Phir Milenge (2004 film)

Despite being a minor commercial success,^[4] the performances of the film were applauded. Shilpa Shetty in particular was highly applauded for her portrayal of an HIV+ patient. Her performance earned her Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare Awards, IIFA Awards, Screen Awards and Zee Cine Awards.

Jagdish Chinappa, consultant paediatrician in his review; praised the film for tackling the sensitive theme of HIV and praised the performances. "Excellent performances by Shetty, Bachchan and Khan make this film emotionally charged." He concludes his review stating "the making of this movie is a brave attempt to highlight some issues facing people with HIV. To film such a story without an eye on the box office is a tribute to the social commitment of the makers of this film."^[5] In another positive review Sanjay A Pai a consultant pathologist praised the film stating "This film shows that there is hope for Indian cinema. Whether this will translate into hope for India and the world in its struggle with AIDS remains to be seen." He also heaped praise on Shetty's performance "Shetty is marvellous in her role. She emotes well, whether as the hard working, committed advertising executive or as a grieving woman on learning her HIV status or as someone determined to fight the system. Above all, she has shown bravery in playing an unglamorous role—that of an HIV+ woman—again uncommon in Indian films. It would not surprise me if she wins accolades and awards."^[6]

Film critic Shilpa Bharatan Iyer writing for Rediff Movies also praised Shetty's performance as the lead protagonist stating "Shetty comes up with a rare, subdued performance. Her life and work have been snatched from her, but yet, she refuses to bow to circumstances." although she was less than impressed with Bachchan's performance as a lawyer stating "Bachchan pales in comparison to Denzel Washington, who played the lawyer in the Hollywood original. He lacks in oratorical skills, especially in the climax". Of the film she states "Revathi spins a sensitive tale in her second film, after Mitr, My Friend (2002). The film has been adapted well to the Indian palate, and AIDS is woven delicately into the story. It educates without being preachy, something it may have been in the danger of. It tends to drag in the first half but more than touches your heartstrings later." She concludes her review stating "Phir Milenge is worth a watch for its sensitive handling of the delicate subject of AIDS."^[7] in another positive review, critic Chitra Mahesh writing for The Hindu states "In Phir Milenge, a serious issue has been handled with sensitivity and realism. Every now and then comes a film that restores faith in cinema. And at the risk of sounding clichéd and repetitive reinforces the fact that the medium is a great platform to convey great stories, ideas and messages of hope." She was also impressed with the performance of Shetty stating "Shetty plays her role magnificently." and she praised the direction of Revathi stating "And then of course there is Revathi herself, who has crafted this entire venture with great sensitivity and empathy. Truly, a film that must be seen."^[8]

Film critic Taran Adarsh was more critical of the film says "Director Revathi deserves a pat for attempting an issue-based film [Mahesh Manjrekar's Nidaan (2000) was also based on this issue]. But it's evident that she hasn't done complete research and updated herself on the issue. Even otherwise, her storytelling is of the kind that might only appeal to a niche audience" however, he hailed Shetty's performance: "Phir Milenge belongs to Shetty completely. She delivers, what can be rightly called, the performance of her career. The viewer feels and empathizes with the character mainly because of her effective portrayal. She conveys the pain and the emotional upheaval through her expressive eyes, making it amongst the most memorable performances the year has seen so far."^[9] Namrata Joshi was also critical of the film; says "Revathi keeps her narrative low-key - be it the emotions, the dialogues, the songs or the sprinkling of warm close-ups. But often she becomes so still and stiff in her quietude that the audience cannot hear the crucial whispers." She applauded Shetty's performance stating "Shilpa gets an 'artistic' role to dig her teeth into and she gives it all the poignancy and feeling she's got. It's the fringe characters that don't get fleshed out, particularly that of Mita Vashisht, the rival lawyer who is nothing more than a caricature".^[10]

Stephen Horne praised the film and Shetty's performance stating "After years of hard work, her resume still lacked that one special film that properly allowed her to flex her acting muscles. In 2004, her big chance finally arrived when she was cast in the lead role (and received top billing to boot, a rarity for female performers in Bollywood) in the HIV awareness drama Phir Milenge ("We'll Meet Again"). And while this film's controversial subject matter ensured its dismal failure at the Indian box office, its poignant story, sensitive portrayals and heartfelt performances garnered it much praise from fans and critics alike, who all had nothing but encouraging words to offer for Shetty's work in particular. An actress was born! Bachchan hadn't yet quite hit the big time during the making of this film, but his turn as the struggling advocate Tarun gives a nice indication of the good things to come. Though he falters slightly in his numerous grandiose speeches in court, Bachchan still brings forth his usual gusto and boyish charm to deliver a memorable performance. But the backbone of Phir Milenge is undoubtedly Shetty herself who carries every single frame she appears in; her ability to portray Tamanna's pain and anguish with startling believability. Her journey from carefree, fun-loving bigshot to frightened, heartbroken outcast is played to absolute perfection".^[11]

• Phir Milenge at IMDb