Hero No. 1 (1997)

This is pretty typical of 90s-era comedy/romance/family drama Govinda vehicles. It happens to be one of the best of the genre, though, full of fun times, fun songs, and funny outfits.

UP Wala Thumka has all three of these things.

Meena (Karisma Kapoor) is an orphan who lives with her large dysfunctional extended family. When her college offers her a chance to go to Europe, her strict grandfather agrees and she sets out, meeting Rajesh (Govinda) who has run away from his overbearing father (Kader Khan). First she doesn’t like him, then he’s mad at her, but they quickly fall in love.

I love how even when he’s mad he can’t help dancing along with her.

Rajesh’s father quickly agrees to the match to get him to come back home, but unknowingly insults Meena’s grandfather who refuses to even meet Rajesh after that. So he decides to pose as a servant to insinuate himself into the household. As Raju, humble cook, he brings Meena’s uncles success in business, reconciles her aunt with her estranged husband, and lectures the teenage cousin who stays out all night at discos (and rescues her from the thugs that are the direct and natural result of said discos and are not regressive moral commentary at all) such that she stays home, puts on a dupatta and serves her grandfather breakfast. He makes the whole family eat together and even sings duets with Meena under everyone’s nose.

As Raju, undercover future son-in-law.

So it’s nothing new, but everybody is just so damn charming that you can’t help but find it all absolutely delightful. We could have done without the Shakti Kapoor bit, but we can always do without the Shakti Kapoor bit. Overall it's a very enjoyable movie.