Bharati Dubey

A film that fails to open to 100 per cent collections in the country's major cities is not major news. It's happened plenty of times.

The same film's second week plans opening to empty ticket windows at many theatres (in Mumbai), might also not raise many eyebrows.

Now view the film in the light of following factors:
* It is helmed by Vikram Bhatt, who is said to be one of Hindi cinema's promising young Turks. He has to his credit successful films like Ghulam (Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherji), Kasoor (Lisa Ray, Aftab Shivdasani), and the recent Raaz (Bipasha Basu, Dino Morea).
* It stars Amisha Patel, whom critics and audiences alike consider a reasonably intelligent actress. It might be remembered that she won great praise for her second film, Gadar -- Ek Prem Katha (opposite Sunny Deol), which was one of 2001's blockbusters.
* It stars Hrithik Roshan, touted to be Hindi cinema's wunderkind, who rose to meteoric heights with the release of his debut film.
* This is the first film starring Amisha and Hrithik after their runaway debut hit, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (directed by Hrithik's father, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan).

Just some of the reasons that Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage (AMALL), was expected to be a good film.

That was not to be. The film's weak plotline, which shares a remarkable resemblance to the 1993 film, Sir (Naseeruddin Shah, Pooja Bhatt, Paresh Rawal), poor dialogues, sorry characterisation, hackneyed, even ham, performances, are just some of the factors that seem to have irked cinemagoers and critics alike.

Taran Adarsh, editor of Trade Guide says, "It was a crucial release for Hrithik Roshan --- it was his first solo release after Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Also, the same pair returned after KNPH. It's shocking to see that film has not met people's expectation.

Adds Adarsh, "The promos of the film also did not generate any kind of curiosity among people. Another factor could be that Amisha Patel, who hams most of the time in the film, has had three flops to her credit [Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar, Kranti, Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai]. That went against the film.

"Hrithik's performance is good but it hasn't helped save the film. Also, the music of the film [by Hrithik's uncle Rajesh Roshan, who had composed for KNPH] is not upto the mark."

Director Vikram Bhatt does not shy away from the blame, "I was persuaded by people to make a typical commercial, formula film. I believed in someone else's conviction and failed completely. I hold myself responsible.

"But the producers are to be blamed for not promoting the film well. I do know that I don't ever want to do a film which differs from the kind of films I believe in. Besides, the subject of AMALL also was dated, and the timing of its release was not right."

The film's distributors are now doubtful of recovering their money --- AMALL was sold at a high price even before the debacle of Subhash Ghai's Yaadein.

The actors, director and the film's distributors aren't the only one's affected. AMALL has also spelled doom for blackmarketeers. Vikas Mohan, editor of Super Cinema says, "The film is a blackmarketeer's funeral. Just yesterday, I saw a blackmarketeer trying to sell tickets at Rs 50. He had bought them for Rs 70. And there weren't any takers."

Now, there are rumours about a distributor from Bihar backing out of taking Hrithik's next film, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (starring Saif Ali Khan and Esha Deol, and directed by Arjun Sablok).

"If Hrithik has to survive, he better stop acting with Amisha Patel. She is a fluke actress. The failure of this Amisha's film must have definitely scared the producers of her next film, Humraaz. I blame the producer, director and writer of the film and, to some extent Hrithik too, who I believe, had started behaving like Salman, Shah Rukh and had started interfering with the project," claims Mohan.

Hrithik Roshan, for his part, has not lost hope: "I will wait for a day or two and then speak about it. But it is heartening to hear that people have appreciated my performance."

Meanwhile, Hrithik's father Rakesh Roshan feels his son has been offered roles that have not much scope but to sing, dance and perform action scenes. Besides, most of his films, including Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and AMALL were signed before the release of KNPH.

"He is just an actor. He does what his directors ask him to do. He cannot say no to his director. Watch out for Hrithik's future films --- Yash Chopra's Mujhse Dosti Karoge directed by Kunal Kohli, and Na Tum Jaano Na Hum --- they are well made. Also, my film, Koi Mil Gaya [starring Hrithik and Preity Zinta] releases next year. Let's hope for the best."

Also read:
The film review of Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage
'Hrithik has no control over the fate of his films'
Vikram Bhatt defends Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage