Maine pyar kiya (1989)

मैंने प्यार किया

Boy meets girl and they fall in love - but their fathers don't approve.  Driven by the power of their love, they determine through hard work and honest living to prove to their skeptical fathers that they are a worthy and true match.  Supported by the sympathy of a soft-hearted mother figure, a reliable friend or two, and even some assistance from the animal kingdom, love conquers all.  If Maine pyar kiya ("I've fallen in love") sounds like a film you've seen a few times before, that's because it is - there are no twists, no unpredicted outcomes, no surprises.  But that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. 

Kishen (Rajiv Verma) and Karan (Alok Nath) are old school friends who were once inseparable.  Now, though, a distance has grown between them, as Kishen has risen to success at the top of an urban industrial empire, while Karan toils away in his village mechanics' shop.  Still, some vestigial bond remains to connect them, and when Karan takes itinerant work abroad, he sends his daughter Suman (Bhagyashree) to stay with Kishen and his family.  Suman's warmth and sweetness makes her an instant hit in the household, as she charms Kishen's wife Kaushalya (Reema Lagoo), family friend Monahar (Laxmikant Berde), and, especially, Kishen and Kaushalya's son Prem (Salman Khan); Prem and Suman's instant friendship turns quickly to love.   While Kaushalya delights at their plans for engagement,  though, Kishen's scheming, greedy business partner Ranjeet (Ajit Vachani) throws a spanner into the works - he wants Prem to marry his own mercenary daughter (Pervin Dastur), so he convinces Kishen that Suman is a golddigger and Karan is trying to take advantage of Kishen's friendship by using Suman to get at his wealth.  Enraged, Kishen ejects Suman from his home.  Prem follows Suman to her village but finds that her father Karan is not any more inclined to the match than Prem's father Kishen was.  Prem sets out to show that he's no spoiled rich boy, proving his love for Suman through backbreaking hard labor - but the barrier of unwilling fathers may be more than even his strong arms can break down. 

Maine pyar kiya was a massive hit in its day, igniting the Suraj Barjatya hit machine that a few years later perfected the art of delivering sugar-coated confections in cinematic form with Hum aapke hain koun...!  If Maine pyar kiya stands up today at all, though, it is due to the infectious adorableness of its principals.  As a young man, Salman Khan on the screen is fresh-faced, earnest, and sweet; his shaky attempts at keeping "cool" don't even begin to hide his tender heart.  Meanwhile Bhagyashree shines with the cutest smile this side of Hema Malini - I could just have watched her beam for three hours and thoroughly enjoyed the film.  It's a shame that Bhagyashree's big screen career sputtered and stalled, as here she is every bit as radiant and cute as the likes of Juhi Chawla and Kajol, and she perhaps could have had a similar career arc to theirs. 

Bhagyashree's character, Suman, lacks much of a personality - though she's loyal, dependable, and gentle, there's not much fire or willfulness to her.  But no matter - Maine pyar kiya is not about people, it's about Themes - about the power of love, about the value of hard work, about the parental generation trusting young people to find their own way, and about the importance of being loyal to one's friends even in hard times.  And it's about kindness to animals - Suman and Prem are aided by a pigeon (called "Handsome") to whom Suman has been kind, and, notably, to whom Prem's nemesis (Mohnish Behl) has been cruel; the pigeon carries messages of love between Prem and Suman when they are separated, and takes a pivotal role in the film's climactic melee.  It's not at all hard to imagine why a film like Maine pyar kiya would have resonated with its audience; it's a film in which young people exercise their autonomy with resourcefulness and love, transcending barriers of wealth, and achieve an autonomous happy ending.

It's not a Suraj Barjatya film without an excess of cheerful songs, and Maine pyar kiya delivers, with a soundtrack by Raamlaxman that the composer raided freely for melodies and themes when writing the songs for Hum aapke hain koun...! some years later.  I like HAHK's songs better, but that may just be because that movie is a cherished favorite that I viewed early on in my filmi perambulations - or maybe because their picturizations have the benefit of the incomparable Madhuri Dixit, whom even Bhagyashree's undeniable cuteness can't touch.   Still, the music of Main pyar kiya is an overall plus for the film,  showcasing the sweetness of the actors and adding frosting to very, very light substance of the plot.  My favorite songs include "Kabutar ja ja ja" ("Go pigeon go," in which Suman's animal friend gets put to work), and a fantastic antakshari medley of classic songs.  (The weakness in the soundtrack is the opening song, a shameless rip-off of Stevie Wonder's "I just called to say I love you," which is a cloyingly bad song to begin with.)  For more on the music, please visit Sanket at Bollywood Music Club, who has also written about Maine pyar kiya today. 

Comments

[abhi]

one great reason why this movie was such a big hit was that it came at the end of tiring 80's when movies had hit bottom in terms of quality. this was one of the movies that brought the next wave of movies and music back into movies too.
its something same as what HAHK did in 94, bringing the change.
Also about HAHK .. its a reworking of old barjatya production super hit 'nadiya ke paar'. You should watch the original movie as well. Its songs are infinitely sweet.

[carla]

Thanks for the comments Abhi. I have been told that films like MPK and also *Qayamat se qayamat tak* were the vanguard of a major change that brought Hindi films out of the dark, dark 1980s, and that films like HAHK and DDLJ in the early 1990s shut the door on that awful era for good.

I had not heard of *Nadiya ke paar* - I'll have to look out for it now.

[akshay shah]

Fabulous review (as always) Filmigeek! MAINE PYAAR KIYA is one of my favorite love stories-a genre that rarely impresses me in Hindi cinema(compared to say Tamil). there are ofcourse the rare exceptions like this, QSQT and DDLJ.

BTW I managed to catch DHARM(review below), seriously catch this movie..you'll be amazed, quiet easily 07's best in my view.

http://aakshayshah.blogspot.com/2007/08/akshay-shah-watches-dharm-hindi-2007.html

Keep up the ace work,

Akshay Shah

[BABANDEEP KAUR KALRA]

I LOVE THIS FILM

[Totally Basmatic]

Maine Pyar Kiya is awesome if only for acid-wash jeans and homicidal poultry.

[bharat parmar]

I Love this maine pyar kiya film

[maxqnz]

Vive la différence, as they might say in Pondicherry. I really enjoyed this review of a film that I loathe. I will not spoil the mood by sharing the reasons why this film makes my top 10 nafrat list. Instead I just want to say thanks again for sharing your views, Carla, and doing so very well. I look forward to being further challenged and informed by more of your excellent reviews. मतभेद ज़िन्दाबाद!

[carla]

Thanks max. I've missed watching films and writing and have been trying to adjust my various projects to make more time for it. I've just posted a new review and have four more films that I've recently seen rattling around in my head waiting their turn. So there will be more to come soon, I promise.

Am curious to know why you despise *Maine pyar kiya* though ... I do think that despite my intellectual pretensions there are some types of films from which I don't demand very much.

[prave]

MPK will remain my all time favourite love story. The best part of the film, is it does not have any violence or drama attached (like QSQT, Chandni). Since the whole story is centred in a homely setting, it is more appealing. Bhagyashree is most outstanding, with her radiant face & smile. She displays a perfect blend of majestic beauty & innocence . Salman also provided a fresh & solid look in those days. The direction and script were exemplary. Last but not the least, the good music by Ramlaxman. Though few tunes were lifted, they were adapted well. Lataji & SP did full justice to the tunes. In a nutshell, a wholesome, clean entertainment, especially for the youth.

[maxqnz]

"Am curious to know why you despise *Maine pyar kiya* though ... I do think that despite my intellectual pretensions there are some types of films from which I don't demand very much."

Actually, your review made me think about that, too. I am beginning to think that I may need to watch it again. I was in a VERY dark place when I saw it first, and may simply have been unable to enjoy it properly. Even at the time, I loved the pigeon, and I adore HAHK, which I saw some months after MPK, so I may have done the film an injustice. On an unrelated matter, I was delighted to learn that Aparna Sen has iconic status here in NZ, although I was deeply embarrassed that I did not know it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4580444a1860.html

i love you

I LOVE YOU USHA

[Ali]

this movie is just amazing, a very very big hit. Salman Khan did a very good job, he is just the best. Love You Salman Khan .. :)

[DrulktyncAluckyBet]

mplpegmvalqmuujswell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how's life? hope it's introduce branch ;)

[geets]

the songs were heart touching I JUST LOVED IT

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[Utsav]

It is one of my fav movie of all time. Nothing can change it. The script and Bhagyashree were amazing. But, then, I was a young male teenager when I watched it. In the movie, I could see Salman grow up from being a young man to a full fledged man. A real man. One that could break the rules if required, one who would work hard to achieve his goals, sacrifice when needed and stand up for whats right. Show the way. His acting/role/looks all were great.

What an inspirational movie. (shudder). Wish I could have such inspirational moments again!