Humdum

Sometimes you have zilch expectations from a film, but it takes you by surprise completely. Kushan Nandy's second outing HUMDUM is one such film!

Based entirely on the concept of a reality game show, Kushan's conviction in the subject and his gamble with a new star cast [Romit Raaj, Anjana] need to be lauded.

Designed as a multiplex film, HUMDUM is path-breaking in concept. But the two areas where the film falters are the segments in the game show and the time it takes to reach the finale [climax].

Essentially a love story, HUMDUM is about two young individuals, Siddhant [Romit Raaj] and Rutu [Anjana], who require finances desperately.

The prize up for grabs is no less than Rs. 10 crores. Now, it's a booty that the two youngsters want at any cost. But the pre-condition demands that they refrain from falling in love with each other.

The competition is divided into five rounds. During the course of the show, the two get attracted to each other. And in the end, they've a difficult choice to make - money or love!
 

In today's times, when reality game shows are being attempted on Indian television, HUMDUM presents the concept with a cleverly woven love story on the big screen. The target audience is the youth and HUMDUM abounds in moments that they would identify with.

But it's not just fun and frolic that HUMDUM offers. There's a strong undercurrent of strong emotions till the very end, which is a highpoint of the enterprise.

But HUMDUM suffers on account of the segments that are woven in the screenplay. While a few individualistic sequences in the five rounds are enjoyable, the segments in general aren't as fulfilling.

Another flaw is that it takes its own sweet time to reach the climax. While the viewer is well aware that the two contestants have fallen in love with each other, one fails to understand why the lovers in question don't express their feelings till the last scene.

Director Kushan Nandy deserves browny points for the fun-filled and poignant moments in the film. HUMDUM is rich in emotions and the pre-climax, when Romit bares open his heart in the studio, is simply outstanding, in terms of writing, execution and performance. The director also deserves marks for extracting superb performances from the two newcomers. However, he should've trimmed the film by at least 20 minutes for a better, stronger impact.

Music is just about okay. The songs are also relegated to the background partly because they haven't been promoted aggressively. Cinematography is of standard. Dialogues deserve special mention. They are first-rate.

Romit Raaj is a welcome addition to the list of talented performers. Again, you don't really expect much from the youngster, but he catches you unaware from the word go. His performance, in the emotional scenes specifically, is noteworthy. Anjana is another new face who's supremely talented. She handles her part like a true professional and emerges trumps. In fact, the chemistry the two newcomers share is the mainstay of the film.

Ranveer Sheorey is competent. Tanvi Azmi is first-rate. Jaidev Hattangadi is okay. Benjamin Gilani is effective. Shammi is lovable. The guy enacting the role of Romit's friend is fantastic.

On the whole, HUMDUM is evidently a multiplex movie, targeted at a very select audience. But, surprisingly, the film has been [suddenly] released without any hype, hoopla and build up. It's because of this factor that HUMDUM will suffer the most. However, a good word of mouth, especially by its target audience [youth], should help to an extent!