Neal 'n' Nikki

Last updated

Neal 'n' Nikki
Neal n nikki poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byArjun Sablok
Written byArjun Sablok
Anvita Dutt Guptan
Produced by Aditya Chopra
Starring Uday Chopra
Tanishaa Mukerji
Cinematography P. S. Vinod
Edited byRitesh Soni
Music by Salim–Sulaiman
Production
company
Distributed byYash Raj Films
Release date
  • 9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)
Running time
123 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Box office₹10.43 crore [1]

Neal 'n' Nikki is a 2005 Indian romantic comedy film directed by Arjun Sablok, starring Uday Chopra and Tanishaa Mukerji in the lead roles, and Abhishek Bachchan in a special appearance. It was produced by Yash Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films and directed by Canada-based director Arjun Sablok. [2]

Contents

The film released on 9 December 2005 to highly negative reviews from critics. [3] [4]

Plot

The film, as its name implies, centers on Gurneal "Neal" Ahluwalia and Nikita "Nikki" Bakshi, two Canadians of Punjabi descent, born and raised in British Columbia. But Neal and Nikki are different in many ways.

Before getting married Neal wants to spend 21 days on vacation with 21 women. On his way, he meets Nikki in a club, where Neal is with his date Kristi. Nikki gets drunk and starts dancing. Neal leaves his date and takes Nikki to a hotel where he watches T.V. while Nikki falls asleep. The next morning, Nikki thinks that Neal raped her when he didn't. She uses this to blackmail him all the time. Nikki interrupts his romantic meetings with other women from time to time, including once when Nikki interrupts Neal while he is having sex with another woman.

When Neal tells Nikki the truth about why he is in Canada, she gets mad and dumps him. Nikki then takes Neal to Whistler, a resort town, promising that she will introduce him to other girls there. In reality, her ex-boyfriend Trish is there with his girlfriend Amanda, and she wants to make him jealous. When Neal learns this, he doesn't agree but eventually comes to. They are successful in making Trish jealous. He tells Nikki that he wants her back, but she dumps him. They later spend a night together at a campsite but are unable to express their love to each other.

Neal then returns since it is time for his wedding. Later he finds out that the girl to whom he is to be engaged, Sweety, is Nikki's cousin. At the engagement ceremony just when Nikki is approaching to stop the engagement, it is revealed that Nikki's cousin had exchanged vows on the internet with her true love Happy Singh. Sweety proceeds to run away with Happy, while Neal proposes to Nikki because they realise that they are meant for each other.

Cast

Soundtrack

Neal 'n' Nikki
Soundtrack album by
Salim–Sulaiman
Released2 November 2005
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Label YRF Music

The music was composed by Salim–Sulaiman. It consisted of 5 songs and 1 remix. Lyrics were penned by Anvita Dutt Guptan, Irshad Kamil and Asif Ali Beg. [5]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Neal 'n' Nikki" Anvita Dutt Guptan KK, Shweta Pandit 5:16
2."Halla Re" Irshad Kamil Salim Merchant, Shweta Pandit5:08
3."I'm In Love"Anvita Dutt Guptan Sonu Nigam, Clinton Cerejo, Mahalakshmi Iyer 5:24
4."Ankh Ladiye"Anvita Dutt Guptan Kunal Ganjawala, Javed Ali, Shweta Pandit4:24
5."I Just Wanna Spend My Life With You"Asif Ali Beg, Pike WinchurkarClinton Cerejo, Dominique Cerejo 5:25
6."Neal 'n' Nikki" (The Naughty Mix)Anvita Dutt GuptanKK, Shweta Pandit5:06

Critical response

Taran Adarsh of IndiaFM gave the film 1 star out of 5, writing "On the whole, Neal 'n' Nikki concentrates more on sex, skin show, sleaze and vulgarity than a sound story. A terrible letdown in terms of content, the film has precious little to offer to the moviegoers. At the box-office, the generous dose of skin show and vulgarity in the absence of a script will tell on its business. Also, may a scene in English will only restrict its appeal further." [6] Derek Elley of Variety wrote "Fluff is hardly the word for "Neal 'n' Nikki", a mismatched romantic comedy that makes most Bollywood twosomes look like art movies. The latest production from usually reliable Yash Raj Films aims to push the envelope but delivers little more than candy-floss entertainment." [7] Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film a negative review, writing "This year, with films like No Entry and Garam Masala, we've already seen that heroines can be relegated to zero importance in the success of a film. If Neal 'n' Nikki is a hit, it'll just mean we can crank out mindless films where the leading actors aren't important at all. Which is a terrifying thought." [4]

Jaspreet Pandohar of BBC.com gave the film 3 stars out of 5, writing "Neal 'N' Nikki may follow the same path as most love stories (boy meets girl, boy can't stand girl, boy falls for girl after a few misunderstandings along the way), but it does so in a refreshingly daring manner. At times verging on the vulgar, writer/director Arjun Sablok makes full use of Mukerji's cleavage and Chopra's six-pack in comic scenes. But the couple's screen chemistry gradually overshadows the repetitive bikini and boxers shots, bringing to life a pair of thoroughly likeable characters who drag Bollywood's prudish attitudes kicking and screaming into the 21st century." [8]

In a retrospective review in 2020, Tiasa Bhowal of India Today wrote, "When Neal ‘n’ Nikki was being promoted in 2005, it appealed to the people because it felt like a breath of fresh air because of its peppy songs. Upon its release, it was panned by the critics as well as the audience because there was nothing new in terms of the story. Rather, it was a sleazefest, and frankly, an arduous watch. Featuring Uday Chopra and Tanishaa Mukerji in the lead, had the film released in 2020, not only would it have been criticised for the content, the sexist dialogues would have caused a hullaballoo for sure." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge</i> 1995 film by Aditya Chopra

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, also known by the initialism DDLJ, is a 1995 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film written and directed by Aditya Chopra in his directorial debut and produced by his father Yash Chopra. Released on 20 October 1995, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as Raj and Simran, two young non-resident Indians, who fall in love during a vacation through Europe with their friends. Raj tries to win over Simran's family so the couple can marry, but Simran's father has long since promised her hand to his friend's son. The film was shot in India, London, and Switzerland, from September 1994 to August 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rani Mukerji</span> Indian actress (born 1978)

Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including seven Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.

<i>Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...</i> 2001 Hindi-language film by Karan Johar

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., also known by the initials K3G, is a 2001 Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Karan Johar and produced by Yash Johar under his banner Dharma Productions. The film has an ensemble cast, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, and Kareena Kapoor, with Rani Mukerji in an extended guest appearance. It tells the story of an Indian multimillionaire family, which faces troubles and misunderstandings over their adopted son's marriage to a girl belonging to a lower socio-economic group than them. The film score was composed by Babloo Chakravarty with the music composed by Jatin–Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya and Aadesh Shrivastava and lyrics written by Sameer and Anil Pandey.

<i>Mohabbatein</i> 2000 film by Aditya Chopra

Mohabbatein is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Aditya Chopra and produced by Yash Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai, and newcomers Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Jugal Hansraj, Kim Sharma, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Preeti Jhangiani. It narrates the story of Narayan, the strict principal of Gurukul college whose daughter Megha, commits suicide after he opposes her relationship with Raj, a music teacher at the college. The story follows Raj aiding with three Gurukul students and their love interests to rebel against Narayan's intolerance of love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uday Chopra</span> Indian actor (born 1973)

Uday Raj Chopra is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of filmmaker Yash Chopra. He made his acting debut in the 2000 musical romantic drama Mohabbatein and featured in several other films including Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), Dhoom (2004), Dhoom 2 (2006) and Dhoom 3 (2013).

<i>Mujhse Dosti Karoge!</i> 2002 film by Kunal Kohli

Mujhse Dosti Karoge! is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Kunal Kohli and produced by Yash Chopra for his banner, Yash Raj Films. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles, with Uday Chopra in a cameo appearance. The film follows the love triangle of 3 childhood friends: Pooja (Mukerji), Raj (Roshan) and Tina (Kapoor).

<i>Hum Tum</i> (film) 2004 film by Kunal Kohli

Hum Tum is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Kunal Kohli. Produced by Aditya Chopra under his banner Yash Raj Films, it is loosely based on the English film When Harry Met Sally... (1989). The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, with Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Rati Agnihotri and Jimmy Sheirgill. Hum Tum follows the encounters of two individuals, Karan and Rhea, who run into each other on several occasions under various circumstances.

<i>Dhoom</i> 2004 film by Sanjay Gadhvi

Dhoom (transl. Blast) is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and written by Vijay Krishna Acharya, based on a story by producer Aditya Chopra. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Uday Chopra, Esha Deol and Rimi Sen. It is the first installment of the Dhoom franchise. The cinematography was handled by Nirav Shah, while the soundtrack and background score were composed by Pritam, and Salim–Sulaiman respectively.

<i>Bunty Aur Babli</i> 2005 film directed by Shaad Ali

Bunty Aur Babli is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and written by Jaideep Sahni, based on a story by Aditya Chopra, who produces the film under the Yash Raj Films. The film, inspired by the 1967 American film Bonnie and Clyde, stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Rani Mukerji in lead roles and marks the first of the many collaborations between the former two. The younger Bachchan and Mukerji play con-artist partners-in-crime, Bunty and Babli, while the elder Bachchan plays DCP Dashrath Singh, whose focus is solely to catch them.

<i>Dhoom 2</i> 2006 Indian Hindi action thriller film

Dhoom 2, also known as Dhoom 2: Back in Action and stylized as Dhoom: 2, is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language heist action thriller film directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and written by Vijay Krishna Acharya, based on a story by producer Aditya Chopra, who backed the film at an estimated budget of ₹350 million under the banner Yash Raj Films. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra. Dhoom 2 was shot primarily in India, Durban and Rio de Janeiro, becoming the first major Hindi film to be shot in Brazil. It is a sequel to the 2004 film Dhoom and is the second installment in the Dhoom series. Bachchan and Chopra reprise their roles as buddy cops Jai Dixit and Ali Khan, respectively. Yash Raj Films also collaborated with Pepe Jeans and Coca-Cola for the film's promotional tie-ups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanishaa Mukerji</span> Indian actress

Tanishaa Mukerji is an Indian actress known for her works in Hindi films. A member of the Mukherjee-Samarth family, daughter of filmmaker Shomu Mukherjee and actress Tanuja, and the younger sister of actress Kajol. She made her debut with the slasher film Sssshhh... in 2003 and had her first success with the political crime thriller film Sarkar, and its sequel Sarkar Raj in which she had a supporting role. This was followed by a career declined, In 2013, she made her television debut as a contestant in Colors TV's reality show Bigg Boss 7, where she finished as 1st runner-up.

<i>Baghban</i> (2003 film) 2003 film by Ravi Chopra

Baghban (transl. Gardener) is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Ravi Chopra, co-written and produced by B. R. Chopra. It tells the story of an elderly couple, Raj and Pooja, who have been married for 40 years. After Raj retires, they reunite with their four sons to discuss who will support them. None of the sons want to take care of both parents, causing Raj and Pooja to live separately.

The Mukherjee-Samarth family is a Hindu Bengali-Marathi family that has been involved in the Hindi film industry since the 1930s, Shobhana Samarth having first acted in a film in 1935. The Mukherjee family was connected to the Samarth family by Tanuja's marriage to Shomu Mukherjee in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richa Pallod</span> Indian model and actress (b. 1980)

Richa Pallod is an Indian model and actress who predominantly appears in Hindi films. Besides Hindi, she has been featured in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam language films. After appearing as a child artiste in Lamhe (1991), she appeared in an award-winning role in Nuvve Kavali (2000), her first film in Telugu.

<i>Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai</i> 2002 film by Sanjay Gadhvi

Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra under the banner Yash Raj Films. The film starred Uday Chopra, Tulip Joshi, Jimmy Sheirgill and Bipasha Basu. The film was partly inspired by My Best Friend's Wedding (1997).

<i>Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi</i> Rab Ne Banaya Jodi

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, also known as RNBDJ, is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Aditya Chopra and produced by him and his father Yash Chopra under their banner of Yash Raj Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan as Surinder Sahni, a mild-mannered office employee who marries his deceased teacher's miserable daughter Taani Gupta, portrayed by Anushka Sharma in her debut. His friend Balwinder "Bobby" Khosla, played by Vinay Pathak, eventually transforms him into the fun-loving actor "Raj Kapoor" to win Taani's love. The film's soundtrack was composed by Salim–Sulaiman, and it became the first Bollywood soundtrack to reach the top 10 album sales on the iTunes Store.

<i>No Problem</i> (2010 film) 2010 Indian film

No Problem is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Rajat Rawail and Anil Kapoor. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Sushmita Sen, Kangana Ranaut, Neetu Chandra and Shakti Kapoor in the lead roles while Ranjeet, Mukesh Tiwari, Jeetu Verma, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Suresh Menon and Vijay Raaz are featured in supporting yet crucial roles. Shooting began in July 2010. It was shot in South Africa and Mumbai. No Problem released worldwide on 10 December 2010, to a negative reception and was a flop.

<i>Bunty Aur Babli 2</i> 2021 film directed by Varun V. Sharma

Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film written and directed by debutante Varun V. Sharma, based on a story by producer Aditya Chopra, under the Yash Raj Films banner. A sequel to the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli, the film stars Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi and debutante Sharvari Wagh.

<i>The Romantics</i> (series) Indian reality documentary series

The Romantics is a 2023 limited series English and Hindi language documentary, created by Smriti Mundhra and Michael T Vollmann. The four-part series explores the impact of Yash Chopra, his son Aditya Chopra, and their company Yash Raj Films on Hindi Cinema.

References

  1. ↑ "Neal 'n' Nikki Box Office Collection". Bollywood Hungama . 9 December 2005. Archived from the original on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Sablok, Arjun (7 December 2005). "Neal 'N' Nikki: "Not a regular love story."" (Interview). Interviewed by Patcy N. Mumbai: Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 Bhowal, Tiasa (9 December 2020). "15 years later, we are still clueless why Neal n Nikki was made. On Wahiyat Wednesday". India Today . Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. 1 2 Sen, Raja (9 December 2005). "Neal 'N' Nikki better not be a hit!". rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Verma, Sukanya (3 November 2005). "Neal 'N' Nikki has a Kaal hangover". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Adarsh, Taran (9 December 2005). "Neal 'n' Nikki Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Elley, Derek (13 December 2005). "Neal 'N' Nikki". Variety . Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Pandohar, Jaspreet (5 December 2005). "BBC - Movies - review - Neal 'N' Nikki". BBC.co.uk . Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.