Salman Khan and Telugu actress Bhumika Chawla starrer Tere Naam is the story of an obsessive lover who would go to any lengths to win his ladylove. The film has earlier been made in three languages - Sethu in Tamil, Seshu in Telugu and Huccha in Kannada.
Tere Naam tells the story of a street-side Romeo Radhe (Salman Khan). Although a guy with a gem of a heart, Radhe is known in his neighborhood for bashing up goons to help the repressed and less fortunate.
Despite being an ex-student, Radhe sits outside his college and rags new students. In the bunch of new students he rags, one of his victims is Neerjara (Bhoomika Chawla), a very simple girl.
Radhe falls for Neerjara's simplicity and her grace. Hopelessly in love with her, he dreams of marrying her one day.
He expresses his love to Neerjara, but she refuses him outright. Being the daughter of a temple priest, she has never seen violence at close quarters and rejects Radhe's proposal. As it turns out, she is also engaged to another guy named Rameshwar [Ravi Kissen].
One day Radhe unknowingly saves Neerjara's elder sister from an adversity. Neerjara's fiancé, informs her of this incident and her misconceptions about Radhe clear up. Now she too develops a soft corner for Radhe. But before the lovers could reunite something terrible happens and Radhe is driven to the point of lunacy.
Satish Kaushik-directed Tere Naam is different from Bollywood's mushy romance in the sense the film doesn't resort to the outdated themes like parental opposition, rich-girl-poor-boy-love or a love triangle. Using two simple characters the movie shows the complexities of the emotion called love.
The movie takes off at a brisk pace with the campus atmosphere and the clashes between the hero and heroine. The drama builds up convincingly until a viewer is caught unawares at the interval point with the unexpected turn of events that bring the film's protagonist to a mental institution.
The narrative loses its pace once the focus shifts to the traditional shelter for the mentally imbalanced. But the momentum is regained in the last few reels until the crescendo builds up to the point of heart-rending climax.
Salman Khan fits well into the role of an obsessive lover. He gives out the impression of a vulnerable man beneath the tough exterior and brings out the right facial expressions at the time of emotional outbursts.
Bhoomika Chawla too gels into the role of a simple, humble, traditionally Indian character.
On the whole Tere Naam has all the ingredients of a good commercial movie. It has a campus setting, a Good Samaritan hero who bashes the goons and a simple heroine who keeps romance at bay.
Movie Review : The Tere Naam Review (6/10) Salman Khan and Telugu actress Bhumika Chawla starrer Tere Naam is the story of an obsessive lover who would go to any leng...