# Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (HAHK, transl. Who am I to you?) is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya and produced by Rajshri Productions. The film stars Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan and celebrates Indian wedding traditions by means of a story of a married couple and the relationship between their families; a story about sacrificing one's love for one's family. The basic plot is based on the studio's earlier film Nadiya Ke Paar (1982), which was based on Keshav Prasad Mishra's Hindi novel Kohbar Ki Shart. The film features music by Raamlaxman who also composed a 14-song soundtrack, an unusually large number of songs for that period.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! was released on 5 August 1994, and became the highest-grossing film of the year, having grossed between ₹111.63 and ₹128 crore worldwide. It also became the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release. It contributed to a change in the Indian film industry, with new methods of distribution and a turn towards less violent stories. It was the first film to gross over ₹100 crore in India, and when adjusted for inflation, is the highest-grossing Indian film of the 1990s and also one of the highest-earning Bollywood films ever. Box Office India described it as "the biggest blockbuster of the modern era." The film was also dubbed into Telugu as Premalayam and was a major success, running for over 200 days in theaters.
At the 42nd National Film Awards, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! won two awards, including the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. At the 40th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 13 nominations, and won five awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Barjatya), Best Actress (Dixit) and Special Award (Lata Mangeshkar for "Didi Tera Devar Deewana"). It also won six awards at the newly-introduced Screen Awards.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is considered as one of the most influential films in the Indian film industry as well as in pop culture. It made a lasting impact on wedding celebrations in India, which often include songs and games from the film. It is credited as being a defining moment in Hindi cinema's box office history, and the beginning of a revolution in the Indian film distribution system.

## Plot

Orphaned brothers Prem and Rajesh live with their uncle Kailashnath. Rajesh manages the family business and his family is on the look-out for a suitable bride for him. One day, Kailashnath meets his college friend, Siddharth Choudhury, who is now a professor, after several years. Siddharth and his wife have two daughters named Pooja and Nisha. Siddharth and Kailashnath arrange a marriage between Rajesh and Pooja. From their first meeting, Nisha and Prem start bickering lightheartedly with each other and the fun and mischief continue throughout Pooja and Rajesh's wedding.
Pooja and Rajesh's marriage brings much joy to the entire family and, eventually, they are expecting their first child. Pooja's parents are unable to attend her baby shower, so they send Nisha instead, who is present at the birth. During that time, Nisha and Prem fall in love with each other, but keep it a secret. Pooja's parents finally arrive to celebrate their grandson's birth, and spend time with the entire family. When the time comes to part, their hosts are dejected, especially Prem. He and Nisha promise each other that they will soon reunite forever.
Pooja visits her parents' house and Prem takes her there. When they arrive, Pooja learns that Prem and Nisha are in love and gives Nisha a necklace as a token, promising to get them married. Shortly afterward, Pooja accidentally slips, falling down the stairs, and eventually dies from a head injury. Everybody is shattered by the tragedy.
Nisha takes good care of Pooja and Rajesh's son. Hence, Siddharth and Kailashnath decide to have Nisha marry Rajesh. Nisha overhears her parents talking about her marriage into Kailashnath's family and thinks that they are discussing her marriage to Prem, to which she agrees. Later, at a pre-nuptial ceremony, she finds out that she is actually going to marry Rajesh. Prem and Nisha vow to sacrifice their love for Rajesh and his son.
Moments before the wedding, Nisha asks Prem's dog Tuffy to give Prem the necklace that Pooja had given her, along with a letter. Tuffy exits Nisha's room and delivers the letter to Rajesh instead of Prem. Rajesh reads the letter and realizes that Prem and Nisha love each other. Subsequently, he confronts both Nisha and Prem and steps aside, asking the elders to let them marry. Nisha and Prem marry each other with the consent of their families.

## Cast

* Madhuri Dixit as Nisha Choudhury
* Salman Khan as Prem
* Mohnish Bahl as Rajesh
* Renuka Shahane as Pooja Choudhury, Rajesh's wife
* Alok Nath as Kailashnath, Prem and Rajesh's uncle
* Reema Lagoo as Mrs. Choudhury, Pooja and Nisha's mother
* Anupam Kher as Professor Siddharth Choudhury, Pooja and Nisha's father
* Satish Shah as Dr. Chacha
* Himani Shivpuri as Dr. Razia Chachi
* Dilip Joshi as Bhola
* Laxmikant Berde as Lallu Prasad
* Priya Arun as Chameli
* Redo as Tuffy, Prem's dog
* Ajit Vachani as Professor Mama-ji
* Bindu as Professor's wife
* Sahila Chadha as Rita
* Dinesh Hingoo as Manager Chacha
* Tuffy as Dog

## Production

Director/writer Sooraj Barjatya devoted one year and nine months to write the screenplay of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!. He spent the first five months trying to write another Maine Pyar Kiya, but then started over after his father Rajkumar Barjatya suggested that he rework one of the family company Rajshri Productions earlier offerings. Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! then became a loose adaptation of their 1982 production Nadiya Ke Paar. Barjatya used musical numbers to avoid treating some situations in a cliché manner, which resulted in so many songs that there were complaints during initial screenings of the film concerning its length and number of songs. Barjayta's grandfather, company founder Tarachand Barjatya, loved the song "Dhiktana" so much that the film was nearly given that title. Barjatya later told India Abroad, "My attempt in this movie has been to re-expose the cinema-going public to the quintessential family life... not to make people feel that they have come to see a movie, but make them feel as if they have come to visit a big joint family that is preparing for a wedding". The story was constructed differently than what was popular at the time. There were no villains, violence, or battles between good and evil. From conception to finished product, the film took four years.
The producers/distributors exercised a higher than normal level of control over their work. There was a limited release, a new form of television publicity, safeguards against video piracy, and a delay in the releasing of video tapes.

## Music

The soundtrack for Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! was composed by Raamlaxman who had earlier given music for Rajshri's Maine Pyar Kiya, with lyrics by Ravinder Rawal and Dev Kohli. It was produced under the HMV label and featured veteran playback singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Shailendra Singh and Sharda Sinha. The song "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" became one of the most popular film songs ever, and was on the charts for over a year. The soundtrack was highly successful upon release, becoming one of the highest-selling Bollywood soundtracks of all time.

## Release

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! premiered at Liberty Cinema in South Mumbai on 5 August 1994; it eventually ran there for over 100 weeks. The film initially saw a very limited release, also showing at the Regal and Eros theatres, with only 26 prints total. Eventually, it started to appear in many more theatres. When initial viewers complained about the film's length, 2 of the 14 song sequences were removed. These were later restored when film goers were found to enjoy all of the songs. Early reviewers of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! predicted that it would be a huge flop; hence the industry was stunned when it went on to become the most successful film of all time up to that point.

## Reception
### Box office

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is one of the biggest grossers ever in the history of Indian cinema, and is said to have changed film business forever in the country. Made on a budget of around ₹42.5 million ($1.4 million), it grossed over ₹700 million in its first 20 weeks, becoming the highest-grossing film in India up until then. Within 18 weeks, it grossed over ₹10 million in every territory it released, a feat previously achieved by Sholay (1975) and Coolie (1983). It went on to gross an estimated ₹1.75 billion in India, making it the first to gross over ₹1 billion. Box Office India gave it the verdict "All Time Blockbuster", and described it as "the biggest blockbuster of the modern era." Much of the success was due to repeat business. For example, painter M. F. Husain was reported to have seen the film over 60 times. The film's domestic net income was ₹725 million, which adjusted for inflation is equivalent to ₹7.11 billion ($96 million), making it the highest-grossing Hindi film in India since Sholay. Hum Aapke Hain Koun sold 74 million tickets in India, giving it the highest domestic footfalls of any Hindi film released since the 1990s.
The film was also dubbed into the Telugu-language and released with the title Premalayam and was very successful there, running for more than 200 days in theatres. The film earned about ₹200 million (US$6.37 million) abroad in overseas markets.
Worldwide, the film grossed over $63.8 million (₹1.95 billion) in its first year, for which it was awarded the Guinness World Record for "Highest grossing Indian movie". By 1996, the film's total worldwide gross had crossed ₹2 billion ($66 million), with total estimates going up to ₹2.5 billion ($82 million).

### Critical reception

India Abroad called it a "cloyingly familial and touchingly sad melodrama replete with typical Indian social situations". Tripat Narayanan of New Straits Times criticised the plot as "paper-thin" and the climax scenes as clichéd, but said Barajiya handled them so well that Shahane's "smiling bride face is immortalised as an epitome of goodness." He appreciated the performances of Dixit and Lagoo, concluding that "what really holds the film together is the editing."
Redo, an Indian Spitz, received favourable recognition as Tuffy the dog. He was included in the "Best Pets in Hindi films" list compiled by Daily News and Analysis. After the film, Redo was reportedly adopted by Dixit.

## Accolades

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film received a leading 13 nominations at the 40th Filmfare Awards, and won 5 awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress, making it one of the biggest winners of the year. Lata Mangeshkar, who sang more than 10 songs in the film, had long retired from accepting awards, but the public demand for the song "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" was such that she received the Filmfare Special Award that year. The film also won major awards at the newly-introduced Screen Awards, where it won six awards.
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
| 42nd National Film Awards | Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | |
| 42nd National Film Awards | Best Choreography | Jay Borade | Won | |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Film | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Screenplay | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Madhuri Dixit | Won | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Anupam Kher | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Mohnish Behl | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Reema Lagoo | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Renuka Shahane | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Comedian | Laxmikant Berde | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Special Award | Lata Mangeshkar for "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" | Won | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Music Director | Raamlaxman | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Lyricist | Dev Kohli for "Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!" | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 40th Filmfare Awards | Best Male Playback Singer | S. P. Balasubramaniam for "Hum Aapke Hain Koun...!" | Nominated | [47] [51] [49] |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Film | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Director | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Screenplay | Sooraj Barjatya | Won | |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Actress | Madhuri Dixit | Won | |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Female Playback Singer | Lata Mangeshkar for "Maye Ni Maye" | Won | |
| 1995 Screen Awards | Best Editing | Mukhtar Ahmed | Won | |

## Analysis

Author Kovid Gupta classified Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! as a film that bridges the gap between traditionalism and modernity. He discussed the songs of the films in particular, and the "manifestation of romance under the acceptance and blessings of the family, in specific, the elder sister-in-law". Patricia Uberoi called the film a family film in two ways; it is about family relationships, and it is suitable for the entire family to watch. She said that the film is not about the two leads, but about the family, an ideal family. Tejaswini Ganti has called the film a "paean to filial duty" for how the children are willing to sacrifice their love for the good of their families. The family relationships are also noted for being different from the normal cinematic families of the time due to their mutual civility.
Rediff.com noted that "Though the film was initially dismissed as a wedding video, its success indicated that post-liberalisation, Indian audiences still clung to the comfort of the familiar." Jigna Desai said that the film's popularity was due to interactions of the families around the traditional folk wedding practices. In his study on the response to the film, academic Vamsee Juluri concluded that the celebration of the family is HAHK's "most useful contribution to history".

## Legacy and influence

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is credited as being a defining moment in Hindi cinema's box office history, and the beginning of a revolution in the Indian film distribution system. When it was released, cinema was in decline in India due to improved cable television, home video, and film piracy. The film was originally released in only a small number of theatres that agreed to upgrade their facilities. Due to widespread demand for the film, many other theatres upgraded in order to get the film. Although ticket prices were raised, the upgraded theatres brought people back who had been lost to television. Also, the film's lack of vulgarity was a sign to middle-class family patrons that they could return to the theatre. This film, in addition to the following year's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, contributed to an increase in Indian cinema attendance of 40% in just two years.
The film was so successful that it literally gave the term blockbuster new meaning in India. Box Office India said, "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! [...] took business for films released afterwards to another level. To put into perspective how business changed [...] before Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! an all India share of 10 crore for a big film was regarded as blockbuster business but after Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! the blockbuster business figure went to 20 crore."
Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! influenced many subsequent Hindi films. The film was also a trendsetter for glamorous family dramas and NRI-related films, and started Bollywood's "big-fat-wedding-film" trend. In 1998 a theatre company in London, where the film had played for a year, staged a production based on the film titled Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral. Planet Bollywood has noted that no wedding is complete without some songs from this film, and it has been used as a script to design wedding plans. For years afterwards, women wanted to wear a purple sari like the one worn by Madhuri Dixit in the song "Didi Tera Devar Deewana".
It also influenced many filmmakers such as Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. Karan Johar named it as the one film that changed his life. He said, "After seeing Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! I realized Indian cinema is about values, tradition, subtlety, romance. There is so much soul in it. [...] I decided to go ahead and be a filmmaker only after watching this film." Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! belongs to a small collection of films, including Kismet (1943), Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Sholay (1975), which are repeatedly watched throughout India and are viewed as definitive Hindi films with cultural significance.
On April 24, 2021, production house, Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, announced that they would be remaking the film version into a show version which will air on StarPlus and Hotstar soon. She announced that the storyline will be the same as the film version.

## Footnotes

* ↑ It could also be 185 or 196 minutes, depending on the version.