Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam



"''"In the First Step, we will promise to share all your happiness and sorrows. In the Second Step, you will promise to protect, love and cherish me. In the fourth step, I will take your permission to go ahead so that when Death comes, I will embrace it over you. ""

- Nandini to Sameer on the 7 steps in a Marriage.

"" He has touched my soul. His eyes follow me forever I go. Oh Mother, I'll die if he leaves. I can't live without him""

- Nandini

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or "I Have Given Away My Heart" is a Film of the Book Na Hanyate starring Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, he of Devdas and Saawariya fame.

It stars a happy-go-lucky Nandini (Rai) who lives within a fort in Rajasthan with her extended family and is visited by Sameer (Khan), a Half Italian, Half Indian singer who knocks on her Father's door to learn classical Indian music. They fall madly, obsessively in love, unknown to both Nandini's renowed father and mother. Both Sameer and Nandini aid Nandini's cousin to escape her abusive marriage to be with her true love against the wishes of their elders and are caught flatfooted in an embrace by Nandini's father.

After their love is discovered, Sameer is banished from the mansion with a stipulation from her father that he never meet Nandini again as a Guru Dakshina (a traditional gift a student gives a Guru). Sameer leaves, bound by his vow and the heartbroken Nandini is married off to Vanraj (Devgan), a son of a famous lawyer, who unknown to her has fallen in love with her. She resumes letter writing to Sameer, and Vanraj stumbles upon Sameer's letters. Vanraj, who is neither handsome nor a good singer but is possessed only of a good heart, decides that the one honorable thing to do is to leave Nandini off to her lover Sameer in Italy and sets off with her to Europe. And so goes the Love Triangle.


 * Arranged Marriage: Nandini and Vanraj are subject to this.
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: Subverted. Nandini falls in love with Sameer (which isn't actually bad, just mischievous), but she later falls in love and decides to stay with Vanraj (a more classical good boy).
 * Betty and Veronica: With Sameer being Veronica and Vanraj being Betty
 * Break Up Song: Tadap Tadap Ke. The music is Tear Jerker Worthy.
 * Dramatic Irony: in Italy Sameer and Vanraj met without knowing who was the other, and their respective conclusions about the other guy were "What a nice dude! I hope he suceeds!".
 * Establishing Character Moment:
 * Nandini is introduced getting away from home to play with her friends and fly a comet, and her first lines are her complaining on having to give her room to a soon-to-arrive.
 * Sameer is introduuced traveling on a very hot dessert, speaking to the sky in a "calling out the old man" way.
 * Vanraj is introduced in "Nimbooda Nimbooda", getting struck with Nandini and trying to get closer to her in a way that doesn't disrupt her dance, presaging how their relationship will go.
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: Nandini usually wears a ghagra and choli and plaits her hair before marriage. When Nandini gets married, she ties her hair in a bun and wears long saris. After her marriage, but before Vanraj discovers her affair with Sameer, Nandini's sari is tied sloppily and her hair is messy, reflecting her unhappiness.
 * Fan-Preferred Couple: Mostly because of their incredible chemistry, Sameer and Nandini
 * First Love: Sameer
 * Gorgeous Period Dress: the costumes have to be seen to be believed. Amazingly beautiful and Bhansali stated he did a lot of research in Rajasthan to get a feel for the land filmed.
 * "I Am" Song: See "Manmohini", a song that describes Nandini's character and serves as her Establishing Character Moment
 * Item number: "Nimboodha Nimboodha]" qualifies.
 * I Will Wait for You: Sameer. Since he cannot follow her because of The Promise, he asks Nandini to follow him.
 * Love Epiphany: Nandini during the Theme Song "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam"
 * Love Martyr: Vanraj. He basically enables the whole trip to Italy just to give the woman he is very in love with to her former lover, as he didn't believe it was right to be with a person who doesn't love you back tied to you. He is willing to trow away his reputation just to give his wife happiness. See below The Power of Love why this is even more important.
 * Love Triangle: Nandini, Sameer and Vanraj
 * Meet Cute: Nandini meets Sameer as the glass chandelier dangles between them.
 * Nice Guys Finish Last: Subverted. On the other hand, you can't help feel sorry for Sameer.
 * Theme Song: Cue "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam"
 * The Power of Love: Subverted. Nandini travels the seven seas to meet Sameer in Italy. But the seven steps she took with Vanraj (an essential part of Hindu matrimony, see the quote above) made her reconsider her love. In Hinduism, Marriage is Serious Business and Divorce is breaking a sacred bond, never mind the earthly one
 * True Love Is Exceptional: Nandini's type is embodied in Sameer, a hotheaded handsome and talented guy who never takes anything seriously. Nandini ends up falling in love with Vanraj who is humble, rational, average and honest.
 * Tsundere: Nandini is this in the first half of the movie. She mellows later on.
 * You Have Waited Long Enough: Nandini