Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by debutant Shakun Batra, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ayesha Devitre. It was produced by Karan Johar and Hiroo Yash Johar under Dharma Productions, in collaboration with Ronnie Screwvala of UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor, with supporting performances from Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Ram Kapoor. Set in Las Vegas, the narrative follows Rahul Kapoor, a rigid architect who, after losing his job and a night of intoxicated impulsiveness, accidentally marries the free-spirited Riana Braganza. As the two decide to annul the marriage and develop a friendship, Rahul gradually falls for Riana, complicating their evolving relationship.

Principal photography took place in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Pataudi, and Mumbai. The music was composed by Amit Trivedi, with background score by Clinton Cerejo and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Inspired by the dialogue-driven romantic comedies of Woody Allen, the film marked a stylistic departure from typical Bollywood romances.

Released theatrically on 10 February 2012, ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' received positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances, dialogues, and restrained treatment of romance. The film emerged as a moderate commercial success, grossing ₹53.2 crore (US$6.6 million) worldwide.

Plot

Rahul Kapoor, a 25-year-old architect based in Las Vegas, lives under the influence of his controlling parents, Sushil and Seema Kapoor, who have dictated most of his life decisions. After being laid off from his job, he conceals the truth from his parents and searches for new opportunities. During a therapy session, he meets Riana Braganza, a free-spirited hairstylist recently heartbroken and also unemployed. A misunderstanding leads Riana to believe Rahul is stalking her, but she later realises the mistake and apologises.

On Christmas Eve, the two go out drinking, and a night of inebriated revelry culminates in an impulsive marriage. Shocked the next morning, they mutually decide to annul the wedding. With nowhere to stay after being evicted, Riana moves in with Rahul temporarily. Over the course of a week, they grow close, with Riana encouraging Rahul to explore his passion for photography. Rahul develops romantic feelings for her, which she does not reciprocate.

Riana invites Rahul to join her on a trip to India for New Year's. Initially hesitant, he agrees. In Mumbai, Riana introduces him to her family, intensifying his feelings. After an unsuccessful attempt to kiss her, Rahul encounters his mother and fabricates a story about a work assignment. At a subsequent family gathering, frustrated by the burden of expectations, Rahul confronts his parents and reveals the truth about his life.

He returns to Riana to apologise, and they reconcile as friends. Back in Las Vegas, they finalise their annulment. Rahul starts a new job and embraces photography, content with his life and hopeful about the future.

Cast

* Imran Khan as Rahul Kapoor, an uptight architect living in Las Vegas. Following the loss of his job, he ends up marrying Riana Braganza due to alcohol-resulting drunkenness. Khan describes his role by saying, "Rahul has had a very restricted life. His parents have always told him what to do, how to behave, what to study, what career to pursue and so on and so forth. Even his hobbies have been decided by his parents. He has never had a spontaneous moment in his life where he has done something for himself. He is actually a very sad, lonely and tragic guy but he doesn't realize it."
* Kareena Kapoor as Riana Braganza (Ri), a hairstylist who tries to add zing to Rahul Kapoor's monotonous life following their marriage. In an interview with ''The Times of India'', Kapoor describes her character and explains, "Riana knows what she is doing. Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person... very similar to the way I am."
* Ratna Pathak Shah as Seema Kapoor, Rahul's mother, a fiercely dominating woman.
* Boman Irani as Sushil Kapoor, Rahul's father, a strict disciplinarian.
* Ram Kapoor as D. K. Bulani, a friend of Rahul's father, who tries to help Rahul overcome his low self-esteem.
* Dana Lewis as Dayna Bulani, D.K's wife who makes sexual advances at Rahul.
* Soniya Mehra as Anusha Jethmalani, Rahul's ex-girlfriend.
* Rajesh Khattar as Mr. Shah.
* Nikhil Kapoor as Phil Braganza, Riana's father.
* Zenobia Shroff as Nicole Braganza, Riana's mother.
* Manasi Scott as Steff Braganza Sharma (Steffy), Karan's wife, Riana's sister.
* Mukul Chadda as Karan Sharma, Steph's husband, Riana's brother-in-law.
* Avantika Malik in a special appearance during the song ''Auntyji''.

Production

Development

Pre-production on ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' began in 2010 when Karan Johar announced a collaboration with debutant director Shakun Batra. The film was conceived as a character-driven romantic comedy set over two weeks in the lives of its protagonists. Johar described the narrative style as inspired by Woody Allen's filmmaking, emphasizing conversational scenes and naturalistic sequences.

Initially working under the title ''Short Term Shaadi'', the film's name was changed in August 2011. Johar explained that the earlier title was temporary and did not align with the film’s tone. The final title, ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'', was inspired by the song of the same name from the 1975 film '' Khel Khel Mein''.

Casting

Imran Khan was cast in the lead role following the success of '' I Hate Luv Storys'' (2010), his prior collaboration with Johar’s Dharma Productions. To pair him with a fresh face, Kareena Kapoor was selected for the female lead. For the role, Kapoor altered her appearance by cutting her hair short and adding red streaks. According to Johar, Khan and Kapoor were cast for their ability to embody their characters' personalities—Khan’s role as a perfectionist and Kapoor’s as a free-spirited woman reminiscent of her character in ''Jab We Met'' (2007).

Filming

Principal photography commenced in November 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, following Khan’s completion of '' Mere Brother Ki Dulhan''. Additional sequences were filmed in Los Angeles, Pataudi (Haryana), and Mumbai. Las Vegas was chosen for its distinct character, with director Batra noting that the setting was integral to the story. As the schedule coincided with winter, production ran double shifts for efficiency.

Rumors suggesting the film was an adaptation of '' What Happens in Vegas'' (2008) were denied by Johar, who clarified that ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' was an original work.

Soundtrack

The music rights of ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' were acquired by T-Series for ₹60 million (US$710,000), marking the first Dharma Productions soundtrack not released by Sony Music India since 1998. The soundtrack, composed by Amit Trivedi with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, was released on 25 December 2011.

Release

''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' was released worldwide on 10 February 2012, aligning with Valentine's Day celebrations. The film opened to positive reviews and achieved moderate commercial success.

Prior to release, the film's promotional materials encountered issues with the Central Board of Film Certification. The board objected to the use of the word "sex" in the trailer and requested its removal. Additionally, a scene showing Kapoor pinching Khan's buttocks was deemed inappropriate for television and was edited out of the broadcast promos.

Reception

Box office

''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' opened to strong numbers in metropolitan multiplexes, grossing approximately ₹52.5 million on its opening day in India. Strong weekend growth brought its first three-day total to around ₹210 million. It performed steadily during weekdays, especially on Valentine's Day, which saw a notable uptick in collections. At the end of its theatrical run in India, ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' grossed approximately ₹398 million net.

Internationally, the film earned £242,177 in the UK from 53 screens and $1.7 million in the US from 111 screens during its opening weekend. ''Box Office India'' classified the film as a "moderate success."

Critical reception

''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its performances, writing, and unconventional narrative. Rachel Saltz of ''The New York Times'' noted the film was "rather sweet and sometimes even a little unexpected." Avijit Ghosh of ''The Times of India'' gave it 4/5, calling it “the sweetest heartbreak Bollywood has conjured in a long, long time.” Taran Adarsh of ''Bollywood Hungama'' also rated it 4/5, commending its "refined, smart, lively" approach and strong character writing. Reviews from ''NDTV'', ''DNA'', and ''India Today'' echoed similar sentiments, citing the film's light tone and grounded storytelling.

Other reviewers offered more tempered praise. ''Mid-Day'' and '' Rediff.com'' each gave it 3.5 and 3 stars respectively, calling it a “small packet of joy” and “pleasant, if unremarkable.” Rajeev Masand of ''CNN-IBN'' gave it 3/5, appreciating its dialogue-driven narrative and chemistry between leads. However, some critics, including ''The Indian Express'' and ''The Economic Times'', felt the film lacked novelty, while ''Yahoo!'' panned it as formulaic despite its intentions.

Accolades

References

External links

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{{Dharma Productions

2010s Hindi-language films
2010s Indian films
2012 directorial debut films
2012 films
2012 romantic comedy films
Films shot in Haryana
Films shot in Mumbai
Foreign films set in the United States
Indian romantic comedy films
UTV Motion Pictures films
Hindi-language romantic comedy films