I never went through the ardent teeny bopper fan phase even in my teens. But amusingly enough, this is probably the closest I have been to that "ardent fan" title, having seen the movie more than an acceptable number of times, and being a Pakistani- I think we should forget the arms race- India has already conquered us with Hrithik!!!:)
Hrithik is an absolute pleasure to watch. Besides his great looks and The Bod, he is completely comfortable and un-selfconscious on screen, moves like a gazelle, could probably dance rings around Ricky Martin and HEY- he is a good actor too! He has a double role and plays both convincingly. He completely changes his persona from shy and unassuming to a charmer who can walk the walk and talk the talk. I loved the second half of the movie even more. He acts with his whole body. Notice when Raj asks his father for advice about his unrequited love for Sonia, how he uses his shoulders and hands to convey a feeling of frustration and helplessness without the typical histrionics. My only criticism is the lack of chemistry between the two lead actors. Hrithik never really conveys that attraction and passion for his leading lady. Even when singing about HER; the song "Kyun Chalti Hai Hawa" is more about HIM SINGING about her, than about her- if you know what I mean- he doesnt really get into her (eg: Shahrukh and Kajol in "Kuchch Kuchch Hota Hai"; Salman and Aishwarya in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam") except in one scene when she is tying a bandage on his arm and he is looking at her: Brilliant!
The songs are infinitely hum-able. Ameesha, although occasionally stiff while dancing, and hams a couple of times- but few enough for her first film; has done a great job overall. Specially her hysterical scenes are brilliantly done.
Very entertaining movie. The action scenes are well shot, the cinematography is great (specially with the ship) the dialogues are contemporary, witty and well-written. Rakesh Roshan has taken a typical Bollywood movie and made it with a kind of sincerety that seems like respect for the audience, not just a successful launch for his son.
