'Hum Tum' turns 17: Revisiting the fun and refreshing rom-com
What's the story
YRF released romcom Hum Tum 17 years ago today. The film stars Saif Ali Khan as Karan, a cartoonist who carries his heart on his sleeve, and Rani Mukerji as Rhea, a sensitive, self-confident girl, who knows what she wants from life. It revolves around men and women's attempts to understand each other in humorous ways. The film had grossed over Rs. 42cr worldwide.
Name
'Hum Tum' could've been 'Na Jane Kab Pyar Ho Gaya'
The film's name was almost thought to be Na Jane Kab Pyar Ho Gaya during the pre-production stage. Thankfully this boring title was later changed to a nicer sounding and personal Hum Tum. According to IMDb, a cameo was offered to Lara Dutta, but due to her busy shooting schedule with Khakee, she couldn't take up the role. Isha Koppikar probably did that part.
Dialogue
Remember this line? 'This is my Tom Cruise look'
Remember this line by Karan, "This is my Tom Cruise look"? Guess what, it wasn't a part of the original script, and its story is pretty interesting. During filming, one of director Kunal Kohli's assistants said that the actor's hairstyle resembled Cruise's. Kohli liked it so much that he incorporated it in the film, and convinced an apprehensive Khan to say that line.
'Bobby'
A nod to Rishi Kapoor's hit film, 'Bobby'
Hum Tum paid a healthy dose of tribute to Rishi Kapoor's Bobby. Firstly, Kapoor, who plays Khan's father, is seen humming the song, Main shayar toh nahi. Next, when Kapoor's character meets Kirron Kher, she tells him that he can call her Bobby, her nickname. To this the actor replied that he'd call her Dimple, an ode to Bobby's leading actress, Dimple Kapadia.
Locations
It was shot in Netherlands, not France or the US
Yash Raj films are known for their exotic locales. Hum Tum was no different. However, there's a twist here. Although the film showed locations of France and the United States, it was all actually filmed in Amsterdam, Netherlands due to budget constraints. Many famous Dutch locations like National Maritime Museum, Museumplein, Rijksmuseum, Canals in Amsterdam, Dam Square, Windmills got featured, as a result.
Lead
Vivek Oberoi was approached for Karan's role, suggested by SRK
Khan wasn't the first choice for Karan's role. It was first offered to Shah Rukh Khan, who suggested the name of Vivek Oberoi. After he too declined the opportunity because of scheduling issues, other Bollywood stars like Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan were offered the part. "(Hrithik) said no because he was a little uncomfortable doing it," Kohli said in an interview.
Comic adaptation
Comic book was released based on 'Hum Tum' characters
Did you know the Hum Tum comics, which were drawn by Khan's character Karan in the film, were turned into an actual graphic novel? That's right! Hum Tum: The War Begins! was published by Yomics World in 2012. The same publisher released Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web the same year, which also featured some of the characters from Hum Tum.
Trivia
Yash Chopra was a little apprehensive about the film
According to Kohli, Yash Chopra was not sure in the beginning if the film will click. It was his son Aditya Chopra, who stood behind the director's idea and vision, and made the movie happen. For Hum Tum dialogues, Kohli initially approached Prasoon Joshi, but he liked the ones already written so much that he agreed to do lyrics for the film instead.
Remake
Chopra and Kohli wanted to remake 'When Harry Met Sally'
(Aditya) Chopra at the time was interested in making a remake of the 1989 Hollywood classic When Harry Met Sally. He had Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in mind as the lead with Mukerji in a supporting role, but it never materialized. The studio that had rights for the Hollywood film rejected the remake concept, as it was too different from the original.
Accolades
Khan had won National Film Award, sparking many controversies
Hum Tum won 5 Filmfare Awards, including Best Director (Kohli), Best Actress (Mukerji), Best Comedian (Khan), Best Female Playback Singer (Alka Yagnik), and Best Scene. Khan was awarded the National Film Award at the 52nd National Film Awards in 2005. There's a speculation that the then CBFC chairperson Sharmila Tagore, his mother, helped him get that recognition. It remains a mystery till date.