Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
romantic drama film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...
directed by
Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri is an Indian film director. Born into the Bhatt family, he is well known for directing the films '' Murder 2 '' (2011), the musical romance ''Aashiqui 2'' (2013) and the romantic thrillers ''Awarapan'' (2007), ''Ek Villain'' (2014) a ...
and produced by
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. A stand-out film from his earlier period is ''Saaransh'' (1984), screened at the 14th Moscow International Film F ...
under the banner
Vishesh Films
Vishesh Films is an Indian film company founded in 1986 and currently owned by Mukesh Bhatt. Vishesh Films is one of the most successful Indian film production houses. The production company is named after Vishesh Bhatt, the son of Mukesh Bhatt. ...
and
Fox Star Studios
Star Studios (formerly known as Fox Star Studios) is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney Star, part of the Disney International Operations segment of The Walt Disney Company. Th ...
. The film stars
Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Anwar Hashmi (; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hashmi debuted in 2003 with the crime thriller film ''Footpath'' and subsequently appeared in films include ''Murder'' (2004), '' Kalyug'' ...
,
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
, and
Rajkummar Rao
Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav; 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, three ...
. It is based on the love story of Bhatt's parents,
Nanabhai Bhatt
Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi and Gujarati cinema. He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including ''Mr. X'' (1957), ''Zimbo Comes t ...
, Shirin Mohammad Ali and his stepmother. The film was released worldwide on 12 June 2015 receiving mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
The movie opens with a woman Vasudha (
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
) stepping off a bus. An elderly man, Hari, sees a psychiatrist about hallucinations of his wife. His daughter-in-law takes him to his wife's funeral. There, he steals her ashes and leaves a diary for his son.
The story jumps to the past, where Vasudha is a single mother whose husband has been missing for five years. Bound to tradition, she has been waiting for him since he left her. Vasudha meets Aarav Ruparel (
Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Anwar Hashmi (; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hashmi debuted in 2003 with the crime thriller film ''Footpath'' and subsequently appeared in films include ''Murder'' (2004), '' Kalyug'' ...
) in one of his hotels, where she works as a floral arranger. Vasudha comes to save him in a mock fire drill, and he offers her a job in his hotel in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, which she refuses at first. However, she later gets to know from police that her husband Hari (
Rajkumar Rao
Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav; 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, three ...
) murdered five American journalists and is a member of a terrorist group. Worried for her son's future, she accepts the job offer given by Aarav.
Despite knowing about Vasudha's past and her son, Aarav falls in love with her. He tells her about his mother who was a
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
singer and a single parent, and how she fell in love with a man who tried to commit suicide for failing to save them from poverty. Vasudha shuns his feelings, saying that she belongs to someone else. At his request, she meets Aarav's mother and finally accepts Aarav's love. Vasudha encounters Hari at home, and tells him about Aarav. Hari storms out in anger and is arrested and jailed for being a wanted criminal. Vasudha asks Aarav to save Hari as he is innocent. Aarav tries to save Hari by bribing the home minister, but he reveals that Hari himself admitted to his crime. Vasudha refuses to marry Aarav because Hari's action tells her that he sacrificed his life for them to be together. It is then revealed to Aarav that Hari deliberately accepted his crime so that Vasudha will live in guilt, thinking Hari sacrificed himself for their love.
In order to free Vasudha out of her guilt, Aarav travels to Bastar, where Hari is accused of killing, to prove his innocence. Aarav meets Father Dayal, who reveals Hari's innocence. On the way back to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, Aarav smells the scent of the flowers that caused him to meet Vasudha. Following the scent, he goes into the jungle, not knowing that the place has mines. He accidentally steps on one of the mines. Realizing his predicament, Aarav smiles just before taking his foot off. Vasudha receives the news of Aarav's death and leaves Hari, who searches for her for two years. After finding her, she reveals to him that she knows about his fake sacrifice and tells him that she is not afraid of any tradition. He warns her that she will come back to him one day. Hari waits for Vasudha twenty-one years in vain.
Back in the present, the old woman from the bus, Vasudha, wants to be reunited with Aarav where he died. Hari takes Vasudha's ashes to scatter them in the forest of Bastar, where Aarav died. Thus, Aarav and Vasudha reunite after death.
Cast
*
Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Anwar Hashmi (; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hashmi debuted in 2003 with the crime thriller film ''Footpath'' and subsequently appeared in films include ''Murder'' (2004), '' Kalyug'' ...
as Aarav Ruparel
*
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
as Vasudha Prasad
*
Rajkummar Rao
Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav; 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, three ...
Suhasini Mulay
Suhasini Mulay (born 20 November 1950) is an Indian actress in Assamese, Bollywood and Marathi films as well as television. She won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1999, for her performance in Gulzar's film ''Hu Tu Tu''.
...
as Mrs. Prasad
*
Narendra Jha
Narendra Jha (21 January 1964 14 March 2018) was an Indian actor. He was known for his work in Bollywood productions; his most noted films being ''Haider'', '' Raees'', '' Ghayal Once Again'', '' Hamari Adhuri Kahani'', ''Mohenjodaro'', ''Sho ...
as ACP Patil
*
Prabal Panjabi
Prabal Panjabi (born 26 February 1990) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. In 2011, Panjabi made his debut in Y Films' ''Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge'', and ''Mere Dad Ki Maruti'' (2013).
Career
Prior to his film debut, Panjabi act ...
as Apurva
* Uday Chandra as Jeevan Rane
*
Madhurima Tuli
Madhurima Tuli (born 19 August 1986) is an Indian actress and model. Her works in Hindi television include the fiction dramas '' Kasturi'', '' Parichay'', ''Kumkum Bhagya'', '' Chandrakanta'' and ''Qayamat Ki Raat'' and the reality shows ''Nac ...
as Avni Prasad (cameo appearance)
*
Namit Das
Namit Das (born 10 July 1984) is an Indian film, television, and theatre actor. He has acted in several television commercials. He belongs to a family of musicians and singers; his father is reputed ghazal singer Chandan Dass. His maternal grand ...
as an adult Saanjh Prasad (cameo appearance)
*
Amala Akkineni
Amala Akkineni (''née'' Mukherjee) is an Indian actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and animal welfare activist. She has predominantly worked in Tamil films, in addition to Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada-language films. She was a leading ac ...
as Rohini Ruparel (cameo appearance)
Production
Development
On 23 October 2013,
Vishesh Films
Vishesh Films is an Indian film company founded in 1986 and currently owned by Mukesh Bhatt. Vishesh Films is one of the most successful Indian film production houses. The production company is named after Vishesh Bhatt, the son of Mukesh Bhatt. ...
and
Fox Star Studios
Star Studios (formerly known as Fox Star Studios) is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney Star, part of the Disney International Operations segment of The Walt Disney Company. Th ...
extended their association and announced a three-film deal, ''
City Lights
''City Lights'' is a 1931 American silent romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The story follows the misadventures of Chaplin's Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl (Virginia Cherrill) and ...
'', ''Hamari Adhuri Kahani'' and '' Mr. X''. It was then revealed that the film will be directed by
Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri is an Indian film director. Born into the Bhatt family, he is well known for directing the films '' Murder 2 '' (2011), the musical romance ''Aashiqui 2'' (2013) and the romantic thrillers ''Awarapan'' (2007), ''Ek Villain'' (2014) a ...
, and will release on 7 November 2013. Initially it was decided the cast will start filming in May–June 2014, however the dates shifted to October 2014, owing to
Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Anwar Hashmi (; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hashmi debuted in 2003 with the crime thriller film ''Footpath'' and subsequently appeared in films include ''Murder'' (2004), '' Kalyug'' ...
's son's illness. In February 2014, in an interview with ''
Bombay Times
The ''Bombay Times'' is a free supplement of ''The Times of India'', in the Mumbai (formerly Bombay) region.
It covers celebrity news, news features, international and national music news, international and national fashion news, lifestyle and ...
'', producer of the film
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. A stand-out film from his earlier period is ''Saaransh'' (1984), screened at the 14th Moscow International Film F ...
revealed that the story of the film will be written by himself and it is based on the love story of his parents,
Nanabhai Bhatt
Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi and Gujarati cinema. He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including ''Mr. X'' (1957), ''Zimbo Comes t ...
, Shirin Mohammad Ali and his stepmother. In an interview with ''
Mumbai Mirror
The ''Mumbai Mirror'' is an Indian English-language newspaper published in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Launched in 2005 as a compact daily newspaper, its coverage focuses on city specific local news and civic issues concerning education, healthcare an ...
'', Suri said
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
had to lose weight for the film and get into shape. Before the development of the film, rumours spread that Balan opted out of the film "as she needs some time for herself" and her character is replaced by
Emraan Hashmi
Emraan Anwar Hashmi (; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi cinema. Hashmi debuted in 2003 with the crime thriller film ''Footpath'' and subsequently appeared in films include ''Murder'' (2004), '' Kalyug'' ...
and
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
was finalised on 23 October 2013, marking their third collaboration after ''
The Dirty Picture
''The Dirty Picture'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language biographical musical drama film inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, an Indian actress noted for her erotic roles. The filmmakers have clarified that the story is not officially or literall ...
'' (2011) and '' Ghanchakkar'' (2013). On 12 February 2014, it was confirmed that
Rajkummar Rao
Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav; 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, three ...
will be joining the cast of the film. On 6 October 2014, it was suggested that Rao will be playing the role of the husband of the character portrayed by Balan, to which he confirmed that he plays a "pivotal role but not in terms of screen time". On 15 December 2014, it was reported
Amala Akkineni
Amala Akkineni (''née'' Mukherjee) is an Indian actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and animal welfare activist. She has predominantly worked in Tamil films, in addition to Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada-language films. She was a leading ac ...
will be seen in a cameo appearance in the film, and she will be singing and enacting the title song of the film. On 26 December 2014, it was revealed that Sara Khan will also be joining the cast of the film.
Filming
Initially, the first schedule was planned to be widely shot in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, South Africa. Filming began in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
on 2 October 2014. A portion of the climax scene of the film was shot on 3 October 2014, where Balan and Hashmi joined the immersion processions on the city's crowded roads overlooking the
Howrah Bridge
The Howrah Bridge is a balanced cantilever bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it replaced a pontoon bridge at the same location linking the cities ...
. The other portion of the scene was shot on 5 January 2015, inside a bardy style old house in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
.
After wrapping shooting in
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, it was reported that the crew of the film started filming in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
for a total of sixteen days. The schedule was planned for a month back but shifted due to the weather conditions in the area. On 20 October 2014, Balan and Hashmi were spotted shooting scenes at
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport ( ar, مطار دبي الدولي) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic. It is also the nineteenth-busies ...
and further shoots took place around the city, including on
Sheikh Zayed Road
E 11 ( ar, شارع ﺇ ١١) is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from Al-Silah in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras al-Khaimah emirate, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastl ...
,
Business Bay
Business Bay ( ar, الخليج التجاري: ''Al-Khaleej Al-Tijari'') is a central business district under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The project features numerous skyscrapers located in an area where Dubai Creek has been dr ...
Bur Dubai
Bur Dubai (in Arabic: بر دبي) is a historic district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located on the western side of the Dubai Creek. The name literally translates to ''Mainland Dubai'', a reference to the traditional separation of the Bur D ...
,
Jumeirah
Jumeirah ( ar, جُمَيْرَا, Jumayrā Emirati pronunciation: ) is a coastal residential area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates mainly comprising low rise private dwellings and hotel developments. It has both expensive and large detached ...
and
Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina ( ar, مرسى دبي), aka Marsa Dubai, is a district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is an artificial canal city, built along a stretch of Persian Gulf shoreline. As of 2018, it has a population of 55,052. When the entire develo ...
. After Dubai schedule, the team resumed their shoot in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
before visiting back to Dubai for a further two days of shooting. Most of the scenes for the two days shooting took place in
Meena Bazaar
Meenā Bāzār or Mina Bazaar ( ur, , hi, मीना बाज़ार, bn, মীনা বাজার) is a special bazaar to sell items to raise money for charity and non-profit organizations. It also refers to a number of modern-day ...
along with its views of the
dhow
Dhow ( ar, داو, translit=dāwa; mr, script=Latn, dāw) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically spor ...
s on
Dubai Creek
Dubai Creek ( ar, خور دبي, Khūr Dubay) has been described as a natural saltwater creek, tidal inlet, and watercourse or waterway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditional ...
.
The final scene of the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
schedule, was shot on 17 November 2014, in Miracle Garden and Suri added that though the city was generally treated for its high-tech buildings and modern landscapes, he wanted to romanticise it and show its softer side. The film also features
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
's Qasr Al Sarb desert resort. The team shot the rest of the film in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. The shooting for the film was completed during the mid-January 2015.
Soundtrack
Music for the film is given by
Jeet Gannguli
Jeet Gannguli (, born Chandrajeet Ganguly, on 24 May 1977), is an Indian score composer of Bengali and Hindi movies.
Early life and education
Born in a Bengali Brahmin family, Gannguli was initiated into the world of music at the age of thr ...
,
Mithoon
Mithun Sharma (born 11 January 1985), also known as Mithoon, is an Indian Hindi film music director, lyricist-composer and singer.
Mithoon composed the Hindi song "Tum Hi Ho" from the 2013 Bollywood romantic film ''Aashiqui 2''. Mithoon recei ...
Zubeen Garg
Zubeen Garg (born Zubeen Borthakur; 18 November 1972) is an Indian singer, music director, composer, lyricist, music producer, actor, film director, film producer, script writer and philanthropist. He primarily works for and sings in the Assa ...
. The song "Yeh Kaisi Jagah" was recorded at Zubeen's studio Sound & Silence, Zubeen programmed track music and help to compose the song. Lyrics are penned by
Rashmi Virag
Rashmi Virag is the screen name of Rashmi Singh and Virag Mishra, an Indian lyricist duo active in Bollywood. At first, Singh and Mishra wrote lyrics themselves; in 2015, they began working as a duo. Singh won the Best Lyricist award at the 6 ...
,
Sayeed Quadri
Sayeed Quadri is an Indian lyricist and poet who works in Bollywood. He was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He won the Best Lyricist award at the 6th IIFA Awards for ''Murder'', and Standout Performance by Lyricist at the Stardust Awards 2005 for ...
,
Kunaal Vermaa
Kunaal Vermaa is an Indian lyricist and poet from Sri Madhopur, Sikar district, Rajasthan, India. His debut song as a lyricist was Hasi from the movie Hamari Adhuri Kahani composed by Ami Mishra
Ami Mishra is an Indian singer-songwriter and ...
. "Zaroori Tha" song from the film was originally a soundtrack of singer
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan ( Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kha ...
's album '' Back 2 Love''. The album was named "Best Bollywood Album of June 2015" by Deccan Music.
Release
''Hamari Adhuri Kahani'' released worldwide on 12 June 2015. As of 2 July, the film's worldwide gross was on a budget of . The pre-release sale of television, home video and music rights added a further making the film a commercially flop.