Tum Mile   Producer: Mukesh Bhatt Director: Kunal Deshmukh Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan Music: Pritam Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar Genre: Romantic Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance Film Released on: 13 November 2009 Reviewed by: Ankit Ojha  - Rating: 7.0 / 10 More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:     • Feature Review by Samir Dave - Rating: 7.5 / 10   Let us know what you think about this review Music Review

I can safely point out that TUM MILE is one of those underrated gems that will never reach out – and that can partly be the fault of the producers and distributors who have been involved in this project. And unlike Kunal Deshmukh’s debut effort Jannat, which had some very good pre-release promotion, which not only promoted the movie well, but also kept the viewer and the buffs alike, informed about the premise of the movie.

Deshmukh’s second and current effort, though, has completely misinformed the public of the premise of the movie’s genre, and has also been under promoted in more ways than one. And while the public was already (mis)informed about the movie, the promotion was not as aggressive as Jannat, which attributes the faults to the distributor (Sony Music, previously called Sony BMG Entertainment) and the production house (Vishesh Films).

TUM MILE traces the lives of a painter, who falls in love with his muse and moves in along with her, where the problems crop up. Some nasty ego and gender issues later, they break up, where they end up meeting six years later in a flight back to Mumbai, where situations lead them to stick together, thus making them reconsider their relationship and give it a second chance. The problem with the promotion was the sole fact that while the producers and distributors went all out to promote the disaster aspect of the movie – floods et al – they gave the main premise a backseat, and it is in this phase where the confused viewer ends up getting something entirely different from what one expected.

But looking at the title and reading the preview online beforehand, if one goes in with the expectation of a sensitively written, scripted and executed love story that touches your heart – with the disaster element as a mere backdrop, and nothing else – the movie will be immensely appreciated and remembered.

Apart from being a well-written and executed movie, it is the narrative that totally captures your attention. Moving back and forth, it keeps you guessing the conflict till the penultimate moments of the movie. And while the narrative and storyline keep you hooked, it is the subtlety of the whole relationship that captures your heart. The fights are not over-the-top and ham inducing; the conversations between the couple are taken directly from real-life. The dialogues are not loud and keep the pace smooth, and the plot simple. Complications in the movie can totally be related to, and not once do the situations make you feel you are watching something unnatural on screen. The disaster angle has also been well-written, and gives you the creeps. Watch out for the scene where Soha Ali Khan is trapped in a car full of water – it gives you the chills.

On the performances front, Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan have delivered stellar performances, and bring the emotions on paper alive through the way they have acted. They have acted naturally, and the over-the-top element is not visible here, which is a breath of fresh air.

Technically, the movie is decent, with the visual effects deserving praise, though the use of low quality stock footage might annoy the viewer for the simple fact that it looks unprofessional and tacky. Also, the fact that the disaster angle could be exploited a bit more by pooling in more money is inevitable. Cinematography is brilliant and eye pleasing. Editing is choppy at places, but deserves praise in others.

Music is praiseworthy and appears at the right places, which is good, as it doesn’t hamper the flow of the storyline. ‘Tu Hi Haqeeqat’ deserve praise for its non-linear flow of events as the song progresses.

Overall, TUM MILE turns out to be a sensitively written and directed film that was never intended to be named 26 JULY KI AATANK, if you know what I mean. For the people who were expecting something of the sort of the title I fabricated recently, they can watch 26th JULY AT BARISTA, which is just the movie they’re looking for. But for those who were looking for a sensitive love story from the stables of Mahesh Bhatt, go for this one and you won’t be disappointed!