In my list of top Hindi films of the 1990s, 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai' would definitely rank among the best. It is a brilliant, moving and charming romantic drama with a fantastic story and beautiful songs. Salman Khan stars as Suraj, a young and carefree man who's popular with women and who's good for nothing but chasing women, partying and drinking. But one day he meets Komal and truly falls for her. After a few ups and downs the two finally get together. However, just when things go right and everything including marriage is planned, a little kid named Kabir appears on Suraj's doorstep and claims to be his son. This brings Suraj's past mistakes back and now he has to deal with that. From then on the story follows his relationship with both Komal and particularly Kabir, and shows how he gets close to his own child, who is the result of his past affair with Pooja, a woman who is no more.
The film is interesting and entertaining, and is very well written. Honey Irani's script does not disappoint, neither do Javed Siddiqui's dialogues. The film is not without its clichés, but it is not overly melodramatic like most of the films made at that time. It has many moving moments, particularly those portraying the relationship of Suraj and Kabir. Deepak Sareen, who was Yash Chopra's assistant, directs this feature and this is probably his best work. One must also note the superb soundtrack composed by Jatin-Lalit. Every song is a pleasure to listen to. Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and the divine Lata Mangeshkar sing most of the film's songs, and they perform brilliantly. "Is Dil Mein Kya Hai" is catchy and modern, "Madhosh Dil Ki" is quiet and nice, but the song which is most identified with the film is the wonderful "O Janna Na Jaana" which is beautifully shot across some breathtaking locations.
Those were the days when Salman Khan fully dedicated himself to his films and roles and did the best of what he was given. 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai' ranks amongst the finest performances of his career. He is totally believable as the womanising and irresponsible grandson, as the loving boyfriend, and finally as the man who just learns that he is actually a father and now has to deal with this situation and take responsibility. Khan plays his part with sincerity and depth and makes his character very easy to relate to. This film also marks the best work of Twinkle Khanna's short career. Aditya Narayan is fantastic as Kabir, Suraj's illegitimate and intelligent son. Anupam Kher lends adequate support, and the beautiful Namrata Shirodkar gives a fine debut performance as Pooja. To sum it up, 'Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai' is a memorable and underrated picture, and so is Salman Khan's convincing portrayal.
