Sukanya Verma

At a time when filmmakers are experimenting and exploring unconventional genres and challenging subjects, predictable films like Kitne Door Kitne Paas, Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, Hum Ho Gaye Aap Ke and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage stick out like sore thumbs.

This Friday's fare Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai is no better.

Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai tells an old tale. Agra resident Sundar (Govinda) comes to New Delhi to realise his dreams. An aspiring painter, Sundar is a shy person yearning for fame, fortune and a sweetheart. He lands a job as a billboard painter and shacks up with a wild bunch of roadside eve teasers --- Riyaz, Will and Karthik (Deepak Tijori, Laxmikant Berde and Kishore Bhanushali).

Thanks to his roomies' foolish tips on the art of wooing, Sundar ends up with a broken leg and punctured ego. A few vain attempts later Sundar bumps into US-returned Payal Khurana (Rani Mujherji).

If in Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Kareena Kapoor came to India to do research in Indian tradition and culture, and in Kranti, Amisha Patel was keen on doing a study on Mumbai's cops, our girl Payal is interested in doing a thesis on Indian classical dances.

During one of her dance sessions, her raunchy dance teacher suggests that she study the facial expressions of mute people to understand the importance of emoting. In a chance meeting, Sundar bumps into Payal. Sundar is dumbfounded at her beauty and charisma. A series of misunderstandings lead Payal to believe that Sundar is mute. Considering this to be a wonderful opportunity to befriend Payal, Sundar happily entertains this wrong notion.

Pretending to be someone or something you are not to win a girl's heart is an age-old Hindi cinema trick. Sunil Dutt pretended to be a singer in Padosan, Salman Khan posed as a poet in Saajan, Shah Rukh acted blind in Baadshah while Madhavan faked someone else's identity in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein.

Coming back to Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai, Sundar discovers there is more to Payal then her mesmerising beauty. She takes Sundar to leading specialist Dr S Puri (Om Puri) to help him regain his voice. She spends hours trying speech therapy on him.

Unfortunately, Sundar refuses to utter a single world besides babbling, 'Bah, bah, bo' every second minute. She also holds an exhibition of his paintings at an art gallery. A teary-eyed Sundar is speechless, as usual. Eventually, Payal's empathy for Sundar and Sundar's fascination for Payal turn into love.

However, things are far from hunky dory for the two. Instead of telling Payal he has been lying to her all along, Sundar ends up doing something really stupid.

To know what that is, watch the film.

Directed by Govinda's elder brother Kirti Kumar (Hatya, Radha Ka Sangam), Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai purely relies on Govinda and Rani Mukherji's acting abilities to lift it from the ordinary.

Govinda, on his part, looks too old to play a naïve, small-town boy with big dreams in his eyes. Since he is a seasoned actor, this film is a cakewalk for him. He is quite hilarious every time he goes 'Bah ba bo'. Though it is depressing to see that even after reaching a stage where he can play with his image and choose unorthodox subjects, he stills prefers to tread the tried and tested.

Ace comedian Johnny Lever is at his irritating best in a small cameo. His screeching and screaming make it difficult to comprehend what the joke is in the first place, leave alone laugh at them.

Rani Mukherji lends credibility to an otherwise regular role with her charm and spontaneity.

This film is strictly for those who like the tried and tested fare.