Salaam Namaste

Story:

Salaam Namaste is a 2005 Indian romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Siddharth Anand in his directorial debut and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under Yash Raj Films. The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in lead roles, alongside a supporting cast of Arshad Warsi, Tania Zaetta and Jugal Hansraj. The film was released on 9 September 2005, and was the first Indian film to be shot entirely in Australia.

PLOT

Nikhil “Nick” Arora (Saif Ali Khan) and Ambar “Amby” Malhotra (Preity Zinta) are two progressive Indians who have left India to live in Melbourne, Australia. Nick was originally sent abroad to become an architect, but his real passion is cooking. After graduating, he designs a restaurant, which he takes over as head chef. While living at home in Bangalore, Ambar rejected more than a dozen marriage proposals. She traveled to Australia for a one-year foreign exchange program, then decided to stay and become a surgeon. After hearing this, her parents disowned her. To pay for her education, she works as an R.J. at a local radio station, ‘Salaam Namaste’.

Nick is scheduled to do an interview for Salaam Namaste, but he oversleeps the first time, then again when it’s rescheduled, and irritated Ambar insults him on-air. Nick becomes the caterer for a wedding Ambar attends. His best friend Ranjan “Ron” (Arshad Warsi) falls in love with Ambar’s best friend Cathy (Tania Zaetta) at the wedding. Nick feels a connection with Ambar, although they have no idea who the other really is. Ron and Cathy hastily marry and Nick and Ambar discover each other’s true identities. Nick gives the interview on Salaam Namaste, where he states that he loves Ambar. The pair fall in love and decide to move in together. Although they planned on maintaining distance amongst each other, they end up making love. Later, Ambar discovers she is pregnant, and they decide to end the pregnancy but she cannot go through with it. The pair argue and break up.

Over the next five months, they have several comical disagreements. During one argument, the baby kicks for the first time and Nick realises he still loves Ambar. Ambar asks Nick to take a blood test because she has thalassemia minor, and if he has the disease too, there will be complications. Nick takes the blood test and discovers that Ambar is carrying twins. On the way home, Nick realises he has left Ambar alone through the whole pregnancy when she needed him the most. He decides to commit to her and their children and goes to buy an engagement ring. At the store, he sees Ambar trying on rings with her friend, Jignesh. He believes she is marrying Jignesh and is devastated. In a drunken haze, he takes home a drunk girl from the bar named Stella. The next morning, an annoyed Stella tells Nick that all he did the previous night was cry over Ambar. Nick is relieved, but Ambar sees Stella in the bedroom and assumes that they have slept together. Nick discovers that Ambar was trying on rings for Jignesh’s girlfriend, Tina. He searches for Ambar with the help of many devoted Salaam Namaste listeners. He finds her and apologises but Ambar’s water breaks and they rush to the hospital.

At the hospital, Ron is there with Cathy, who’s giving birth as well, and the nurse turns out to be Stella. She tells Ambar that Nick didn’t do anything the previous night and is in love with Ambar. They meet the obstetrician Dr. Vijay (Abhishek Bachchan), who turns out to be a comical and incompetent doctor who albeit manages to deliver the children. Before the birth, Nick proposes to her, to which she joyously agrees. The film ends with Nick and Ambar welcoming twins.