Sanam Teri Kasam is a very sweet, old-fashioned love story. By that I mean, it is less about sex and more about romance and love. Saru is quiet and plain-looking. Despite seeing herself as frumpy, she is an educated and responsible person. She is the obedient daughter of a strictly religious man who wants the best and most highly educated husband for her. Unfortunately, nine young men have already rejected her. Adding to Saru’s woes, her father has forbidden her younger sister, Kaveri, to marry before her.
Inder is the bad boy who lives downstairs. He has a dark past, and although he is young he has apparently already spent some years in prison. Inder spends lots of time drinking, building and tattooing his body, and hanging out with wild women. Saru and her family have been exposed to his lifestyle mainly in their comings and goings by way of the building’s elevator. Saru’s father hates Inder’s behavior and tries to get him kicked out of the building because he is personally offended by him. In spite of Inder’s “I don’t give a damn attitude,” he has seen and heard Saru being abused by others and he doesn’t like it. In fact, he starts to visit the library where she works, under the guise of asking her for book suggestions. Saru is unaware that Inder is falling in love with her.
When Kaveri’s impatient boyfriend insists she set a wedding date, Saru panics. She doesn’t want to be the cause of her sister’s unhappiness. Saru has seen Inder with a woman who is known as a makeover expert, so she decides to ask him for an introduction. She thinks a makeover will help her attract a man. She decides to go to his apartment in the middle of the night hoping no one will see her. But all hell breaks loose when Inder’s girlfriend comes to visit shortly thereafter. Her jealous rage sets off a chain of events that ends in Saru’s self-righteous father disowning her, causing Inder’s protective instincts to kick in when Saru is left homeless.
I absolutely loved the pairing of Harshvardhan Rane as Inder and Mowra Hocane as Saru. Sanam Teri Kasam is the Bollywood debut of both actors, and they make an interesting couple in several ways. Harsh is dark, handsome, and well built. As Inder, he is filled with bitterness and pain and in his rebellion, he numbs himself with wine and women. Inder doesn’t say much, but he takes everything in. He may be silent but his eyes say it all. Even though he has been living a jaded lifestyle, there is innocence and vulnerability at his core. Harsh is also convincing in scenes where his emotions erupt or come to the surface. Mowra is physically pale and fragile looking. As Saru, she is the very model of a “nice” girl. Obedient, responsible, and caring, she is often taken for granted by those who know her. Mawra projects Saru’s innocence and helplessness effortlessly, at the same time, she has a sense of self-respect and dignity. Their chemistry is amazing.
Other members of the cast who moved the story along were: Manish Choudhary as Saru’s stern and extremely self-righteous father, Anurag Sinha who can’t decide whether he loves Saru or not, and Murli Sharma, as a policeman who is a sucker for a good love story. Himesh Reshammiya, the movie’s music director, has created several lovely songs which speak volumes into the characters interior thought life. The director team of Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru also wrote the story, which is full of emotional details and very melodramatic. Bring your hankies, you are sure to shed a tear or two by the end of this sweet movie.
