5/5 Conveys the essence of true love like no other film I've ever seen
  by Daniel Jolley (Shelby, North Carolina USA)
My discovery of Indian cinema has been almost a spiritual experience. It's like going from black and white to color for the first time. Compared to a movie like this, American and European films have no heart, no vitality, no color, and no passion. And I've never seen any love story that could compare to the one in this film. I've never seen the true definition of love expressed as deeply as it is here - and it is love in its purest form. I know I'm old-fashioned, but, for me, Hollywood ruins every good love story it manages to produce by making everything about sex. You don't have that in India cinema - you don't even have kissing; what you do have, though, are the depths and power of love expressed in ways Hollywood can't even comprehend.

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Straight From the Heart) has everything you could want in a movie - romance; comedy; fantastic music, singing, and dancing; elaborate set designs and magnificent locations; stellar performances; and, of course, the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai. I'm trying to get my hands on all of her movies as quickly as I can. She's incredible in this 1999 classic, as are the two leading men who form the other two sides of the most poignant of love triangles. Salman Khan plays Sameer, a free spirit who comes to India from Italy to study music under Nandini's father. Nandini (Rai) isn't happy about this at all, but she and Sameer are soon engaged in some serious flirting. A strong love grows up between the two, only to be torn asunder by Nandini's father, who sends Sameer away with a promise to never meet his daughter again. A heartbroken Nandini is compelled to marry a young lawyer named Vanraj (Ajay Devgan). She doesn't love Vanraj, but he is an exceedingly good man who loves her dearly. For all her continued grieving over Sameer, it is Vanraj who eventually shows her what true love really is. The ending is just exquisite, a true emotional climax that brings both pain and joy to your heart at the same time.

The movie runs a little over three hours (which is pretty much the norm in India), but it is in no way too long. If you have a heart, it will be swept away during the second half of the film. The story and the passionate performances by Rai, Khan, and Devgan would be more than enough on their own to make this a stellar film - but Indian cinema gives you so much more than that. Music plays an integral part in the film, and every single musical scene is amazing (and, besides chapters, you can also jump directly to any musical number on the DVD). The one performance that really stands out, for me, is Nimbooda, which features Rai in a beguiling song and dance routine. Subtitles are always an issue with a foreign language film, but the English subtitles here are really rather good and certainly allow you to follow the film closely.

I'm having a hard time trying to convey the sheer magic of this incredible film. The love story puts Hollywood romances to shame, the performances are heart-felt and virtually guaranteed to make you laugh and cry, the cinematography is extraordinarily vivid, and I just can't get over how powerfully the film conveys the essence of true love. And even if you took all of that away, the mere opportunity to watch Aishwarya Rai for over three hours makes the DVD well worth the price. She is as talented as she is gorgeous.

5/5 Great!
  by Lilac Frost (The world)
I'm new to Indian movies - rather than repeat the previous review, or recap the storyline, which is already listed here - I'll just say I really loved this movie. There was a lot of emotion in it - and something I'm really enjoying about the Indian movies is that they don't seem to feel the need to sell sex to sell a good story. Not so much as an on screen kiss, but you feel more emotion and heartbreak from these characters than you do from most any Hollywood movie. Definitely a great movie!! (And the musical numbers were really spiffy!)

4/5 Fun musical numbers/a lovely Aish/A great, sobby ending!
  by Mir (North Miami Beach, FL USA)
First off, don't expect a whole lot of logic in parts of this film. There is a phrase an "anglo" pal of mine and I--I'm Latina--have for this: Bollyworld. When you watch a Bollywood musical, you often have to suspend disbelief and accept that it might have much whimsy and disjointed editing and a certain odd logic. Just accept it and enjoy. It's something like suspending disbelief for a fantasy flick.

Anyway, this is a schizophrenic movie. It starts off and you think it's gonna be quite comedic and light. But then it moves into heavy drama. It's a romantic triangle (as you'll know from the other reviews). Girl loves young, cute, hip, energetic fella who shares her gift for music. Boy loves beautiful, graceful, talented girl who sings like an angel. Ah, but this is not America. This is India, and the girl must marry the man her family chooses. And the guy her family chooses--who is captivated by the lovely, lively, singing, dancing vision he first views--is an honorable but staid guy who couldn't sing to save his life.

So, now we're done with the light bits (and the sprightlier musical numbers), and we move into the quest. Here, you have the heroine's journey from girl to woman. And when she makes the decision at the end, it's a woman's decison--thought out, sober, deep, strong. It's not the fancy of a light heart, but the choice of a heart that's grown. It's a beautiful finale, really, trust me. Beautiful.

I live in a neighborhood with several Indian "bazaars" and folks from that country. This was my second Bollywood flick. I discussed it with the proprietress of a local Indian goods shop, and told her how delighted I was that I could expect certain things in a Bollywood movie: respect for parents, sacrifice for family, the value of marital fidelity and that I didn't have to worry about a bunch of sweaty nekkid folks "hooking up". Here, a kiss MEANS a lot because that may be all you get (if that much). It's refreshing, that kind of modesty these days. Then I mentioned how I loved the ending. She said, "This is an Indian film. It HAD to end that way."

I had to smile at that certainty.

I recommend this movie if you're patient and enjoy 1. Beautiful clothes (does anyone make outfits as gorgeous as the people of India?) 2. Gorgeous Aishwarya Rai, probably the loveliest woman in current global cinema 3. Some really fun and "up" musical numbers 4. the depiction of true self-sacrificial love and 5. a romantically satisfying ending.

Just be aware that Bollywood flicks do tend to suffer from lack of judicious editing. It's LONG. Hungary is a strange, strange place to pass off as Italy.

Still, I recommend this. Lovely film. Enjoy!
Mir

5/5 ...THE FAITHFUL HEART ABIDES...
  by H. Bala (Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Straight From the Heart) is a beautiful movie, which draws you into a world of lush romance and bittersweet endings. I guess I'm a sucker for romance after all. There are several scenes in this film that will flat out make women cry and the menfolk tear up and surreptitiously reach for a hanky or a dirty sleeve. Well, maybe not the menfolk, as much. But I'm a guy and I'll tell the world there were instances where my heart either ached or/and soared and my vision became blurry. Now that could just be my eye prescription running out but, be that as it may, watching this film was truly a heady, eye-opening experience.

Skip this paragraph if you know the plot. It revolves around Nandini (the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai), daughter of a classical singer. She falls in love with her father's carefree half-Italian student, Sameer (Salman Khan). Vanraj (Ajay Devgan), son of a famous lawyer and a lawyer himself, sees and falls in love with Nandini and sends his proposal to Nandini's father, which is accepted. Nandini's father learns of her and Sameer's romance and demands Sameer forget Nandini. Vanraj marries Nandini and it's not until later in the marriage that he finds out that she still loves Sameer. Vanraj, out of love for his wife, takes Nandini to Italy to reunite her with her Sameer.

Just now, having read back what I've written in the previous paragraph, I must tell you that my words cannot do justice to the actual movie. The plot description above is flat and cold and abrupt compared to the rich tapestry woven in this film. It has so much heart and genuine emotions that, watching it, you feel you're breathing/soaking in every moment directly into your soul. Very dramatic, I know, but sue me, that's how I feel.

That the movie is 3 hours long shouldn't detract anyone from watching it. Trust me, it won't seem that long. The song numbers are across-the-board great. My two personal favorites are "Nimbooda" (the sour lime), wherein Vanraj falls in love with Nandini and the title song, "Hum Dil De Chuke", a lovely forlorn love ballad. By the way, yes, the scenes in Italy were actually shot in Hungary and no one's really fooling anyone here but I beg you, don't let that fact be a distraction.

The acting performances are superb, as they would have to be to elicit this kind of response from the viewers. The three leads are very very good. This is where Aishwarya Rai first flexed her acting muscles, as she goes thru the whole gamut of emotions, from the innocence and carefree happiness of a child to the mature, more subtle nuances that come with her acceptance of adulthood. She is, as ever, beautiful as the stars in the sky. This is my first sighting of Ajay Devgan and I'm sold on him as an actor. I guarantee that he will make you cry. Salman Khan is convincing as the free-spirited Sameer and you could see how a young girl could easily fall for this charming fella. He does a good job at the end of the movie when...well, I won't say.

Here in the states, where the emphasis is on the box office instead of art, 90% of the films are shallow, crass and formulaic. So I'm rarely exposed to movies such as this, which resonates, transports you to a different, seemingly more meaningful place and draws out deeper, richer feelings than those you would have when watching a buddy cop movie. This movie achingly throbs with images and ideas of duty, self-sacrifice, quiet faithfulness, and the meaning of true love. Dear viewer, watch this movie, you'll be swept away. You can thank me later. Now I'm back to watching Sportscenter because, while I'm a sensitive guy, I do have an image to uphold.

5/5 beautiful and wonderfully cast Bollywood gem.....
  by D. Pawl (Seattle)
This is yet another great example of when Bollywood films have the power to penetrate our hearts, open our minds and linger in our souls. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Straight From the Heart--English translation) features beautiful, colorful and luscious cinematography, attractive and well-cast leading actors, melodious and soulful music, energetic dance numbers and a great combination of humor, high drama and romance.

Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) is the beautiful daughter of the singer, Pandit Darbar (Vikram Gokhale), who takes on a music pupil in Sameer (Salman Khan), a half-Italian/half-Indian young man who travels all the way from Italy to learn singing. Nandini falls in love with him, straight away. The conflict is that Vanraj (Ajay Devgan), a young lawyer, has sent a proposal to Pandit, requesting his daughter's hand in marriage. Once the two lovers are caught together, Pandit demands that Sameer leave and forget his daughter. The selfless and faithful Vanraj comes to know his wife, Nandini's love for Sameer, and promptly decides to reunite the two in Italy, even though he is very much in love with her.

This is a beautiful story about coming to learn the importance of respect and faith in a relationship, and how even the biggest tests can actually bring people together, overtime. Nandini must decide whether to follow her heart or her soul, when she is torn between the undying love of her husband or her love for Sam.

Great movie! Don't miss it. The three plus hours will fly by as you grow increasingly more engrossed in this romantic, intriguing and beautifully made film. I also reccomend I Have Found It, also starring Aishwarya Rai.