Hum Do Hamare Do: Ratna Pathak Shah, Paresh Rawal, Kriti Sanon & Rajkummar Rao add to the fun in this dys’fun’ctional comedy

Director: Abhishek Jain

Cast: Ratna Pathak Shah, Paresh Rawal, Kriti Sanon, Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Manu Rishi Chadha, Prachee Shah Pandya

Rating: 3.5*

They say we don’t get to choose our family. In Abhishek Jain and Dinesh Vijan’s Hum Do Hamare Do, they actually do. After all, this is a dramedy about a dysfunctional family, brought together by circumstance and situations, not by blood. And that is the beauty of Hum Do – it’s fresh, interesting and most importantly, super fun and enjoyable. The movie begins with a young Dhruv (Rajkummar Rao), an orphan, raised by his Premi chacha aka Purshottam (Paresh Rawal) who grows up always wanting to have a family of his own! He runs away from the dhaba and eventually becomes a big-shot tech developer who is busy developing a VR device Jaadugar that connects people to memories. He meets vlogger Anya (Kriti Sanon) at one of his events who’s dealing with her own inner demons – she lost her parents in an accident when she was young and yearns to have a family of her own, too. They soon fall in love and decide to get married but has only one condition – her partner must have a family of his own and a dog. Then begins the search for a perfect family.

While Rajkummar instantly thinks of going back to his Premi chacha for help, enter Deepti Kashyap (Ratna Pathak Shah) who happens to be premi chacha’s pehla aur aakhri pyaar. Fate brings them back again, albeit for an act but what follows next is a mix of beautiful family emotions laced with a lot of laughter. But will Dhruv’s lie be caught? How will it affect his relationship with Anya? Will all these love-lorn people get what they crave for the most – a family? That’s what forms the second half of the movie.

Performance-wise, everyone in the movie is fantastic in their own way. Ratna ji weaves magic into every scene she’s a part of. In fact, there are certain emotional scenes where she knocks it out of the ballpark. Check out the scene where she breaks down talking about her strained relationship with her son – it’s a winner. While she is brilliant in shots where she’s supposed to be angry and firm, her sheer brilliance in the heartwarming scenes pierces right through.
Along with Ratna ma’am, Paresh ji is a scene-stealer. His comic timing is impeccable, but he also nails it in his scenes with Ratna ma’am. It’s true that every angle to today’s young relationships have been explored and this is an out and out Ratna ji – Paresh ji show. Their chemistry is affable and their nok-jhonk brings in the chuckles.
The lead pair of the film Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon excels with their camaraderie. While they were excellent in Bareilly Ki Barfi, they take it a step ahead in this one.

Rajkummar, as expected, delivers to the tee. From playing the restrained, lost guy to the one handling the situation, he meanders through it all with absolute ease and comfort. As for Kriti Sanon, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. She not just looks beautiful but is the perfect choice for the same. I almost had a lump in my throat in the scene Anya reveals about her parents. Watch it to understand that. Aparshakti as the ever helping friend is outstanding, Manu Rishi as the uncle cum fatherly figure is amazing. His one-liners with Paresh Rawal are a riot. Together, the entire cast adds to the fun in this otherwise dysfunctional comedy.

 

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The movie paces through well and explores a new dimension to modern-day relationships and familial ties. There’s a plethora of characters and emotions – Raj and Pareshji don’t have a family, Kriti has lost her parents early and Ratnaji’s son has severed ties with her. At a time, when there are kids orphaned every minute and parents sent to old age homes, this film puts across a poignant point in a more lovable fashion. Kudos to the director Abhishek Jain for not taking us through the usual emotional wringer and also to Dinesh Vijan for backing such fresh topics.

 

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It has the perfect blend of the navras – you smile, you laugh, you enjoy and you cry, all along with them. The songs are beautifully positioned although they aren’t the highlight of the film. The only issue with the film is that everything seems to happen so quickly and the lack of a huge conflict works against it. It might be terribly cliched or predictable, but the beauty lies in the fact that despite getting the expected, you have a smile on your face, with a little teardrop rolling down.

 

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Watch Hum Do Hamare Do for the stellar performances and the emotions. It’s a beautiful ode to love, relationships and family. Don’t miss it.

Also Read: Hum Do Hamare Do Song Vedha Sajjeya: Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon’s chemistry in this soulful wedding track makes us want to root for them