Salaam Namaste

Why was it called Salaam Namaste? Oh that’s the name of the Australian radio station where Preity Zinta works as a radio show host. She is called Ambar - though I admit I always thought thats a guy’s name. Did the director just make up that one? Will any real Ambars please stand up?Saif Ali Khan is a chef (an architect by straining)who is to be interviewed by Preity woman on her show. Saif (Nick in the flick) is late. Though his restaurant is called Nick of Time. But they meet and Nick proposes (no not on the knees kind) that they live together. They are two different people who learn to live together (but “will sleep in different rooms” just to keep it all above board). Pheromones take over and … well Preity graduates from the look-at-my-flat-stomach to the obviously fake look-at-my-false-stomach look. Quick lesson learnt: Even nick of time is not enough.Saif is getting better and better at the craft. Preity is good in most parts except when she screams. Surely all emotions can’t be expressed by screaming? Arshad Warsi is passable. I think he is a good actor - look at him in Munnabhai… and more recently someone said he did well in Sehar.But every other character takes OVERACTING TO NEW HEIGHTS AND OVERDOES IT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE (see how irritating that can get). Javed Jafferey was a let down. I think he was told let loose on the set and told to be funny. And will someone explain to me why the movie was set in Australia other than to arbitrarily show us some shots of the city and Javed Jafferey’s version of a desi hating desi who is now Aus-try-lian - right Mite (mate).Salaam Namaste had all the potential to be a nice film. Notice the key words -‘had the potential’. Beyond a point of time the awful songs and massive doses of cheap humor just pulls down what could have been a neat film. I often had a feeling that the director thought of making this film after he saw Hum Tum. Very similar genre of films that work on the theme of Men are weird and women are cute but weird too.I love the titles - not because that meant the film has ended - but because of the behind the scenes shots that show along with the credits. Made the people stay back to look at the credits which usually they don’t. Makes me feel sad for all the guys in the bit roles and technical crew who are sitting there with friends waiting to point out their names in the credits and everyone has left. Suggestion to Director Siddharth Raj Anand “Sir, many of those shots should have been part of the main film. That would have been better and funnier. That was what the story was all about.”Overall: Wait for it to appear on DVD - you can fast forward the film and see it in 30 minutesHammer*ing Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arshad WarsiSiddharth Raj Anand - Screenwriter, Screen Story, DirectorJaideep Sahni - SongwriterVishaal & Shekhar - Music Director