Hum Apke Hain Koun (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #54 extract: Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994)

Pleasant, silly and a bit too soppy, but pleasant. 

Hum Aapke Hain Koun, or, Who Am I To You, is a film bursting at the seams with music and character. Essentially a sequence of extravagant celebrations, Hum Aapke Hain Koun is a movie about families, for families, painting an idyllic picture of the perfect mothers, sons, uncles, sister-in-laws, etc, etc, etc. Centralising duty over all else, this is ultimately about sacrifice for family and so though there are a few clunky sequences and some faces that Salman Khan makes that are just... this is good-intentioned entertainment. 

Whilst I wouldn't say that this is the best Bollywood movie I've seen, it's undeniable that this was a massive game-changer for Indian cinema, redefining what blockbuster meant and reinvigorating cinema's general popularity. A good watch.