Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) Poster

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4/10
Other than Aishwarya, so what?
mamlukman4 January 2006
I watched this as an Aishwarya fan. I think it's her 4th movie, so it's interesting for me to see her when she was "younger"--although that's only a few years ago! She looked really skinny--too skinny! In a couple of the songs, she does not even dance--what was the director thinking? That we don't want to see Aishwarya?? This was probably the worst Indian film I have seen in terms of the subtitles. First, they were in white letters, so they were hard to read. Second, they were often very stilted English--quite often humorous without intending to be. Third, sometimes they repeated the subtitles, sometimes they put on a long subtitle for .1 of a second. Fourth, sometimes they were just nonsense--A great example is when they go to the "Grapp Family Lodge" towards the end of the movie. Of course it's really the "Trapp Family Lodge" in New Hampshire, and yes, it's the lodge owned by the Trapp Family who were the subject of "The Sound of Music." I have a feeling all that was lost on the director--it would have been a great opportunity to have a song set in the hills above Salzburg, where Julie Andrews sang. It would have added a nice touch of humor. But no. Oh well, a great opportunity lost. Why not get a native Engish speaker to proofread the subtitles? Leaving the stereotypes aside, which the other reviewers have mentioned, I was more upset at the heavy-handed "lessons" in the movie. Yes, I have seen this in other Indian movies too, but not as many and not as awkwardly done. There was the "Pakistanis are really good Indians too" lesson, the "family is more important than money" lesson, the "women are more than tokens in the marriage market" lesson, the "forgive those as you wish to be forgiven" lesson, etc. etc.--every five minutes, and no subtlety at all. A movie can have a message, but when you have 35 different messages...well, it doesn't work. By the way, how about a lesson on illegal immigrants working on a tourist visa? To Indians sitting in India thinking they can just get off the plane on a tourist visa and start driving a cab or work at Dunkin' Donuts, forget it. You can't.

Reality checks: New Jersey boardwalk as an exotic, fun location? Please. Are there no hotels/rooms in New York? --why did Akshay and Aishwarya have no choice but to move in with the taxi drivers? Is India that disorganized that a millionaire would find it impossible to find the wife he left behind? And of course all the coincidences would make Dickens blush.

So, as a movie, pretty bad. As a showcase for a young (26?) Aishwarya, OK.
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5/10
Not convincing
folkpoet804 November 2005
After reading some reviews, I decided to give this one a shot. Complete waste of time and some of the scenes were typical bollywood crap. Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya are great actors. I've seen them in Taal, and they were so great. But this movie just had no story built in. Only thing watchable was Jaspal Bhatti and Kader Khan. Aishwarya did her part well and so did Akshaye Khanna. But there was no story. Too many stereotypes. Travelling for 18 hours in a suit and tie?? Give me a break. Some things were really immature. Please don't even bother with this movie. I don't always trust IMDb ratings, and some of the movies that have had low ratings here did turn out to be good. But this one was an utter drag. See beautiful movies like Yahaan, Taal, Raincoat. Sorry, Rishi - other than the Raj Kapoor's old music from SANGAM, there was nothing memorable in this. 5/10
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6/10
Cliched family entertainer
DudeE5 February 1999
This movie follows the previously tested theme - western society is "badly influencing" our traditional Indian culture.

The story picks up pace once Akshaye goes to USA,but fails to live to one's expectations in the last couple of reels.

Fantastic cinematography of New York & Perth, Australia. For once Ash Rai attempts to "act". NRI (Suman Raganathan) is a stunner!! Rajesh Khanna in his comeback role is heavily "made-up". Paresh Rawal is surprisingly "different". The music is a let-down, accept for the title track.

All in all, thanks to Rishi & RK banner for attempting a family entertainer.
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5/10
timepass
Hemanshu Desai23 January 2001
a timepass movie.. sometimes can get pretty unbearable.. but one manages to get by the movie. the camaraderie aspect between Akshaye and Jaspal Bhatti and gang is real good... the movie tends to get unrealistic which is disappointing.
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4/10
Why this bias?
silvan-desouza27 March 2009
Why do filmmakers like Subhash Ghai show Indians as good people and NY people as bad people? Was a big question in my mind now even Rishi Kapoor feels the same in AALC which is very bad

I mean please the superficial way of showing America puts people off and in today's overseas audiences dominating times this isn't good

The first half moves in different lanes and the love triangle is done to death

and the second half gets better a bit Akshaye's realization is well handled and then the film ends well but the sudden change of the other son is too much

They are many problems in the film like the first half which moves in different lanes and not proper treatment is given to most of it

Rishi Kapoor directs some dramatic scenes well but he needs to improve his storytelling, overall a decent debut by one of the finest actors as a director Music is okay

Akshaye Khanna shines in his role, He was always a good actor but signed bad films those days Barring his receding hairstyle he leaves a huge impact as an actor Aishwarya is plastic as ever Rajesh Khanna is okay Kader Khan and Jaspal Bhati are good Satish Kaushik is funny Paresh Rawal is good
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2/10
Come on now - lets wind up !
g_aparna27 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The story line goes thusly :

Abroad ! the term itself has a kind of honey-money reminding effect! Indian men are ready to wash dishes and be a waiter, drive cabs, sweep the Airport premises to keep it clean …all this just to be in a foreign land as they get paid in dollars - which when converted to Indian currency makes him a rich and sought after groom in India.

Indian parents , of daughters especially, forget everything else when they see that a man is having a bank balance good enough to support their daughter for the rest of her life ! This happens probably in the following circumstances : 1. parents are illiterate and do not believe/ understand / know that literacy can help. So they never educated their daughter as its an age old adage that a woman is but a machine to continue with the progeny of whichever family she weds – be it Pandavs or Kauravs ! 2. Both parents along with children are foreign crazy….some habits die hard – or maybe genetically transmitted . Have you noticed dear Indians…. whenever there is a movie showing struggle for independence, it is usually shown that one or two British officers are commanding and giving orders to their servants- the Indian subordinates – working as soldiers – and in fact they are the ones – Indians ie, who used to charge the freedom fighters (FF) with laathis and even gunned them down.now please do not give me examples of 2-3 such soldiers out of 500-1000 soldiers working as spies to the FF – I am talking about majority – Might is right …? Is'nt it? – here I would in fact like to appreciate the British officers to train the otherwise sluggish Indians and made them work…for them of course ! what motivation they must have had ..by the virtue of which they counseled their Indian soldiers (ie. working under their wing) – to kill the Indian FF.

3. Now dear Indian they must have also got married….what does one do after marriage – but of course ! no points for that….they give birth to a baby !- the reason why people get married in the first place ! – to make a woman complete! – she ..it seems is incomplete without the experience of a baby crying at midnight for milk or nappy change …- anyways suffice to say that even their generation has grown – and probably they are the ones who indulge in all the things which cause general ruckus and unrest in the country – like – boozing, mid-night partying, womanizing – collecting wine, wealth and woman in their database – not bothering about anything else – just following the drain culture and copying the foreigners in every possible way….as taught to them by their forefathers ! Select few might not be so..the ones who used to be spies to the FF… 4. Continuing with the circumstances which cause the Indian parents wed their daughters with foreign based men …..in spite of several told and untold miseries such marriages bring about ! – Basically lack of knowledge and education and also probably lots of greed for money – which can buy one new expensive dresses and jewelry …another set of necessities required to make a woman complete…or look good enough in order to turn on the husband who will eventually part with his secretions (refer movie "Look who is talking too" title sequence - where the fertilization is shown in 3-d animation …made the sperms look like devils …traveling through the fallopian tube & later only one succeed in invading the wall of the ovum ) and give the greatest opportunity to a Woman – motherhood !..to be later kicked by them,as shown in Bagbaan… Anyways story of Aa ab laut chalen – So the hero wants to make quick easy money – gets hooked on to a rich girl – who has shown a lot of her skin , cleavage etc.- who boozes and drinks – dances with other boys and treat him as dirt – but greed keeps him clinging to her.

In the meanwhile Aishwarya (heroine) also lands up in foreign – she had also come to try her luck in marriage – the only vital reason of human birth, meets him and falls in love with him ! He turns her down as is has a better deal in hand – a rich, well endowed, beautiful , seductress looking woman for whom all men yearn ! Ash, in order to win his heart tries to look voluptuous and seductress by wearing skimpy outfits as suggested to her by Indian cab drivers, and others of their category, but it does not work ...she sings thusly: dear dear turn around your sight – your heart is here – where else are you looking ! …its night there – its only here (with me) that's broad daylight) Heart broken she joins as a nurse to a multi billionaire who is Akshaya's (hero's) actual father actually – had humped his mother and later had settled down in foreign and was living happily ever after with wife and child. His mother , who was a pure, chaste, innocent & religious Indian woman kept the child – which she had conceived out of wedlock ( a momentary lapse had made her forget totally about chastity, purity, innocence and religion btw.).
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7/10
a good decent straightforward classic!
fluffset23 July 2017
I watched this movie because of Aishwarya Rai, noticed this movie on my local TV channel and I just notice that Mrs. Bachchan was so beautiful in her earlier days, unlike today I guess. Turned out this movie is the film making debut of Rishi Kapoor and the only movie he ever directed until now. What can I say about this movie is I like it so much, the adventure of both character Pooja & Rohan in a foreign land is so exciting, how they experienced their daily life, fun encounter with various Indian, Pakistani & so American people, its so funny and enjoyable to watch. I love how they developed the Pooja's feeling toward Rohan, its so cute to see how Mrs. Bachchan's acting in her 20s day. This movie is just good, with a lot of Hindustani cliché that we always know. If you love 90s Hindi romance, you might like this. Enjoy!
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6/10
Passable Fare
chand-324 January 1999
The movie as a whole was the standard fare with the story-line being as predictable as most India movies. I feel Akshaye Khanna's talent is being wasted by doing these kind of movies. He needs more intense role to prove to the audience that he can act and he not just there for his looks. Take for example the role in BORDER. That really was a demanding role as compared to the other run-of the-mill movies he is doing presently. I wish him all the best for the future.
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8/10
An entertaining family film.
sanjay086423 February 2002
Aa Ab Laut Chale is one of the most under appreciated films of the 1990's. The film really deserved to do much better business than it did, something I would attribute to some very poor marketing and release timing. Anyhow the film itself is quite entertaining and although as most Bollywood films it is bereft with cliches and an oft presented story line, it still succeeds in keeping the viewer interested and entertained. Rishi Kapoor in his directorial debut has done quite a competent job and I give him credit for not letting the film from becoming overly melodramatic as most such films from Bollywood. Almost all in the cast do a pretty competent job, although no one really stands out as brilliant. The music is quite good grows on you the more you listen to it. Rajesh Khanna in a non publicized 'sort of comeback' role, performs well but is hampered by a limited role. All in all it is one of the really better films of 1999.
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10/10
Underrated and wrongly received
adi12324 July 2009
Agreed this did not put up a very nice picture of indians.. but if closely observed through kader khan, jaspal bhatti and others the nicer side is also portrayed. I live in U.S. and have worked in an Indian colony just as shown and i can say that one can relate to the goings on immediately. Although the romantic track was underdeveloped. The emotional content as well as the comedy track was pretty good. Whenever i see this it leaves me with a lump in my throat and a feeling of going back to India immediately. Performances wise Rajesh Khanna is good.. Akshaye and Aish are okay... But the real fun is provided by Paresh Rawal, Kader Khan, Jaspal Bhatti and Satish Kaushik. Good Music with 4-5 tracks really good and a couple of passable ones with interesting undetectable choreography. And a must watch for Indians in U.S. working or closely connected with the Indian markets and streets there.. They will surely love it and once they see it they will know why.. On the whole wrongly received movie otherwise a very decent attempt by Rishi Kapoor..
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8/10
not bad for an akshay-starrer....
nancake19 March 1999
This was actually a suprisingly good film. Not astoundingly original, but compared to the usual formulaic trash that succeeds in north india this had a few new ideas. The main plus points are the visuals - aishwarya is stunning and the shooting localities are breathtaking. Songs aren't bad either - brilliantly picturized, especially 'Meri dil tera deewana'.
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10/10
A good tale about the immigrant experience...
Sherazade11 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
There are several plots within this film so let me just tell you the main one. Aishwarya Rai plays a young Indian woman who comes to NYC from India only to find out that her brother has sent for her with the intention of marrying her off to his boss to get promotions and incentives at work. Terrified, she runs off and is rescued but a cab driver (Played by Akshaye Khanna) who also came from India only to be disillusioned upon his arrival. He takes her to Queens where the men who took him in during the time of his crisis accept her as a sister and she begins to live with them and take care of them. Along the way, she falls in love with her rescuer but he has plans to marry his current girlfriend with the hopes of getting a green-card out of it. She (Rai) takes it upon herself to make sure that he doesn't go down the wrong path with this but his brutal shunning of her sends her running off to seek shelter in the home of her employer in New Jersey. Great songs and locations round out this utterly blissful breeze of a film. A Must see for all! It's almost perfect.
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10/10
Return of Rajesh Khanna
alokc6 June 2008
Rishi Kapoor's directorial debut brings for the first time on RK films banner Super Star Rajesh Khanna. This movie was released after a five year exile by Rajesh Khanna. He appears in the movie as a character actor who shoulders the second half and climax of the movie. The movie has Vinod Khanna's son as the lead hero who is playing Rajesh Khanna's son who like his father Rajesh ( Balraj) runs away from his motherland to make money. He makes emotional blunders, cannot mix with the culture abroad, gets cultural shock and then mends his ways. He then meets his estranged father. The father and son then return to their home land. A good clean movie by Rishi Kapoor which should have done better if the editing could have been made crisp and some songs deleted to put in some action sequence which would have catered to the masses. Over all a good movie, good music, good location, good acting and over all a performance which cannot go unnoticed Rajesh Khanna, who plays his role as if he had never gone away. Let us hope we see him more often.
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10/10
Aa ab Laut Chalen
girish-cosmos28 August 2007
Its not Excellent however its a Good Movie, Different from a typical Bollywood Movie, A Good Family Entertainer, and also things to be learn, but for people who want ACTION sequences when not required, some HOT, SPICY scenes just for the heck of it, this movie will be a disappointment. Location and the cast were awesome, and the sets made in R.K. studio which were the NY Apartments were really a great job. The part which i liked was When Rohan is forced to reside with Indian cab drivers who take him in as a member of their family. The plot thickens when Rohan meets Pooja, a stunning Indian girl who is in the same predicament as he is and Loveleen, a spoiled rich kid with money to throw at Rohan's direction. The Story seemed to be losing Track sometimes however not so disappointing. Just to wrap up A GOOD MOVIE, WITH A MORAL.
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9/10
Must watch movie for students
computer-1732725 February 2019
Very good movie, watch to learn the importance of family and country.
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10/10
Very Strong and Emotional Movie
shashankhundia-498205 September 2020
I really wonder how it has been rated 5.5. This is 10/10 movie however minimum rating according to some shouldn't be lesser than 7/6.5 even by the critics.

A movie shouldn't be rated considering current trends but it should be rated considering the ERA when it was released.

Movie has strong content, powerhouse Cast. It's a complete powerhouse for typical Bollywood Lovers. Great movie from Soup to Dessert.

I have personally watched this movie almost 40-45 times in the course of 15 years.
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8/10
Message giving drama !
WorldMovie9921 April 2019
This is one of those Hindi movies which I see it whenever there is an opportunity. It's not a masterpiece like guru dutt's classics, but still good for me to watch. Marked by atmost average narratives, it depicts the tale of a person who experiences various ups and downs in life, finally finds his lost father since decades. An alluring story of a family which undergoes various troubles and finally all reuniting together. An optimistic, emotional and a romantic film in the end.

The story at heart is about a father-son relationship. The father leaves his family for earning a lot of money, marries again has another family. The son grows up, undergoes various struggles of unemployment, finds love in USA, experiences friendship, betrayal, realizes the cultural importance of one's life, finally finds his lost father that gives him the ultimate shock. Through a series of cross clashes the family is reunited as the climax. The acting, songs, cinematography are all average, but the uplifting point in the film is that of its contents. It truly but in a comic way, depicts the cultural differences between India and the West, also the characters are honestly shown in an unmodified way. That's praiseworthy.

Summing up it is far better than most of the commercial - hollow themed movies of today. This type of good movies have disappeared nowadays and it really need to be resurrected. Though a bit noisy and misses the serene narration but still is heavy regarding messages of human relationships, having an universal appeal too. 8/10 is for this criteria which saves the whole movie. A 75/100

Recommended.
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10/10
Underrated Movie
dkgupta4936 September 2022
Full of entertainment value consist in this movie. I loved all the songs of the movie what an energy and what the sound quality and sound track. Aishwarya Rai was looking so much so much so much beautiful this is coming Aishwarya is few of the first movie Akshaye Khanna acting was also very good he's a very brilliant actor and very underrated actor people know the talent of his acting just watch Humraj and other movies to justify it story was very good it is overall enjoyable movie anyone can enjoy. Nadeem Shravan music always very good. I don't understand why RK films did not produced any other film after 1999 they should produce more movies as you know Hina Prem Granth and many more Ram Teri Ganga Maili.
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10/10
Great movie bases on Indian American residents
debajyoti-269241 January 2021
Akshaye came up with Aishwarya to gift us this wonderful romantic movie. Hope such artists make more movies.
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10/10
Best movie
lakhvirsingh8420 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I don't understand why this movie was underrated, I loved this movie and worth watch movie , you can watch it again and again . I am still confused why this movie is underrated on IMDb.
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10/10
I have seen some review saying it's bad but they not true
cell-785202 August 2020
If you live In America or any other country then india you will relate to this movie special if you live in America everything is true the struggle and trying to get legal in this country everything is true
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Come on now , lets wind up and go home !
aparna-122 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Indian parents , of daughters especially, forget everything else when they see that a man is having a bank balance good enough to support their daughter for the rest of her life ! This happens probably in the following circumstances : 1. parents are illiterate and do not believe/ understand / know that literacy can help. So they never educated their daughter as its an age old adage that a woman is but a machine to continue with the progeny of whichever family she weds – be it Pandavs or Kauravs ! 2. Both parents along with children are foreign crazy….some habits die hard – or maybe genetically transmitted . Have you noticed dear Indians…. whenever there is a movie showing struggle for independence, it is usually shown that one or two British officers are commanding and giving orders to their servants- the Indian subordinates – working as soldiers – and in fact they are the ones – Indians ie, who used to charge the freedom fighters (FF) with laathis and even gunned them down.(now please do not give me examples of 2-3 such soldiers out of 500-1000 soldiers working as spies to the FF – I am talking about majority – Might is right …? Is'nt it?) – here I would in fact like to appreciate the British officers to train the otherwise sluggish Indians and made them work…for them of course ! what motivation they must have had ..by the virtue of which they counseled their Indian soldiers (ie. working under their wing) – to kill the Indian FF.

3. Now dear Indian they must have also got married….what does one do after marriage – but of course ! no points for that….they give birth to a baby !- the reason why people get married in the first place ! – to make a woman complete! – she ..it seems is incomplete without the experience of a baby crying at midnight for milk or nappy change …- anyways suffice to say that even their generation has grown – and probably they are the ones who indulge in all the things which cause general ruckus and unrest in the country – like – boozing, mid-night partying, womanizing – collecting wine, wealth and woman in their database – not bothering about anything else – just following the drain culture and copying the foreigners in every possible way….as taught to them by their forefathers ! Select few might not be so..the ones who used to be spies to the FF… 4. Continuing with the circumstances which cause the Indian parents wed their daughters with foreign based men …..in spite of several told and untold miseries such marriages bring about ! – Basically lack of knowledge and education and also probably lots of greed for money – which can buy one new expensive dresses and jewelry …another set of necessities required to make a woman complete…or look good enough in order to turn on the husband who will eventually part with his secretions (refer movie "Look who is talking too" title sequence - where the fertilization is shown in 3-d animation …made the sperms look like devils …traveling through the fallopian tube & later only one succeed in invading the wall of the ovum ) and give the greatest opportunity to a Woman – motherhood !..to be later kicked by them,as shown in Bagbaan… Anyways story of Aa ab laut chalen – So the hero wants to make quick easy money – gets hooked on to a rich girl – who has shown a lot of her skin , cleavage etc.- who boozes and drinks – dances with other boys and treat him as dirt – but greed keeps him clinging to her.

In the meanwhile Aishwarya (heroine) also lands up in foreign – she had also come to try her luck in marriage – the only vital reason of human birth, meets him and falls in love with him ! He turns her down as is has a better deal in hand – a rich, well endowed, beautiful , seductress looking woman for whom all men yearn ! Ash, in order to win his heart tries to look voluptuous and seductress by wearing skimpy outfits as suggested to her by Indian cab drivers, and others of their category, but it does not work ...she sings thusly: dear dear turn around your sight – your heart is here – where else are you looking ! …its night there – its only here (with me) that's broad daylight) Heart broken she joins as a nurse to a multi billionaire who is Akshaya's (hero's) actual father actually – had humped his mother and later had settled down in foreign and was living happily ever after with wife and child. His mother , who was a pure, chaste, innocent & religious Indian woman kept the child – which she had conceived out of wedlock ( a momentary lapse had made her forget totally about chastity, purity, innocence and religion btw.).

Suddenly father (Rajesh Khanna) sees a locket worn by Ash having the photo of both Akshaya's mother and himself ! He drowns in the entire ocean of fatherhood and gives away everything he had to the son born to him – once up on a time.

Conclusion: Everyday is not a weekday for a son born out of wedlock ! The hero and the heroin meet and they live happily ever after – unless the voluptuous lady butts in again and become an "eye sore"-(Chokher Bali) to Ash …this time !
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