The strangest thing about Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sooraj Barjatya’s flamboyant arcadian brocade-draped plunge into parivaarik prattle post Hum…Aapke Hain Koun was its curious casting. Saif Ali Khan who admits he was the odd one out at the start , was cast opposite his future sister-in-law Karisma Kapoor and she most definitely looks older than him in hindsight, which is fine if only Barjatya had written the age difference into the script, like Ayan Mukerji had in Wake Up Sid.
Odder still was the picky Tabu cast in a walk-on part(“I did it for Soorajji”) opposite Mohnish Behl who incidentally had the most important role among the leading men. And we applaud Barjatya’s democratic spirit. Mohnish plays Rama while Salman plays Mohnish’s faithful Lakshman . Reema Lagoo was Kaikayee-redux while Alok Nath fitted Dashrath like a glove.
The film has aged rather badly with all its fatal flaws—garish unidimensional sets, over-the-top theatrical dialogues, an absurdly abundant number of characters constantly singing eating dancing and celebrating life as if there were no bills to pay, no Covid to combat—seeming more conspicuous twenty-five years later than they did on release.
The film features an unparalleled starcast of thirty important characters who come and go unannounced in the Chaturvedi home at will.Locks and knocks are unheard of in this arcadian world. If there is a watchman guarding the Chaturvedi mansion then he must have been briefed to let anyone in.
Reminds me of Salman’s real life house where guests of the three brothers and their parents would saunter in and leave, sometimes strangers would walk in have a meal and leave, with all the Khans presuming the stranger to be someone’s guest.That was before blackbuck incident during the shooting. Salman’s home is no more an open house. But Sooraj’s world is devoid of life’s obstacles.
Is this how Sooraj Barjatya lives? I asked his cousin once and she laughed, “No no not at all. That is Soorajji’s idea of Ayodhya in modern times. But yes, the respect shown for elders is a part of our DNA. There is nothing fake about that.”
What brings the celebratory mood down in Hum Saath Saath Hain is the music. Ram Laxman who whipped up a creamy lather of peppy songs in Hum…Aapke Hain Koun came up with a droopy soggy slew of chorus songs.Sooraj Barjatya admitted the music was a feeble followup. “You see, we couldn’t ask Lataji to sing in Hum Saath Saath Hai as all the songs were chorus songs requiring several singers together. Lataji made Hum…Aapke Hain Koun very special. We had to make do without her in Hum Saath Saath Hain.”