Maine Pyar Kiya [DVD]

This is about 2 old friends who haven't seen each other for years. One has left his poor roots (partly due to his old friend) and become wealthy. The poorer one has a daughter and the wealthier one a son. Poorer Dad has to go oversees for work for 6 months and reconnects with old friend so that daughter can stay safely there in his absence. Of course daughter and son fall in love. Wealthy Dad won't approve a wedding because of the status difference. There is also a shady 'friend' of wealthy Dad plotting so his daughter can marry the son and he can get his hands on the wealth. Will the love birds succeed in their marriage...? (Actually there's also an actual 'love bird': a carrier pigeon who becomes a player in events and even a hero at the end!)

This is dated a bit as it is 1989. But if you can overlook the 80s fashion and hairdos (and th4e posters of Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen on the boy's wall!), the story is a good Bollywood melodrama romance. I don't relate to the music of the period and there is a lot of it (including a couple of songs that went on and on). The 'heart' in the movie built in the second half and I even managed a few tears!

However the acting is mostly good. The girl is fine but didn't particularly stand out for me (but then I'm female too and tend to notice the males more!). However Salman Khan is excellent (never thought I'd write that!). It is interesting to look back to this, his second movie and first really big starring role and see what people saw in him. I can find him a bit mixed- good at times but not relating when he does 'comedy' in the hammy way the Indians seem to like. But here he is innocent, sincere, gorgeous, a good actor and dancer- a great teen romantic hero. He won 2 awards for this movie at the time (and the film itself also won an award.

If you like Bollywood romances and don't mind the age of this it is worth a visit. Elsewhere on the Net it rates above average mostly (e.g. 7-8 out of 10). That's where I'd put it too. A keeper.

This is the movie that introduced me to Salman Khan and I've loved his movies ever since. I grew up in Eastern Europe where Bollywood movies were played often.

Love this movie. A lovely, moving love story. Salman Khan is very good, goofy and funny. I absolutely LOVE the music. A great movie.

I enjoy seeing this movie ever so often so good to have a DVD copy of it to view it anytime I want.