Producer: Yash Chopra 
Director: Sanjay Gadhvi 
Cast: Sanjana, Bipasha Basu, Jimmy Shergill, Uday Chopra
Music: Jeet - Pritam
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

There seems to be nothing original about Yash Chopra’s latest flick, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai.

Right from those invitation screaming from the billboards inviting you to a wedding (Mira Nair did it for Monsoon Wedding) to the plot that has been lifted from the Hollywood flick When Harry Met Sally to recycling their own stuff, as yet another shaadi ki cassette. Yash Chopra seems to have not done much homework on this one and it seems he is not much bothered either as he pitted this film to release with two waring Bha Singhs.

Sad but true, but top rung filmmakers like him have resorted to repeat his own formulae film after film. Hence Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai religiously treads the oft-beaten path left by his earlier DDLJ.

Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai opens at Mumbai's Gateway of India with Sanjay aka Sanju (Uday Chopra) and Ria (Bipasha Basu) discussing why a man and woman can never be friends because 'love' always enters the scene --- a la Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally.

Things are going fine for roomies Sanju and Ria until the former receives a call from his childhood best friend Anjali aka Anju (Sanjana), about her forthcoming marriage. Startled, Sanju realises, thanks to some prodding from Ria, that he has been in love with Anjali all his life. A go-getter of sorts, Sanju resolves to break this wedding. He packs his bags and sets out for Dehradun.

So like the Rahul of DDLJ, Sanju starts playing his cards immediately to win the favour of Anjali's large and overtly affectionate clan, comprising a Vastu Shastra crazy aunt (Bindu), depressed bachelor uncle (Saurabh Shukla), caricaturish grandmother (Dina Pathak), hoity-toity sister (Tanaaz Currim), and ideal mommy-daddy (Alok Nath, Neena Kulkarni).

Sanjay's worst fears come true when he comes face to face with Anjali's fiancé Rohit (Jimmy Shergill). NRI Rohit is handsome, God-fearing and a doctor by profession. In short, a complete antithesis of the manipulative and mischievous Sanju.

Sanju attempts to tarnish Rohit's squeaky clean reputation by baiting him into a bachelor party, where Anjali finds her would-be hubby, shaking butt with the sultry Shamita Shetty (in a guest appearance). Sensing that Sanjay is scheming to wreck his marriage, Rohit confronts him. A brief 'she is mine' match later, the duo decides to keep pursuing lady Anjali and let her decide who she wants.

Ria arrives on the scene and convinces Sanju to pose as couple in love, to make Anjali jealous. So far so good.

Then, 12 hours before D-day, matters come to a head. Who gets Anjali? We aren’t telling that?

So Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai is not an exact lift of My Best Friend's Wedding or for that matter When Harry…, but it’s a concoctions of some of Hollywood and Bollywoods great hits and a few straws from Yash Chopra’s own stable. While the basic plot derives inspiration from the Hollywood flick, here are a few other creative prods: the made-for-each-other concept of Dil Toh Pagal Hai; the winning-over-the-family idea from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge; the underdog sympathy from Rangeela; the guy-and-girl-cannot-be-just-friends philosophy from When Harry Met Sally. Not to forget, there is the family values of Hum Aapke Hain Koun; the girl-is-mine attitude from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

The film borrows too much for its own good, however the saving grace of the film is the spontaneous performances of its exuberant cast. Owing to his author-backed role, Uday Chopra has an obvious advantage over the rest of cast. Chopra is sincere and excels in comic sequences and his onscreen camaraderie with Bipasha Basu. While Bipasha in a special appearance does not disappoint either.

Jimmy with his scrubbed boy next-door looks suits the genteel NRI yuppie's role. His character suffers only when it's made to give longish speeches to give some seriousness to what's otherwise a peppy feel-happy comedy with tons of chutzpah and some surprisingly sensitive moments.

Composer duo Jeet-Pritam's lilting score, especially tracks like Resham si hai yeh hawaayen and Sharara are soothing. Crisp editing (V Karnik, Ritesh Soni), smooth cinematography (Sunil Patel), and innovative art direction (Sharmishta Roy) make for a visual feast.

For director Sanjay Gadhvi, this film is a step ahead from his eminently forgettable debut, Tere Liye. Gadhvi's film is finally nothing more than an extended celebration where real life tussles don't seem to touch the characters and neither does any evil or harm lurk around the corner.

Gadhavi's film is more evocative of Uday's elder brother Aditya's directorial debut Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge which too had a bratty boy from London creating trouble in a traditional Indian family about to marry off his love.

If one is looking for a diversion from the baggage of history in the form of this week's two other releases, Mere Yaar... is just what the doctor priscribed.