Sanam Bewafa

Sanam Bewafa
1991
3/5 stars

Sher Khan (Danny Denzongpa) and Fateh Khan (Pran) are sworn enemies, as were their fathers before them. Their children Salman (Salman Khan) and Ruksar (Chandni) meet and fall in love. Just when it seems that they have overcome their fathers' enmity, the situation worsens and it seems there will be no happy ending for the young couple.

Sanam Bewafa has a predictable Romeo and Juliet type plot, but is entertaining nonetheless. The music and choreography (dance and fighting) are average, but the costumes are stunning. Chandni plays her role naturally, but Khan, Denzongpa, and Pran tended to overact in serious moments. Bollywood fans will find it enjoyable, but not outstanding.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Dum Laga Ke Haisha
2015
2/5 stars

Prem (Ayushmann Khurrana) is persuaded by his family to marry for financial reasons to an overweight woman he doesn't find attractive. His new wife, Sandhya (Bhumi Pednekar ) is an educated woman who tries to make her marriage work, but Prem has no interest in so doing. They are persuaded to take part in the "Dum Lagao" contest, where the husband carries his wife on his back through an obstacle course, in so doing they reconcile.

The premise of this movie is fantastic, but it just doesn't deliver. There is very little character development, less happiness, and an ending that is too sudden and not credible. Khurrana, who is too old for the role, wears a scowl the entire movie and plays his part one- dimensionally. Pednekar, in her first movie, is fantastic, giving depth to Sandhya, portraying believable emotions, and acting nearly flawlessly. Her performance is so good that she nearly saves the movie, but not quite.

Silsila Hai Pyar Ka

Silsila Hai Pyar Ka
1999
3/5 stars

Abhay (Chandrachur Singh) is a spoiled womanizer who takes no interest in the family business. His father (Alok Nath) decides it is time that Abhay become more responsible and he puts him to work, and hires a devout, plain secretary (Vanshikha, played by Karisma Kapoor) to keep him in line. Vanshikha falls in love with Abhay, but he finds her unattractive. She changes her appearance, capturing his attention, but he doesn't want a serious relationship. They then embark on an adventure that causes them to reevaluate their feelings for each other.

Silsila Hai Pyar Ka is a movie with very little substance. The plot is mostly predictable, with the exception of the unbelievable adventure, and focuses on the importance of beauty over personality. Singh is only average at acting, dancing, and action, leaving the viewer to wish for a more dynamic hero. The supporting cast are dependable veterans, but don't have extensive parts. Kapoor is the bright spot in this mediocre film. She is an excellent dancer, an exuberant actress, and a pleasure to watch.

The cast includes Shakti Kapoor, Alok Nath, Johnny Lever, and  Danny Denzongpa.

Sultan

Sultan
2016
5/5 stars

Sultan (Salman Khan) becomes a wrestler to impress Aarfa (Anushka Sharma) and discovers a great talent for it. He goes on to become a world champion, but in so doing is not there when a tragedy occurs, leading to an estrangement between him and Aarfa. Ten years later, he reenters the sports world, hoping to win money for a cause dear to his heart, reestablish a relationship with his wife, and earn self respect.

This is a magnificent film, with a strong and heartwarming plot. Khan takes his character through Sultan's various phases of innocence, arrogance, and brokenness believably and masterfully. He plays his role to perfection. Sharma gives a masterful performance as well. The music, songs and incidental, are good and sometimes moving. The scenery, sets, and location shots are impressive. Overall, this is a near perfect movie. I highly recommend it to both fans and non-fans (of which I am) of wrestling.

This movie is available on Amazon Prime.

Hello Brother

Hello Brother
1999
2/5 stars

Hero (Salman Khan) who works for a courier company owned by Khanna (Shakti Kapoor), is in love with his best friend, Rani (Rani Mukerji). Inspector Vishal (Arbaaz Khan) is investigating the courier company as a drug ring, and also falls in love with Rani. Vishal and Hero become entwined in an unforeseen way, and together they defeat Khanna.

This movie is ridiculous beyond compare, and is so slapstick that is hard to watch at times. Arbaaz Khan plays the straight guy well, but Salman Khan's role is so silly that it's hard to find sympathy for him. Mukerji doesn't appear enough to give a quality performance. The premise (which I won't give away) was truly great, but the presentation of it was truly terrible. Really, the only good part was watching the real- life brothers play opposite each other, and even that couldn't raise this movie to anything beyond mediocre.

Movie is available on You Tube:

Mujhse Shaadi Karogi

Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
(translates as "will you marry me")
2004
4/5 stars

Sameer (Salman Khan) moves to Goa and falls in love with Rani (Priyanka Chopra). Unfortunately, he keeps unintentionally injuring her father (Amrish Puri), thus ruining his chances of a romance with her. Then, Sunny (Akshay Kumar) moves to the same house as Sameer, and also falls in love with Rani. Sunny finds way after way of discrediting Sameer with Rani, and seems to be succeeding in making her fall for him. 

This is a cute romantic comedy, with such bright colors throughout the entire movie, in both costumes and setting. The music is okay, and some of the dance numbers are lovely. The plot seems predictable, but has a unexpected ending. Kumar plays his role so well that I genuinely disliked him. Khan is charming and innocent as Sameer, but Chopra's acting seems stilted. Overall, though, it's a fun movie to watch, just not exceptional.

Movie is available on YouTube: