MUJHSE SHADI KAROGI. Director: David Dhawan India 2004 165 mins (PG) Music: Sajid - Wajid and Anu Malik Stars: Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Amrish Puri, Kader Khan, Satish Shah, Shashikala, Rajpal Yadav.

I have never been an avid admirer of David Dhawan in the past.

I often cringe at the thought of his films as they offer nothing apart from scatological humour and chauvinistic dialogue.

Considering he has been a part of the industry for almost 15 years (he made his debut in 1989 with Taaqatwar), Dhawan has never made a serious impact within the industry.

Though his films have mainly appealed to the masses as they offer slapstick comedy, catchy tunes, and mind-numbing dialogue, Dhawan's own reputation as a film-maker has suffered in the past.

His last film Ek Aur Ek Ghyara (Sanjay Dutt, Govinda) was a farce and was rejected by the audience as his all-too-familiar plot was beginning to lose its appeal.

But in saying all the above, I have to congratulate Dhawan for going a different route with his latest film Mujhse Shadi Karogi.

It's not a great film by any means - far from it - but you can see a different sensibility in the way he has guided this project.

Of the story - Sameer (Khan) as a person with uncontrollable temper and fists, a weakness that makes him lose his girlfriend Amrita Arora to another man.

Sameer decides to start life afresh and after promising his mother Shashikla that he won't lose his temper again, lands up in Goa an takes up a job as a resort manager.

Sameer falls in love again this time with Rani (Chopra) but he is met with trouble when before anything can begin, her father (Amrish Puri), a retired army officer shows up.

Thereafter many other things come in his way all result-ing in creating a bad impression of Sameer in the eyes of Rani's father, a situation that even Sameer's astrologer panditji friend (Yadav) cannot improve.

The movie takes a monotonous course and just as one starts thinking that Dhawan has lost it enters Sunny (Kumar). Thereafter, the movie is transformed to a different plane altogether as evil personified Sunny, not only manages to end up sharing the same room as Sameer but adds to Sameer's miseries by manipulating all his good deeds to his advantage and making Sameer a bigger villain than before.

The unexpected and unique climax follows and the audience is pleasantly surprised at the turn of events and reve-lations with a fitting finale is another version of the title song that brings the house down.

The film belongs to Salman Khan all the way. I have never understood Khan's standing in the industry.

Since his arrival in the Indian film industry in 1989 (Maine Pyar Kiya), he has never delivered an awardwinning performance but still manages to break box-office records as if they were going out of fashion.

He overacts, he has no facial expressions and couldn't act an emotional role to save his life, but the public love him and accept him.

But time is taking its toll on the muscle man as he appears aged and slightly bloated if I may say.

Nevertheless, he acts as Salman Khan usually does and has stolen the limelight once again. Stealing the limelight was not a hard thing to do if you look at the opposition - Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra.

Kumar looks extremely tanned for some strange reason and performs in the stomach-churning way that he does. Chopra on the other hand looks pretty and nothing more.

One has to say Dhawan has come up with a few surprises in this film as it shows him as a pretty useful director. His humour is more tolerable and his overall directing is noteworthy.

Mujhse Shaadi Karogi is a typical Bollywood 'massala' film.

It offers nothing novel to the viewer but will leave you with a smile on your face coming out of the cinema.