Take a gangster, make him fall in love, and then send him to see a shrink. Director David Dhawan takes a simple but refreshingly different plot and goes a step ahead by casting Sanjay Dutt as the gangster, and Amitabh Bachchan as the hapless and harried doctor. The result: Laughter. Fun. Paisa-vasool entertainment.Like his previous attempts, David Dhawan, the badshaah of masala flicks, once again spins a yarn that defies logic, but is funny, hilarious, full of great lines and comically absurd situations.And like his previous efforts, this one is not aimed at pleasing the critics, but the hoi polloi.

Shabbo Arts` Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, directed by David Dhawan, is inspired by the English flick Analyse This (Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal). Munnabhai (Sanjay Dutt) is a dreaded but good-hearted don of Mumbai. While beating up one of his foes, Pillai (Ashish Vidyarthi), he sees Komal (Aishwarya Rai) and falls in love with her. So much so that Munnabhai starts visulising her wherever he goes or in whatever he does.Munnabhai`s henchmen (Satish Kaushik, Annu Kapoor) cannot understand the sudden change in Munnabhai`s behaviour and they decide to take him to Dr. Rastogi (Amitabh Bachchan).The doctor realises that Munnabhai is in love and advices him to woo the girl, not realising that the girl is his own sister Komal.

Munnabhai starts wooing Komal, but she`s in love with Raja (Ajay Devgan), who works in a bowling alley as an instructor.Like David Dhawan`s earlier works, the script of Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin is punctuated by a number of illogical sequences and while the plot relies on clichés, the deft and snappy execution makes you overlook the flaws.The initial reels set the ball rolling. But the goings-on tend to get mediocre as the drama shifts to Malaysia. The pace drops and the story stagnates.The film could`ve easily done without the villains` track (Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Rishi, Shahbaaz Khan). For that matter, the engagement portion – Amitabh finalising Ash`s engagement with Navin Nischol`s son – has been stretched too much and are lacklustre.The film gathers momentum again towards the pre-climax, when Sanju challenges Bachchan that he will marry Ash on a stipulated date. The sequences thereafter, right till the end, are interesting and absorbing.

Director David Dhawan has yet again relied too heavily on gags and punches to move the story ahead, with the result that the proceedings tend to get amateurish at times. But the pace of the flick being swift, by the time you realise what`s happening, a new development arrests your attention instantaneously. That`s where David scores – not letting the viewer use their brains or blink an eyelid! Anu Maliik`s music is a plus point. The tracks are hummable and come easy on the lips. `O Sapno Ke Saudagar Ik Sapna De De`, `Ye Kya Ho Raha Hain` and `Peeche Baraati Aage Band Baaja` can be singled out. The choreography of `O Sapno Ke Saudagar` stands out and deserves special mention.

The drama gets a little more amusing thanks to the great chemistry between Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. It is difficult to imagine another pair of actors pulling it off as well. Bachchan plays to the gallery, making the unbelievable look believable. Dutt is superb as the don. This is amongst his finest performances.Ajay Devgan looks ill at ease in light scenes. Also, he looks pale at places. Aishwarya Rai looks gorgeous and delivers a freewheeling performance.

Satish Kaushik excels. Annu Kapoor matches him at every step. Paresh Rawal has a small role, which he handles well.On the whole, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin is assuredly a crowd-pleasing effort with its brisk pacing, frequently funny situations, and top-notch comic performances. It certainly achieves what it sets out to do – give the viewer non-stop entertainment. Also, its excellent opening will prove advantageous for its investors.