Review of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Introduction

This film has been released by DEI (Digital Entertainment Inc.), who have purchased the film rights recently for DVD, and they have tried to give this film their special treatment by presenting it in its original aspect ratio with an anamorphic transfer, along with the original 5.1 mix taken from the original disc master and original intermediate source 35mm print stored in India. Also due to the massive length of the film DEI have dished out a second DVD which contains all the special features, included with this set, which is all looked upon here.......

Video

Keeping the original intentions of the director, the DVD has been framed according to the original aspect ratio of 2.66:1 and for widescreen television users its even better news as the DVD has been anamorphically transferred to increase picture quality.

The picture shows no major signs of any compression artefacts, grain, wear and tear or other blemishes that disrupt picture information. The picture gives a presence of excellent dimensional quality which brings out details that render well and brim out quality extraordinary.

The slightest bit of shimmering and moiré effects was visible in just a handful of shots. This is related to the limited resolution of the NTSC format. But when viewed on a DVD-Rom on a high powered computer the problems of shimmering disappeared entirely.

Colours were very glamorous during the first half of the film when set in India and naturalistic during the second half of the film when in Hungary. This helped the audience to relate to the narrative literally as it was taken in context via the feel and look of the film. DEI have managed to keep that look and feel as when it was shown on cinema. There are no signs of any colour distortion and colour saturation is as perfect as it can be. Black details were both deep and solid, complimenting and giving the image a lot of depth.

Audio

The 5.1 mix for this DVD is one of subtlety and and of activity which this disc recreates that perfectly. Dialogue is natural sounding while directional effects in the all soundstages matches the onscreen action perfectly.

Surrounds are used predominately for the music score and for occasional transient effects such as fireworks and urban noise environments. Back surround effects are perfectly and appropriately realized. The back surround is used more as an enhancement and really completes a convincing soundfield across the back of the room.

Dynamic range of the soundtrack is also impressive, and certain sequences will definitely start your subwoofer thumping. The smooth, natural sounding mix, that never fatigues or strains anywhere in the soundtrack, is definitely the best heard on an Indian DVD since Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai.

Features

The DVD has a very attractive and well designed animated menu that begins with the logo from the film, which then blends into the main menu. It also features the music from the main theme in 5.1 sound. The overall packaging of this film and DVD is rather thematic and adds value to the product. Only the Indiaplaza logo on the front cover seems out of place. On the main menu a choice of six buttons can be made which are:-

Chapter Index
Song Menu
Special Features
Now Available
Subtitles &
Play Movie

Subtitles:-
The menu, which is still and quiet, offers you the chance to access the following subtitles; English, Arabic, Japanese, France & Spanish.

All the of language subtitles are present on both dialogues and songs of the film giving most people the option of viewing this film in its entirety. A good move by DEI.

Special Features:-
The menu here tells you to insert disc two. However to get back to the main menu is quite hard as there are no options at all on this page.

When you put in the second DVD an excellent menu loads up giving you the following feature to watch;

Theatrical trailer:- This is presented in its non-anamorphic original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and has a mono mix. With a running time of 2min 20sec, this picture is of broadcast quality that is well defined and at its best. This trailer makes a nice impact to this segment on the DVD, adding insight into the film`s publicity.

T.V Promos:- Here we get 13 choices of different T.V. spots used for advertising the film and its soundtrack. These can be viewed separately as they are chaptered, or you can view them all in one go. Accessing all spots are easy as they are clearly labelled out as the following:-

Aankhon Ki
Love Theme:- Terrace
Love Theme:- Imitating
Love Theme:- Montage
Teaser:- Litting
Teaser:- Choti
Chand Chupa
Medley
Nimbooda
Dhol Baje
Tadap Tadap
Jhonkha Hawa Ka
T.V. Trailer

All promos are in stereo and are presented in various aspect ratios. The picture quality has a look of an excellent digital broadcast quality, displaying more detail then when it aired on television. All T.V. spots add to a total running time of 11mins. All the spots were brilliantly crafted and adds reason to why the film became such a big hit.

Bollywood Award:- On the menu you can select the two segments separately. The segments are listed as:-

IFFA Awards in London (UK): This has a running time of 6mins and covers all the awards that the film got. The function itself looks badly managed and very poorly executed. Bollywood has got lots to learn about hosting. Seeing as it is based in London with famous people not only from Bollywood but from Hollywood too, one expects professionalism but this is missing from here. Its a shame really as the set designs are rather impressive. The quality is average broadcast quality.

An OK inclusion on this DVD, it might be a fun supplement to some but others might get bored and will turn it off after viewing for a couple of mins. Also it would have been nice if DEI included which films was nominated with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, to understand the competition more.

Zee Gold Awards (US): Another badly managed function, with the loud host Sajid Khan. This 17min feature is similar to the UK function, but here the nominations are included. The quality is average broadcast quality.

The Making Of Feature:- This is the final section under the special features, and one of the best feature on this DVD. With a whopping running time of 23mins and 43 sec, this segment looks at the views and opinions of the director on this project. This isn`t a feature which states how you should see this film, instead it goes behind the scenes showing the hard work placed into making this film. There are brief clips and interviews of the actors but the director gives wonderful information about this film, making viewing both entertaining and informative.

The quality of this feature was slightly weak but this was due to the original source material and not the authoring. DEI have tried their best to encode this film as good as one can but the source is at fault. Still its not as interruptive. Also as this feature is long it would have been nice if DEI would have chaptered it, making navigation more easy.

Included with this DVD is a booklet which has some nice pictures and full Hindi lyrics from the film.

Conclusion

A box office smash hit in India, USA, Canada and the UK the film has everything needed to meet with the audiences expectations:- Showing romance, family values, rural India, wonderful music, excellent performances and abroad locations.

However its not without its bad points that do affect the film. This is a shame really as the film could have certainly become an immortal classic in Indian cinema-dom. Still it won`t be forgotten in the many years to come that I can be sure of.

The first half of the film is one main problem that is seen. The characterization of the family seems similar to the many family drama`s seen in many other Indian films. Therefore they are somewhat predictable, making the film`s overall narrative slowed down with un-necessary repetitive scenes. It is the performance of Smita J, Vikram Gokhale, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan, with the roles they participate in, that keeps the audience interested in the plot.

What is great about the first half is the technical values which shows wonderful scenery of ruralistic Gujarat. The cinematography is stunning as it fills the widescreen picture with imagery that portray the environment as somewhat vivid and majestic as it is. Also the participation of the songs help to past the time and such wonderfully composed songs they are indeed which uses Gujarat folk as well as the usual bollywood music codes. Their mood and structure play a part into the narrative as they also do in the second half of the film. A melodious and original compositions by debutante Ismail Darbar.

With elaborated detailed costume designs by the excellent Neeta Lulla & Shabina, and great art direction by Nitin Desai, one of the best in the Indian film industry, it is very easy to be lost in this colourful world which seems magical. But the second half of the film completely changes, in tone and mood, when we we leave rural Gujarat behind for urban Hungary in Europe. (Incidentally the film states that they are in Italy but the film was shot at Hungary for budget and locations reasons)

Here the film becomes even more better as we see two characters (Vanraj & Nandani) leaving their secure world behind lost and vulnerable in a foreign country and within their soul. Their journey to find Sam is both wonderfully executed and is a marvel to view upon as the heart warming performances are carried out with such niche and rich art. Elements of romance, humour, magic, and realism is detected creating a world audiences will love, understand and have have emotions to. This part of the film depicts a great screenplay and dialogues that is both enticing and evolving. Also the way Vanraj deals whit this issue of his wife loving another is clearly pointed out without being too melodramatic, one major positive aspect of this film.

While all actors perform well, the film clearly belongs to Ajay Devgan as the shy but heart-warming Vanraj. His performance is both memorable and exquisite. Salman Khan also performs well and some of his improvisations can be detected in many scenes which help us to understand why his character is so. He might seem eccentric and embarrassing, but he is fully open in heart justifying his reasons. An example of this can be seen in his communication with his deceased father who might be dead to the world but is still alive to him. Aishwarya Rai proves again her talent as an actor, growing with much versatility and methodism.

Overall the film is a beautifully told romantic story, displaying impeccable talent both in front of and behind the camera.

The DVD itself is a wonderful quality treatment for a blockbuster film. It would have been nice if some other supplements could be founded or created as I found the awards section a little tedious, maybe others will like this feature.