Hey! Ram

By Kavita Awasthi

Ratings : *  * (Okay Dokey)
Special Comment : Kamal Hassan is the star attraction of the film
Anything more : Wait for Shah Rukh and Rani in the film


An attempt at unconventional cinema, the film revolves around the Hindu-Muslim problem, starting from the days of partition to the Babri Masjid issue. The message the film portrays is that of how a series of events can trigger off riots and wreak havoc on innocent people.

Saket Ram (Kamal Hassan) is an archeologist in Mohenjodaro and has a lovely wife Aparna (Rani) in Calcutta. But during the partition riots, Aparna is raped and killed by the neighbourhood Muslims. In a fit of rage, Ram kills them. While on a guilt trip, he meets Abhayankar (Atul Kulkarni) who is a staunch believer that Gandhiji is responsible for all the chaos in the country.

Saket Ram returns to his hometown Madras and gets married to Mythili (Vasundara Das), a girl full of beans. He takes Mythili to Maharashtra where Abhayankar introduces him to a Maharaja (Vikram Gokhale), the leader of the group. It is decided that Abhayankar and Ram should assassinate Gandhi. But Abhayankar is paralyzed after a freak accident and Ram decides to go ahead as planned.

As he waits for his orders in Madras, he learns that Mythili is pregnant. But on getting orders, he leaves his wife and goes to Delhi where he meets his friend Amjad (Shah Rukh). Due to the tension in Delhi between Hindus and Muslims, Amjad gets killed while Ram tries to save him. Ram is too hurt to react. He meets Gandhiji (Naseeruddin Shah) who tells him that he's not a Mahatma, and that if by killing him could solve the problem, he is ready to die. Ram has a change of heart and wants to confess, but it is too late. Nathuram Godse becomes a part of history.

Kamal Hassan has attempted to show Gandhiji in a different light, depicting the human side of the Mahatma. Kamal Hassan, as usual, has acted par excellence. But the direction is only passable. The first half of the film is slow and at times, vague. The controversial kisses and love making scenes are out of place and unnecessary, though the second half moves at a faster pace. Shah Rukh is controlled and plays his part effectively. Rani hardly gets a chance to act because she's busy kissing. Newcomer Vasundhara Das is good and relates well to her character. Naseer is effective, though his voice doesn't match the character. If you blink, you'll miss Hema Malini, Girish Karnad, Sourabh Shukla and Abbas. Moral of the story - don't blink.

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