Salaam Namaste

Salaam Namaste released last week worldwide and surprisingly in the megapolis of Canberra, Australia's capital too. My friends and I waited for SN anxiously as we knew that it was shot entirely in Australia(Melbourne, as it happens). We wanted to see if we could connect to Nick/Amby, played by Saif and Preity. Saif, if I have not already mentioned, is a raging heart throb with my friends here after his Dil Chahtha Hai and Hum Tum (My friends go droool droool everytime the 'prince' comes on screen - the same kind of drool that you would expect for Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise).

There is only one thing to say - the director, newcomer Siddharth has done his homework. Melbourne sights greet you unobstrusively, the Australian accent unfeigned (as the Indians trying to speak 'affected' Australien mait), the beer stays Victoria Bitter, the clothes Von Dutch and Billabong, cyclists wear helmet, weddings take place in the beach, architects turn chefs, and yes, people, even Indians, live-in together.

The living in together concept has never been handled better but I fear that upkeepers of Indian values may ban the screening of the progressive Salaam Namaste, if they haven't already done that. While I do not encourage or support this de facto relationship, I know it does happen here. I have friends with live-in arrangements and it is nice to see the relationship portrayed honestly with less embellishments.

Preity has never been more prettier but there were a couple of places where I wondered if it was Bips; her clothes were that skimpy (not that we grudge that). Saif - less said the better. He was AMAZING. He does the Salman with no-shirt and half-shirt for much of the movie. Awesome body. (You have it- you flaunt it, right!). But at least he can act. Change that. He CAN act. The music is good and your heart goes hmmm when you listen to it. Arshad Warsi and Javed Jaffrey split you up. A riot. And so does the doctor who comes in the end (I am not disclosing who it is).

I believe Siddharth is a major 'FRIENDS' fan and he has borrowed some funny moments from the series. Saif appears to be a mix of Ross, Monica and Joey, cleaning up compulsively as does Head Chef Monica, dumb as Joey and panicky as Ross. Preity is Rachel with a 'hysterical yelling' bit of Phoebes. Arshad plays Chandler. (Just been watching Season8 - man! F.R.I.E.N.D.S rocks and we do not grudge Siddharth for any adapting/adopting)

Salaam Namaste a thoroughly enjoyable light romantic from the Yashraj Banner lives up to its hype and I do not grudge the 10 dollars I spent on it. And that is saying much.