10 years ago today… Revisiting ‘Main Hoon Na’

Release date: 30th April 2004
Director: Farah Khan
*ing: Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Suniel Shetty, Kabir Bedi, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Boman Irani

In remembering the mass-entertainer that was ��Main Hoon Na�۪, it is hard to forget the feel-good factor that choreographer Farah Khan�۪s directorial debut had with it. It ticked all the boxes needed to make it the popular film it remains, even managing to entail two very different love stories for the audience�۪s enchantment.

When Indian army Major, Ram Prasad Sharma (SRK), is given the job of going to protect General Amar Singh Bakshi (Kabir Bedi)�۪s daughter Sanjana (Amrita Rao) by becoming a mature student at her college (and that too undercover), little does he know that he would come face to face with not only the truths of his life but also a major obstacle in Project Milap ��� a prisoner exchange scheme. He meets Lucky (Zayed Khan) who is a misfit somewhat at the college and discovers how his life intermingled with his, especially after he sees how much Sanjana lusts after him.

��Main Hoon Na�۪ comes across as a plot full of twists and turns on paper but the actors who encompass the story are what make the true magic of the story shine through. One will remember a mighty forgetful but cheery college professor played by the hugely versatile Boman Irani and one will also recall yesteryear actress Bindu�۪s rendition of Mrs Kakkar whose English left a lot to be desired��_ and who can forget the professor played by Satish Shah who has a ��spitting�۪ problem. The ensemble cast of ��Main Hoon Na�۪ added a lot to the appeal of a college story in the first half of the film.

The other beauty of the film lies between the fine line it creates between the stereotypical and the expected. When Kirron Kher comes in as Lucky�۪s mother, she is almost instantly charmed by Ram�۪s rooted traditions. When Ram starts being moulded as a student by Lucky, Sanjana and the others, he then comes across new teacher Chandni (Sushmita Sen) and simply can�۪t stop himself from singing around her. The humour, the emotions, the drama and the action is what makes this one hard to forget.

The music of the movie is also something that was appreciated then and still is today. The title song sung�� by Sonu Nigam is still melodiously hummed by many today and the extremely commendable long shot of ��Chale Jaise Hawaaein�۪ can hardly be forgotten. The big item song which Farah Khan could certainly not have omitted was ��Gori Gori�۪ which sees most of the film�۪s actors featuring in it before the big climax slowly sets in.

As 10 years since it�۪s release are celebrated, Farah Khan tweeted, ���Thank you Shah Rukh Khan for changing the course of my life. In soooo many ways with MHN. You in a wet white shirt, under a waterfall my darling, was my gift to all the women in the world�۝. On the other hand, once is left wondering whether a sequel may be forthcoming. BizAsia congratulate the team on such a memorable film.