'Hum Do Hamare Do': This well-meaning train derails before destination
What's the story
As speculation about Rajkummar Rao tying the knot with longtime girlfriend-actress Patralekhaa in November made headlines, he was seen embarking on a journey to get hitched in his latest offering, Hum Do Hamare Do. Rao's Dhruv Sikhar romances Kriti Sanon's Anya Mehra in this. While the actor's real-life romance is a hit, does this fictional love story click? Read our review to find out.
Plot
Anya loves concept of families, so orphan Dhruv 'creates' one
Dhruv, a self-made man, meets blogger Anya and falls in love. Donning the rose-colored glasses, Dhruv is ready to do whatever Anya likes. So when she mindlessly says she loves families and wants to marry someone who has one, Dhruv, an orphan, decides the best way to go about this is bringing in people to play his family. Thus begins a scheme of lies.
Roles
Paresh Rawal and Ratna Pathak Shah are only saving grace
After trying to hire people (as we saw in 14 Phere), Dhruv decides to get genuine people to play his parents and then enter Paresh Rawal and Ratna Pathak Shah. This duo has its separate track running—it is actually more interesting than the main plot. As expected, the scheme falls apart but the climax is hardly satisfactory. You don't get emotionally invested in it.
Disappointment
Noble message gets subdued by messy packaging
Director Abhishek Jain wanted to comment on society's restrictive views on "what is a family" but this doesn't justify the con that Dhruv commits. He doesn't even apologize to Anya (a role where Sanon has been criminally under-utilized) for lying. Loopholes abound and there is no conviction behind the conflicts. The comedy again has Aparshakti Khurana as the reliable comic relief, hero's best friend.
Verdict
Fit for one-time watch: It's now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
Despite notable actors lining up the cast and a good message in its conception, Hum Do Hamare Do goes neither here nor there. Only some good moments and punch lines keep the film going. Verdict: The movie gets 2.5/5 stars. However, it won't be too bad for a one-time watch. One just needs to have a Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex subscription to watch it.