Yeh Hai Jalwa   Producer: Ketan Manmohan Desai Director: David Dhawan Starring: Salman Khan, Amisha Patel, Rati Agnihotri, Rishi Kapoor, Rinkie Khanna, Kader, Khan, Sanjay Dutt Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Anand Raj Anand Lyrics: Sudhakar Sharma, Dev Kohli Genre: Comedy Recommended Audience: General Approximate Running Time: 2:45 mins Film Released on: 26 July 2002 Reviewed by: Rakesh Budhu  - Rating: 6.0 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review

David Dhawan once again takes a stab at the criticism. But indeed it is true! No, Mr. Dhawan, you truly can’t make another genre successfully besides comedy. With all due respect, you’ve had enough trouble doing that alone. Trying to mix it up with family drama means a lot more than what is in Yeh Hai Jalwa. The bottom line is simply do not try to make serious cinema funny. The situation probably applies vice versa but a confused concoction of emotions makes Yeh Hai Jalwa a little funny and a lot less serious.

The family drama cum comedy story is about a young man, Raju (Salman Khan) who discovers that his father, Rajesh Mittal (Rishi Kapoor), is alive after months of speculation. His father, interestingly enough is one of the richest men in London. Now with a wife, Rati Agnihotri, and daughter, Rinkie Khanna, Rajesh has long forgotten about the affair he had with Raju’s mother. Raju then sets out to find his father and on the way meets and marries the love of his life, Sonia (Amisha Patel).

Eventually he makes his way to London and confronts his father about his past. Initially, as expected, Rajesh is reluctant, more so because of the adamant fear of humiliation. But Raju has won over the rest of the family and will eventually have to prove himself to them and his father.

Yeh Hai Jalwa has an eighties styled storyline. The melodramatic storylines regarding torn/lost families etc. seems like it is made for shoddy camerawork and in some sense black and a white reel. The serious aspect of the story would much likely not be seen nowadays unless it is some type of drama as per say Fiza, for lack of better reference. Certainly not expected from David Dhawan and this handicap is evident in Yeh Hai Jalwa.

Most of the serious portions of the film are poorly shot and obviously do not carry out the required emotion because the comedy portions were not far behind and are not far followed either. However, the humorous portions of Rumi Jafri’s dialogues are actually funny for the most part. Yet those too are diffused by the illogicality of Imtiaz Patel’s script and the endless jump between seriousness and comedy. We are not given the option to choose a genre, and the flaws can truly be picked up if we were to pick one. David Dhawan is successful in pacing the film, which doesn’t drag as much, but his direction is still average. He’s already directing a regular subject the task of raising it above the norm is not completed successfully.

Salman Khan in a role made for him is actually a little subtler in his role going away from his crazy antics and performing well. He does have a niche for comedy and that works when he doesn’t resort to idiocracy. For the most, he hasn’t and is able to infuse life into his regular role. Rati Agnihotri and Rishi Kapoor are better in their performances and certainly more convincing, lending much more dimensions to their truly half-baked roles. The hit duo still shares a great deal of chemistry. The film also abounds in a large supporting cast of names like

Kader Khan, Anupham Kher, and even Rinkie Khanna, a status she has sadly accustomed to. All of them are just apt in their roles not truly distinguishing themselves amongst the leads in the film barring Anupham Kher in a chuckle a minute role. And yes, there is Amisha who sings, dances, and looks pretty. That is about it. Sanjay Dutt’s inconsequential appearance (and “London Mein India” song) is easily forgettable.

Just for tit tat, Amisha and Salman are simply a bad couple. Not only is there no chemistry, but also there is an age difference and it is visible! That is the same reason couples like Kareena and Shah Rukh and Aishwarya and Abhishek are doomed. It would be great if we do not see more of these odd couples any more.

Himesh Reshammiya’s tunes are pleasant and make for a decent listen, but on screen the presence of unneeded song only hamper the proceedings. “Dheere Dheere Ana” and “Chudi Khankaye Re” are all the more upbeat numbers that do manage to remain in our memories after the film is over. The cinematography is regular and most of Ganesh Acharya’s choreography is as well. Still, some of Amisha’s dance moves are in poor taste.

There were previous attempts, like Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, which was a somewhat superior product to Yeh Hai Jalwa and

Chal Mere Bhai that pretty much failed to create a good comedic romance. Other than that, Dhawan’s films have truly had nothing to rave about in recent times. Undoubtedly entertaining for the most part, Yeh Hai Jalwa is not necessarily horrendous or poor film making, but it is just another film and falters for its meandering with plot and genre showing that despite being passable, the film simply does not cut it above the rest.