Jo Hum Chahein Review

After watching 'Jo Hum Chahein', one can't really shrug away the effort put by the young team (led by director Pawan Gill) as there is a sincere attempt being made here. Agreed that much more meat could have been incorporated into the narrative here and a few more dramatic moments could have uplifted the film's prospects. However if one looks at 'Jo Hum Chahein' as a show reel for its young actors, it does fulfil that purpose.

Beginning of the film is on a slightly confusing note though. As an audience, you are told that the leading protagonist here, Sunny Gill, is sleeping with his Girlfriend No. 31 (now wasn't this the exact number of girls that Ranveer Singh has conned recently in 'Ladies v/s Ricky Behl'?) and he is some kind of a Casanova who can sort out his own love life. However this Casanova is with a difference. He is an MBA, wants to make it big in the stock exchange and believes in the philosophy of 'aaj bhi party, kal bhi party', as narrated through a song.

So what's the confusion here? Well, boy meets girl (Simran Kaur Mundi) and despite the Ms. Smart tag that she constantly wears, she agrees to go on a date with someone who is not even an acquaintance. Or for that matter even acquaintance's acquaintance. So far, not so good but then you don't quite mind that much as there is the flow of songs coupled with good sets/locales ensure that there is quite an eyeful to pick and choose from.

In the midst of this all there is a stock exchange 'kahaani' incorporated where a mentor (Alyy Khan) and a billionaire business woman (Achint Kaur) draw Sunny into the world of big bucks. While inspiration of 'Shree 420' is more than evident, there is a distinct 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman' hangover as well. This stays on to be a subplot though in 'Jo Hum Chahein' which essentially stays on to be a love story that does have its moments.

While most films starring newcomers are designed as romcoms, this one is more of romance with fair share of drama but absolutely no comedy. This means that the twist around the interval point is well laid out and the sequences thereafter are reasonably engaging as well. Of course the film moves ahead on a predictable route but convincing act by the lead couple and good flow of songs (courtesy Sachin Gupta, who had earlier done well in 'Prince' too) brings in some momentum.

Sunny, though having a fleeting resemblance to Hrithik Roshan from a few angles, opens his Bollywood innings well and can certainly find more assignments from here. Ditto for Simran who certainly comes across as a trained actress, especially when it comes to dramatic/romantic moments. She seems a little rehearsed during the initial parts where Sunny is wooing her. Samar Virmani as Sunny's friend is good again though he could go easy on his overtly filmy dialogue delivery. Senior actors Alyy Khan and Achint Kaur are perfect.

If one is willing to leave aside the weak title, what impresses most about 'Jo Hum Chahein' are two things. First and foremost it's production values that have to be indeed the best in recent times when it comes to launch of non-star kids by an unknown banner. Secondly, the lead pair of Sunny Gill and Simran Kaur Mundi who get the Bollywood quotient right, boast of fantastic looks and make sure that the big bucks spent on their launch haven't totally gone down the drain. No, these two factors don't really make 'Jo Hum Chahein' an entertainer that you would root for but for a first time effort, it needs to be acknowledged.

Rating: **1/2