand when you see it.

The director has done an excellent job, I must admit, Salaam Namaste is a great film, with few flaws. The script, music, directing, and acting are all fabulous. Siddharth Anand has proved himself in Indian Cinema, and has made a fantastic, very different film.

Worth every minute.

a surprisingly fresh feel-good potboiler!(caution! spoilers)

[tojoroy · 6/10 · 11 January 2006]

i was frankly impressed at this one,coming from the yash raj stable.i may have been prejudiced by preity zinta's charms .but sharmila's boy i can't really stand usually.here he's made up to look a bit more macho,and he gives a thoroughly convincing performance as nikhil the architect turned celebrity chef nick.the theme is a bit passé for even the urban Indians in the metros,but the film doesn't come across stale at any point.all in all a feel-good family flick! the theme of pre-marital intimacy is definitely not new(see raj kapoor's bobby from1 1973,and aradhana,masoom etc.)but that does not stop this film from handling premarital sex and pregnancy,which non resident Indian populations are struggling to come to terms with.second generation Indians have adopted values and different value systems than their parents... the age-old theme again.but it is not just the gen-X Indian youth,the film addresses,but the whole question of love and responsibility,which saves it from being another run-of the mill potboiler

something new

[useme · 7/10 · 3 November 2005]

For the past few years, Bollywood has put an extra effort to present something new to the desi audience and resulted with brownie points in movies like Hum Tum, Aitraaz and few others. Salaam Namaste definitely proves a new winner in this trend. The movie revolves around two young Indian lovers - Ambar and Nikhil Arora(Nick is what he likes to be called) living in Melbourne. They both decide to live together in separate rooms in order to get to know each other. But in the course of living together, Ambar gets pregnant. A strong-headed girl, Ambar who initially didn't want to fall into the responsibility of caring kids and playing a typical housewife finally comes to her senses. She wants to marry Nick and start a family. Nick, on the other hand is not yet ready to get tied into any marital relationship. Both have a clash in their feelings and fight with each other. But eventually, Nick falls for Ambar, marries her and they both have twins. The first half of the movie is playful with Nick and Amber's fights and not to forget two beautiful songs. The pace slows down on the second half but quickly picks up in the end. However, it would have been more normal if the comic sequence in the hospital during Priety's delivery were lessened. Also a fully blown-up pregnant Preity gyrating her hips and dancing difficult steps in the "paune barha baje" song seems a bit indigestible. Music is trendy and hummable. Performancewise, Preity and Saif stand out. Arshad is likable. Abhishek is over-hyped. Overall, a good movie especially for today's youths!!

entertaining and Saif n pretty look awesome together..

[lilgal_cool · 7/10 · 29 April 2006]

we have seen this one before but it is great to see Saif Ali khan and pretty's chemistry...they look very good together.this movie is a copy of a Hollywood flick but it z cool for Indians.What say?i liked it...it was a nice change from Yashraj's crying sagas(Veer Zara?remember?) any way after hum tum there is SN and then Neal n Nikki which are about a guy and a gal....so any way "salaam ..." is a nice entertainment!have fun! It is about Amber and Nikhil..oops! nick. Amber is an rj and she interviews all the famous "indians" in melbourne Nick was supposed to be at her show and then he doesn't turn up so they create a whole scene on the radio ...they keep fighting and guess what nick and amber meet at simon's wedding and they don't actually recognise each other by "the nick" and "the" amber so any way this wedding brings them to know each other and then they realise who "nick" actually is and who "amber" actually is so any way this is just the beginning they realise they love each other and have this live-in relationship..things go pretty well and they have fun until pretty gets Amber gets pregnant and Nick doesn't want to take any responsibilities of the soon to be born baby.....so what happens? go ahead watch this one....c'mon go . watch at least for the mysterious suspense(lol)!lmao! any way ....worth 4-5 watches..it is typical but entertaining

Good start.. gets a bit of a drag towards ending

[jayeshsam · 5/10 · 19 October 2005]

Salaam Namaste started off really well. Although the concept of the movie was nothing new (Remember, Chalte Chalte and few others that deal with people in relationships..), I liked seeing Melbourne on the big screen. It makes me want to visit that place. There were certain scenes I thought were really rude and against our Indian culture. The scenes between Javed Jaffrey and his girlfriend. After a while it also got pretty irritating to hear words like "Exactly" and "Sorry" over and over again. The worst part of the movie was the ending. Abhishek Bacchan seemed totally unnecessary in the movie. I wonder what made him chose this role! The ending could have been a little more graceful and all the chaos in the hospital was totally unwanted and rather unpleasing to watch. Saif, Arshad and Tania go a good job. Preity is also good but at times she does get pretty loud in the movie. I would give this movie a 5 out of 10... for acting credentials (except Abhishek) and Melbourne.

Enjoyable and visually stunning Bollywood entertainment

[Peter_Young · 8/10 · 7 July 2009]

Salaam Namaste is one of the lightest and boldest Hindi entertainers in recent years. It is on par with any well-made Hollywood rom-com. The film addresses two very controversial issues in India: live-in relationships and premarital pregnancy, yet does not try to emphasise them or take them too seriously. It is brilliantly shot, with great production values, great cinematography, light and beautiful songs, and well-cast actors. The film is entirely shot in Australia, and the various locations of Melbourne, the sets and the beautiful landscapes are breathtaking and extremely pleasing to the eye. While it is a modern comedy, it never forgets that it is actually a Hindi film, and in the second half becomes loyal to its Bollywood standards. By the same token, while it turns into a dramatic feature, it never forgets to remain modern. The emotions of the film are reserved and not overly cheap. They are natural and consistently flavoured with great comedy.

Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta are irreplaceable in their parts, and their chemistry is fantastic. They are sensitive, cool and modern actors who understand this foreign lifestyle and act accordingly. Khan's character is quite unsympathetic, as he is portrayed as someone who fears commitment and does not want to take responsibility for his actions. Yet, the transformation his character goes through over the course of the story is very well done. Zinta is quite the owner of the show though. Oozing charisma and sex-appeal, she is utterly charming and attractive as the strong-minded, moody and lively Ambar. Her vivacity in the first half and then pain and hilarious hysterics in the second are excellently done. But what's more, she actually captures the real person beneath the strong and sometimes comic surface - Ambar's struggle and optimism amidst loneliness throughout the pregnancy are convincing, touching and inspiring.

There are many memorable scenes in Salaam Namaste. First, the kissing and love scenes between the leading actors are surprising and must be noted. I really liked the "My Dil Goes Hmmm..." song. The scenes when Nick and Ambar fight intensively are funny and well-acted. The scene when they meet at their friends' house and the subsequent "Tu Jahaan" song are moving. The entire birth scene is exciting and funny. But my favourite scene is the "Ben and Jerry's Dark Belgian Chocolate ice cream" one. This is one of the greatest acts of the film, spontaneous and wholly entertaining. I recommend Salaam Namaste to everyone. It's not an extraordinary film, but it's a spectacular and visually stunning romantic comedy for the entire family.

Great Movie

[nickdella · 7/10 · 7 April 2006]

This movie i found more enjoyable than Devdas new and old because Devdas i found had a very slow moving plot line and the songs didn't really capture me.

I thought this was one of the best movies i had seen in a long time. I really enjoyed the songs and the storyline.

The acting in the movie was great.

The songs were very well written and were excellent at getting you involved in the movie. A movie without songs is not the same

This is definitely worth watching.

Nick

We have seen this one before

[sprite_1975-1 · 5/10 · 10 September 2005]

Salaam Namaste Starring : Saif Ali Khan, Priety Zinta and Arshad Warsi. It has taken nearly nine years for an Indian Director to be "inspired" by Nine Months. What we get then is a Siddharth Anand meets Chris Columbus in a Yash Raj package. So you could meet Hugh Grant (Khan-competent),Julianne Moore (Zinta-dependable), Tom Arnold (Warsi-getting better) and Joan Cusak (Tania Zaetta- getting worse) and Robin Williams (Abhishek Bachchan in one of his most hammiest cameo) or go to Blockbuster and pick up the original instead. Too much hype little spike. I will be posting a more a detailed review on dus-ka-bees.blogspot.com

probably not original, but enjoyable nonetheless

[badmaash9911 · 8/10 · 4 November 2005]

I'm someone who likes to go into a movie knowing very little about the plot, so when I heard that "Salaam Namaste" was a remake of the American film "nine months" i was not phased in the least bit, especially since i had not yet seen that movie. Yes the movie addresses an off beat issue, but bollywood's attempt to address such an issue should be applauded. It has its shortcomings, just like any bollywood movie does. Preity and Saif have good on screen chemistry. The beginning of the film was a bit slow and trite, in terms of the humor employed, but it was still bearable. The development of the plot and the climax was well handled. The soundtrack had one or two memorable songs, but otherwise it was mostly forgettable. All in all, I feel that "salaam namaste" is a movie worth watching.

Watch it just for Warsi if not for anything else !

[solanki17 · 7/10 · 12 September 2005]

Another film from the ever reliable Yash Raj camp, having earlier this year come out with the superb Bunty aur Babli which was met with lukewarm response from the masses due to its breaking the mould story line, Salaam Namaste tries to follow the same path but essentially is the age old story of two people who fall in love and the subsequent trials & tribulations of a relationship. We've seen this done to a plum in Chalte Chalte, DDLJ.

The film stars Saif & Preity Zinta if you already didn't know, but there is also a superb supporting cast namely in the great Arshad Warsi as the comedy relief, Saif's best mate, Ron. Saif plays a Chef, named Nick (Nikhil Arora really) and Preity is a local Radio DJ named Amber, they both have fled their homeland to settle down and live their lives independently of their families in Melbourne, Australia. This is one of my main gripes with the movie, as it tries so much to point out the positives of Australia and the multicultural aspect in infused with the desi populace highlighted throughout the city, but the beauty of Bollywood has always been that patriotic and proud notion of the actors being Indian and wearing their Indian hearts on their sleeves. Here the two main film leads seem to be running away from their heritage and this is made worse with the introduction of a overly stereotyped Indian who is trying to be an Indian crocodile dundee and states he "hates Indians".

But anyway you all didn't come to see Border, or LOC - Kargill, this isn't Indian Independence day or anything, but Kal Ho Na Ho managed to set an entire story outside of India (New York) yet still didn't slate the main leads Indian heritage.... So back to the story, both Nick & Amber over the time of the movie fall in love and decide to move in together rather then marry etc. They decide they'll take each day as it comes and just enjoy each other. This is the movies mains strengths it highlights the high's & low's of a relationship in an Indian context and covers topics usually to taboo in bollywood, such as sharing beds, contraceptives and abortions with a token hooker thrown in for the laughs !! The movie is a mixed comedy, serious drama and unlike Hum Tum steers more towards the seriousness of the couples problems, but like all true bollywood flicks, the ending will leave the audience satisfied and with a huge smile on their faces, I certainly did. Both actors do really well, Saif as usual playing the comedic role to a tee, and when called upon does the serious bit good too, I especially like his on screen friendship with Arshad Warsi great to watch. I never rated Preity Zinta as highly as the accolades she gets and again she hasn't done anything to prove me wrong, don't get me wrong, she plays her role well (young independent women) but again it could have been done better and she has a tendency to over-act especially in the emotional tear jerker scenes. Look out for a great Bollywood cameo at the end.

Overall like Hum Tum but with Zinta replacing the great Rani, and set in Australia, the trials and tribulations of a young couple who fall in love but find it hard to stay in love - worth a watch for sure

what's new

[sandhirflora · 3/10 · 9 September 2005]

Film review: Salaam Namaste: what's new ?

Today we have a ready audience who are seeking uncharted territories with films based on diverse themes. In such a scene, a concept of 'live-in" relationship looks promising but when you dig further what you are subjected to is another guys are guys and gals are gals type of Harry meet Sally clone very much on the lines (and influences too) of – Hum Tum, Saathiya, Chalte Chalte, Kal Ho Na Ho et al. Surprising again it is coming from country's No. 1 movie production factory. Debutant writer-director Siddhartha Raj Anand, tried to delve into a mature topic and somehow manages to hold interest till interval with his some witty, smart, one-liners and hilarious situations when the film is still finding its premise. He should be applauded for dealing with topic of sex before marriage without being pretentious. All that took care of metro-based multiplex and NRI audience. Lead characters are very similar to Hum Tum ones and supporting characters' introduction is very KHNH type. All supporting NRI characters are made buffoons. Guys are naughty and irresponsible and Girls are street-smart, today's woman. Oh please, not again. Also, when heroine cries there is a Ganpati idol in the foreground and a Alaap in the background score. Gimme a break ! Do new generation directors require all this ? Post-interval everything goes haywire when director gets into story-telling and tried to deal with too many themes and subplots without doing decent justice to even one of them. Thus you get to see, extra-marital relationship going sour, pregnancy before marriage, women liberation, evolution of fatherhood in hero, numerous forced situations to get couple back together and so many other done to death scenes and dialogs that film follows a very predictable path and ends at same common oft-repeated note. At one point film even goes to the territory of Kya Kehna. Worst of all is the climax based in an operation theater where giving birth situation is made a mockery and sequence is completely dedicated to gallery. Overall film could not rise above mediocre. Though, performances are neat, the subject requires a much younger couple and not the same repeated pair. At least, Preity Zinta should be given some decent pregnancy costumes. Though Javed Jaffrey is a surprise packet keeping audience in splits and so is Arshad Warsi. Except first song, rest all songs are forced. Now, this is for the producers, please pull up your socks before it is too late. Agreed that initial hype, encouraging reviews and record no. of prints gets film terrific openings and it manages to cover itself under "hit" tag yet everyday is not Sunday. Better, watch out !

Nine months (hugh grant movie) meets friends

[gvij2000 · 7/10 · 10 September 2005]

It is Nine Months (English Movie) meets friends.

It is a nice time pass romantic comedy. Saif looks great with a good body and is back with a vengeance, after a new found confidence with Dil Chatha hai and Hum Tum.Pretty has lost weight and looks lavishing. Is her usual bubbly self on screen. Some of the dialogues are really hilarious. Good songs and locales. They have given a shot a looking at live in relationships. Typical story line of any romantic comedy don't get long first, then they do, they have a fight and get together at the end. Arshad is good ,has done a excellent job with his character ,again he too has come long way after his initial start and discovering his comic elements after Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

Bollywood does it again...

[shanno_jee · 6/10 · 26 December 2008]

i can't believe no one noticed that its almost a ditto copy of Hollywood Movie "NINE MONTHS" starring Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore... Specially the last scene where Priety Zinta is taken to hospital and Abhishek shows up as a clumsy doctor... and in Nine Months the clumsy doctor is Robin Williams... Salam Namaste wasn't a bad movie but still the original is better... There were some really funny moments with Javed Jaffari but other than that nothing was original in this movie except for the Indian Actors. Saif Ali Khan is his usual Self... nothing out of the ordinary... wasn't his best performance... the only thing i actually enjoyed in this movie was the Music...

nine months+friends(8th season)= salaam namaste

[rvharish · 7/10 · 21 September 2005]

Salaam namaste was really a nice attempt but had a lot of loopholes and scenes without proper ending. I don't know if many of u have observed it or not but i think salaam namaste is not just an indianised version of Nine months but it also reminds me of FRIENDS(DRAMA) 8th season where Rachel gets pregnant. i think siddharth the director is very fond of friends that many scenes do have a resemblance to the scenes in the 8th season like in the climax there is only semi private rooms available and few scenes which lead to that , saif plays with the equipment for the pregnants, gets hit in the head and tells how painful it is to Priety who is in labor. of course he has changed a lot like saif character is not that of Ross but a mixture of Joey and Monica. but still it is a nice attempt.

Acting wise saif is just cool, priety goes overboard all the time but nonetheless a nice attempt. Arshad warsi does a gud job.. and Javed Jafri is unbelievable in his grt cameo, Abhishek's cameo is also gud but not even close to Javed.

the music was not that gud, camera-work was grt, screenplay and editing could have been crisper in the second half. direction was gud. on the whole the movie is worth watching for the lead pairs chemistry.

Re-makes...re-makes & more re-makes

[faceman_163 · 3/10 · 28 September 2005]

Though a well made movie...with well known & established actors (Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arshad Warsi...etc)...good direction... The story of unmarried couples living together is unusual in Hindi cinema, but unfortunately nothing is original about it.

This is another Bollywood re-make of a Hollywood movie, and this time it is "Nine Months", a movie which was released (10) years ago in 1995 with Hugh Grant & Julianne Moore.

The million dollar question is: why is Bollywood still remaking Hollywood movies which were released over 10 years ago with big budgets, big star-cast...etc? There seems to be a shortfall of creativity amongst directors & story writer in Bollywood. The next question is: why do big stars accept such movies? is it money? easier roles (being copycats)? This is unforgivable I must say to take people for a ride.

A good advice for Bollywood's filmmakers...try something original at least.

Salaam Namaste is superb

[Anisahfadil · 9/10 · 5 May 2006]

I've watched this movie at least 7 times and i like it a lot...of course it gonna be good as both my favorite actor and actress are the leading roles.Preity Zinta is very beautiful and Saif is so handsome specially in the song 'My Dil goes hmm..'its my favorite song in this movie and i think that most of the viewers like mostly this song! Saif appears more handsome in this song.. hey what do you think guys? everything is good in this movie.. The director,the producer,the singers... In 1 word the movie of salaam Namaste is just superb!!! What do you think guys ?has anyone watched this movie so many times?\ i mean has anybody watched it more than 7 times?

Not too bad for candy floss fun.(Spoiler Alert)

[jessicarabbit-1 · 6/10 · 10 September 2005]

Salaam Namaste starts out as a fun movie, perfect for that Friday night date. Funny with the right dose of romance thrown in. Saif and Preity have a great rapport and share excellent comic timing. With Arshad Warsi leading the honors, the movie has a fantastic line-up of cameos. I liked the truly cosmopolitan and laid-back feel to it. The Director handled some sticky issues, likely to be controversial for a mainstream Hindi movie with a deft, sure touch. Saif Ali Khan has come to represent the metro-sexual Indian man; Preity, the uber-confident, free spirit. Their love story is developed with great pizazz: they start off on such bad footing and go on to discover toe-curling passion.

**Spoiler Alert** In my opinion, pre-marital sex, a couple's decision living together and her choice to keep a baby were handled well. Neither is a judgement pronounced nor their right to decide questioned. The perspectives on each side are balanced well, in an easy narrative without detracting from the fun factor. I was grateful at not being force-fed the "Hindustani Ladki" philosophy that the Chopras and Johars HAVE to add in all their candy-flosses.

What I didn't like: 1)The movie should have been an hour shorter. The end was drawn out and over-done, by that time it devolves into a poor re-hash of Hugh Grant's Nine Months (which in itself was not a great movie). The end is rather crude, slightly overboard on sentiment which is surprising considering that the Director handled more delicate issues earlier in the same film with great ease. 2)Preity sported possibly the worst fake-pregnant tummy ever depicted on film. It looked hard, too plastic-y and the whole song that she dances around with that big thing stuck in her midsection was cringe-inducing.

In the end though, the hilarious first half and crazy credits at the end make up for the boring and predictable last hour of the film. Not too bad if you're at a loose end this weekend.

Come ON!! Gimme SOMETHING that's original!

[blooming_jasmine · 2/10 · 12 September 2005]

It's so darn annoying to go into a theater and watch a movie that's got the worst comedy I've ever come across in recent times. Everything and everybody looks great. Everyone except for 'Debonair' of course. When are Hindi movie makers going to realise that every south Indian isn't a 'Madrasi', and to quit painting their white faces black to look authentic. His accent was that of a Tamilian( a very fake one at that! I do believe any south Indian could pronounce the name Ambar without adding the H to it!), even though he's a Malayali. I wonder why they don't cast a real south Indian for the role, instead of a ham.

Talking about hams. Abhishek Bacchan's role was a real big one. Robin Williams, in the original (Nine Months), was simply awesome. I'm just so tired of watching movies that are outright copies of funnier and better taken movies. Hugh Grant may not have been as buff or as hot as Saif when Nine Months was taken, but his character is so much more endearing, more believable. And good lord!! he's most definitely a better actor. The worst of all was Javed Jaffry's role. It was like the absolute worst. He didn't sound at all convincing and was increbibly annoying.

Preity Zinta needs to move on from this kind of crappy candy floss movie. She looks like she's stuck in a rut. It was really ( and I MEAN it) hard to watch the 'what's going on?' song. REALLY REALLY HARD.

There are scenes in this movie that are a direct lift out of 'Friends'. Being a literal 'fan'atic of Friends. it makes me so mad to see the plagiarism and no credit at all given to the original. In the words of 'Nick'....this movie is nothing but 'CRAP'. I want my money back!!! I'm not going to watch another Hindi movie until they come up with SOMETHING original. Dude! Gimme a 'Madrasi' film anyday. At least they're original!

Great movie!

[marugorlero2 · 9/10 · 10 February 2006]

I was so surprised by this movie! The only reason why I watched it was because my french teacher was making me watch it. I agreed after a while but I wasn't looking forward to it. I was so surprised at how good this movie was! I didn't want it to finish! It tells the story of a girl and a guy who, when they first talk don't like each other at all, but with time they fall in love and move in together. It is set in Australia and the characters are Indian. The movie, not only has a great story line, but it also shows us a lot about the Indian culture. It has a few songs in it, which are always fun. The movie has it all - i know that's cheesy - but it does! It is a great movie to have fun but it also has some really sad parts when you'll want to grab the tissues. It is amazing how many great movies there are out there but we don't realize it just because they aren't Hollywood. This kind of movie is great to have fun, and it also teaches us a lot about another country's culture. I recommend everyone to watch it, nobody will regret it... the acting is also pretty good, it is harder to tell when you don't understand the language, but it seemed decent. There are very funny lines, and of course the occasional sad part. A great movie that everyone should be able to enjoy!

Yashraj Films,bang on target as usual!!!

[ayush84 · 7/10 · 9 September 2005]

A new kid on the block (siddharth raj anand) with yashraj films backing the venture would raise the bar of expectation, does it live up to the hype created by the publicity? the answer is 'YES' and how!!! the movie starts off on the typical yashraj films candy-floss entertainment path, but after the initial sequences it ventures into the unchartered territory of Indian film making - live-in relationships.

But the major rejoicing factor is the way the director has handled the movie with utmost care and has nurtured it with the ease of a professional who knows his trade oh-so well. The clever mix of emotion (not over the top) and humor is the piece da resistance. But the real hero is definitely Saif Ali Khan ably assisted by Preity Zinta who carries the film virtually on his shoulders,with relative ease that too. One also cannot forget Arshad Warsi who is first rate and a funny cameo by Abhishek Bachchan and please note, John Abraham is not there in the movie. Come,fall in love all over again!!!

poor editing and poor concept....A COPY

[anuragsaluja · 3/10 · 13 September 2005]

Well, comparing this movie with romantic comedy like Hum Tum or some other will not be justified This is a very different movie with a very bold story...may be Indian audience is not ready for this. This movie is made with extraordinary outfits which are really imaginary...characters are imaginary too i mean the whole movie was full of CRAP (said 50 times by Saif) ...cmmon Indian film makers...just because Hum Tum was a HIT does not mean you can make us fool.

Yes there were positives and Negatives in the movie as they are in all movies...but it went really boring at times...

could have been better

A charming, witty film if a little prolonged

[jmamtora · 7/10 · 13 September 2005]

I had great expectations from Salaam Namaste and needless to add it did live up to them.

Nick (Nikhil Arora) is a classic representation of the modern urban male - a perfect metrosexual who freaks out at the mere mention of commitment. He is selfish and unafraid to admit it. Ambar is similar in that she has rebelled against her parents and moved abroad and live life on her terms.

Their initial meeting leads to fireworks...but soon enough the couple move in together. At first life is bliss but unpredictably problems creep in when Ambar falls pregnant leading to chaos and friction between the two ultimately culminating in a happy ending.

To be fair for a debutante director Anand has done a great job, lacing the film with witty one-liners and handling the complex issue of live-in relationships with utmost sensitivity. The music by Vishal Shekhar is good but they look better on screen with their imaginative factorisations.

Performances are first rate. Arshad Warsi (getting better with every film) and Javed Jaffery score full mark for their humour. Jugal Hansraj is average at best whilst Abhishek Bachchan's hammy cameo has to rate as his worst appearance to date. His scene in the climax is drawn out and awfully silly. It is the lead paid Saif & Preity that keep the movie going with their charming chemistry and character development. Saif looks good and gives us a restrained believable performance - a hat-trick after award winning Hum Tum and Parineeta. Preity Zinta is perfectly cast and has given the character her all but her bulging tummy is awfully fake and how she bounces around at mid night singing songs defies complete logic.

A great effort though far from perfect and a tad prolonged. Still it's worth a watch if you're a fan of films of the Kal Ho Naa Ho genre.