| This romantic comedy focuses on Ambar Malhotra (Preity Zinta) who decides to study medicine in Melbourne. This will also give her a chance to get away from her parents who are forcing her into an arranged marriage. So while studying, she works as a part time presenter on the local radio station, Salaam Namaste, in order to earn a few extra bucks. Then, there is Nikhil Arora (Saif Ali Khan), an architect back home, but now turned head chef in Melbourne with a passion for cooking. Ambar is ambitious and hard working whilst Nikhil is a complete opposite - he is carefree and enjoys life to the full. These two characters meet when Nikhil is invited for a radio interview. Unfortunately he never makes it, which annoys Amber. But all is not lost. They both meet at a friend's wedding and before the night is over, both realise they are attracted to each other. It is not long before they agree to move in with each other to see if their relationship would work. Pre-occupied with their careers, Nikhil and Amber decide to take things slowly at first. They live in the same apartment but in different rooms. This is where the fun starts and lots of it too! But soon their relationship enters more serious territory due to a sudden turn of events - Amber becomes pregnant. Frightened of the fatherly responsibilities, Nikhil suggests she has an abortion. A shocked Amber strongly objects to his idea. This causes a rift between them but they still carry on living under the same roof. So arguments start, as they blow every little mistake out of proportion. They finally come to their senses when Amber goes into labour and finds that she is about to deliver twins as Abhishek Bachchan (of the Bunty Aur Babli fame) makes his guest appearance - as the hospital doctor! This film entertains to the full. There is romance and an abundance of comedy to satisfy your Bollywood thirst. Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta make a great on- screen couple. Their comic timing is just perfect. Both manage to play their parts convincingly. Credit also goes to Arshad Warsi, who plays Nikhil's best friend and Javed Jafferi, whose role as the suspicious landlord will go down well with the audience. Siddharth Raj makes a great directorial debut with this Yash Raj presentation. He manages to make us care about the central characters. We laugh when they laugh and we cry when they cry. To achieve this first time round, Siddharth deserves praise. The musical score by Vishal and Shekhar blends well with the screenplay which is a real pleasure. Overall, Salaam Namaste is a great entertainer. Well worth watching if you have not yet done so.
Reviewed by Manish Gajjar, BBC Shropshire Bollywood |