Throwback Thursday: 16 years of Tumsa Nahin Dekha, beyond serial-kisser and sex-sells tags

There’s something very poignant about films which, despite failing to shine during their time, become good reminders of change in the cinematic world. It’s been 16 years since Tumsa Nahin Dekha released. While the film was never groundbreaking, there are certain aspects of this rich-man-poor-girl saga which make the film worth revisiting.

It was the early 2000s when Bollywood was trying to reinvent itself. Enter contemporary scripts, experimental storytelling and new genres. This came together well for the trinity - producer Mahesh Bhatt, director Anurag Basu and actor Emraan Hashmi as they managed to churn out the biggest hit of 2004, Murder. Naturally, the erotic thriller's success raised expectations from their next project, Tumsa Nahin Dekha. Unfortunately, the film did not perform well.

Yes, in a nutshell, Tumsa Nahin Dekha explores the age-old dilemma of choosing money or true love. There had and have been too many such stories. Tumsa Nahin Dekha had to fight another battle - that of Emraan’s “serial kisser” tag. Back in 2004, he was nowhere near dissociating himself from the tag. As a result, many then boiled down his films to one element - the steamy scenes.

Once we look past it, we see a more confident Emraan in Tumsa Nahin Dekha, effortlessly owning the film’s character. Dia Mirza as the lead actress also comes across as a refreshing combination of a strong and sensitive woman - a rarity in mainstream Indian cinema back then.

Emraan plays Daksh Mittal, a bratty millionaire, and Dia is a bar dancer Jiya. He drinks away his days and nights. On the other hand, Jiya tries to make ends meet and support her mentally-challenged brother. It’s love-at-first-sight for Daksh when he sees Jiya at a bus stop. What happens next is an example of pre-consent-conscious Bollywood. (Well, it’s still a work in progress). So Daksh plants a kiss on Jia and an obsessive love begins.

Amid all this, one can’t help but appreciate how Anurag Basu brings romanticism to the screen. This film is one of the earliest examples of the brilliance he has brought to Bollywood. The songs also deserve a special mention here.

Coming back to the story, trouble unravels in a predictable fashion. Daksh’s family pressurises him to marry a rich girl he despises. His reluctance subsides when faced with the threat of losing his inheritance.

Anupam Kher plays his part well as Daksh’s John Uncle, despite half-baked characterisation. He coddles and criticises the spoilt brat as needed. Surekha Sikri as Daksh’s grandmother is all shades of aristocracy and boisterousness. Her character goes on to advise the lovelorn Daksh to marry rich and keep his love as a mistress. Daksh proposes the idea to Jiya which she doesn’t outrightly dismiss.

Watching the film in 2020 wasn’t going to be easy. Misogynistic comments coupled with sheer ignorance which remain unresolved throughout the film leave one unsettled. But in retrospect, this film sets a benchmark when held against the times it released in. We see Jiya reconciling her independent spirit with the harsh possibility of not finding a partner because of her job. She doesn’t fret or cry over her seemingly loveless future. She makes herself heard. She demands respect even though she ends up with Daksh.

Fact: Anurag was diagnosed with blood cancer during the shooting of the film and had to be hospitalised. Mukesh Bhatt took over the reins for a month.

Tumsa Nahin Dekha is not an unusual film. But we believe it makes a bold move, if not take a giant leap in terms of modern storytelling. And even though Emraan’s “serial kisser” tag endured much longer than the memory of this film, it surely deserves another chance. Maybe to acknowledge how the film contributed to Bollywood’s tightrope walk - from oddly portrayed intimate scenes often deemed unnecessary, to a space where most people look beyond “sex sells” prejudice to appreciate the art of cinema.

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