Gone are the days where heroes are too manly to cry over a lost girlfriend or heroines sulk their entire life over their one and only love for the janam. Shah Rukh Khan's pitiful, tear-filled face as Kajol gets married in kuch kuch hota hain, heavied the hearts of the audience. Salman Khan's heart wrenching sobbing, begging his dead father to hug him just once, after Aishwarya Rai ditches him for Ajay Devgan brought audience to their knees with their sympathy for him.

It doesn't really matter if you think Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is totally preposterous. It will endear you anyway. It also breaks general preconceived notions about Indian heroes and heroines; that women fall in love only once in their lifetime and that brave men don't cry (both Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan shed buckets of tears throughout the film).

Aishwarya Rai is the daughter of a rich singer who as in a joint family lives with her brothers and their families. In the mask of modernity, women speak brilliant English and men are foreign returned, the family is a traditionally patriarch one, where a physically-abused-by-husband cousin of Aishwarya Rai is refused into the household. Her life after marriage is only with her husband, declares the singer /head of the family, a la a king, giving a judgement. So Aishwarya Rai helps her run away with her lover.

The setting is a huge, exceptionally beautiful palace-like house somewhere in Gujarat, that has a desert close by. Aishwarya is the pampered daughter of the singer, laughing, playing and living happily amidst aunts, uncles, cousins and a grandma. The entire family seems to have nothing to do except to laugh, giggle and play with kites and turbans. Salman Khan comes all the way from Italy to learn music from Aishwarya's Dad. Aishwarya and Salman fall in love in the midst of fun and excellently choreographed and composed songs. Salman and Aishwarya rollick in an extremely exciting physically inspired love game. Incidentally Salman sheds a lot more clothing than Aishwarya does.

Salman is the son of a Christian mom and a Indian muslim dad and so Aishwarya's parents refuse to get her married to Salman. Instead they fix her wedding to Ajay Devgan. Meanwhile, Salman Khan is sent away to Italy as the singer asks him to return, without-talking-to-Aishwarya as his gurudakshina. The parting scene between the lovers is definitely a heart-wrencher with the background song of lootgaye's beating at your hearts. The audience totally empathize with the lovers.

After an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, Aishwarya is married off to Ajay devgan. She clings to her old love, re-living each scene with Salman in her mind. Ajay learns about her past and after an anger and emotion-filled moment decides to unite the lovers. He persuades his dad by saying, I want her heart and she cannot give it to me. What kind of a man would I be if I force my body on her? That is not 'mardaangi' So he takes her to Italy in search of Salman. In due process Aishwarya slowly falls in love with her shy yet strong, not-so handsome yet charming husband and decides to stay with him. Salman, who is eagerly waiting for her return falls into his mother's arms and sobs uncontrollably and your heart goes right for him.

Salman Khan's performance is superb to say the least. His easy manner, loose- dialogue delivery combined with extremely well-maintained physique is a joy to watch. His relation with his dead dad unleashes strong emotions. Aishwarya ditches him for no fault of his. The radiant Aishwarya Rai whose star voltage has rarely burnt so bright , cannot act for nuts. Somehow, in spite of the fantastic clothes, music and looks Ash doesn't have the charm of Kajol, Juhi or Rani mukherjee. Her face is like a dead-albeit-beautiful-pan. However no one can deny the chemistry between Salman and her. Their love scenes are very natural.

Director Bansali after unsuccessful Khamoshi has reason to celebrate with his success of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. He sends several hidden messages through the film:

-Women can change their heart as easily as men given the opportunity and choice.

-Rural India is still besotted with cultural, religious and superstitious patriarchal families where women's wishes are not given a damn about.

Ajay Devgan did fine as a shy, not so handsome husband. The music of the film is ethnically good and all the songs are a joy to the ears.

*ring: Vadde Navin, Raasi, Suhasini

*ring: Kalyana Kumar, Anitha Reddy

These are two telugu movies with a difference. Both films propose that love should have a meaning and definitely has to be enhanced with a purpose in life. With the background of an unemployed, easy-living, parent hounding, eve-teasing youth living off the streets (at least most of the time) both films suggest that love can inspire a purpose in life. Also, interestingly both films, in a less than subtle way emphasize that sports can be the alternative way of living. Cricket in the case of Tholi prema and athletics in the case of Premante Idera. Education is a way to build confidence and knowledge but one should follow their interest that their heart leads them to.

Premante Idera is about four street romeos who have nothing else to do except eve-teasing. This part of the film gets a little obnoxious where they go to the extent of saying 'why do you women dress up revealingly if not for us to stare?' (revealingly, I suggest has different connotations)comments one of them in an effort to support his fellow. This amounts to saying ' why did my wife act so badly? That's why I killed her. She made me do it.'

Coming back to the story, one of the fit-for nothings, Naveen, falls in love with Raasi, who is from the same native place. She is however educated and ambitious. She likes Naveen too but plans and encourages him to change. She makes him take up competitive running which leads him to a job. Another interesting character in this film is the politician. He's very smooth both in performance and message delivery. The director however seems to be sending too many messages through too many scenes; true love, good politician, costumes, hygiene and so on. There are also some crude moments and dialogues but overall the message hits the viewer; get worthy of being somebody's life partner.

Tholi Prema on the other hand has nothing crude about it. The presentation of the film is much more sophisticated, simple and stylish unlike Premante Idera in which women are shown as men's shadows; they play n encouraging role yet passive.

Heroine Anita Reddy an American educated, intelligent and tech savvy meets Kalyan in India who is an unemployed, middle-class born road romeo. He falls in love with her. She on the other hand treats him like a good friend and tries to encourage his hidden talents. She belittles his silly expressions like writing his affection with blood on a cricket bat and encourages him to be a little more emotionally balanced. In the last minute, just before flying off to join Harvard, She expresses her love for Kalyan and both decide to wait awhile before getting married. They take off on separate ways to fulfill their dreams. She to Harvard and he cricket before uniting. A cute picture with loaded message. A good movie with a clean message and a clean attitude.