I did not agree with KANK: Kajol - Page 6

Originally posted by: infinity101

KANK is a problematic film for sure, since it justifies adultery in a way, for the longest time I hated it, but growing up I realised human beings are flawed and their relationships are complex. I do believe in loyalty and integrity but KANK tried exploring concept of unhappy marriages and where it often leads to, not everyone cheats but most human beings are capable of it. Of course Dev and Maya were so selfish and big time a**holes but even if Abhishek’s character was a nice guy, Maya wasn’t obligated to love him, I think she was marrying him because she felt it her duty, since her husband and his father were pretty much the only family she had. Dev was a bitter man, he became more and more insecure after his accident, may be because his wife became the sole bread earner of the family and her success, career etc along with his inability to do anything for himself he just couldn’t digest, I don’t know I guess their marriage was already on the rocks. Anyway Dev and Maya both deserved each other since both committed adultery and both were big time losers

I'm aligned with you a lot.

Life is not sunshine and rainbows. Not all marriages are happy. Even good people cheat sometimes. Human beings, no matter how hard we try to be good, are prone to jealousy and insecurity and do bad things, including cheating.

There is a lack of stories showing unhappy marriages and families in most film industries. We need more so people know the reality of love sometimes.

Where KANK faltered is in trying to justify the cheating. It framed the cheating pair as just another love story. First of all, cheating is such a taboo subject, then to frame it in such light - no wonder audiences rejected it.

I actually have some sympathy for Maya, though. A lot of women get pressured into marriage. They don't always love the men they marry. Many of them continue to yearn for fantasy romances and cave when the opportunity arises. Obviously, it is still immoral, but I get it. Dev, on the other hand, was a small and bitter man who blamed his wife for his failures. I think Maya deserved better than Dev because Dev was a red flag. Who knows when he would sour on Maya because life didn't go his way.

People just did not get KANK, did they? It was clearly established that Srk’s character was an absolutely selfish, male chauvinist, misogynistic POS and Rani was a self centered, lying, insecure ass. I highly doubt the intentions were to root for these two. I think it was about the ugliness and rawness about relationships/marriages. I still think it is Kjo’s best

KANK is my guilty pleasure movie I do think its KJo's best although I know many would disagree.

For some reason, I was drawn to SRK's character Dev - or rather the way he played it. The only other times I've found him attractive was in Kabhi haan kabhi naa and Swades. And Rani was so good in her role. Man that dialogue exchange on the phone after which Dev finally says 'Alvida' still gets me all emotional..

Also, Tumhi Dekho Na is like the best song ever! I like it even more than Mitwa.

The reason why the film was rejected by the wider audience is that kjo presented the story in the wrong way, with love songs and dance, the big bollywood type of frame, it romanticised the affair.

There is absolutely no problem showing a movie about cheating, it happens in real life and people are flawed, some very flawed. But then present the story in a more serious and real way, not with srk and rani singing with their hair flowing and looking all beautiful and romantic.

People keep saying KANK was rejected by audiences but this simply isn't true. It was the highest grossing movie overseas of 2006. It broke box office records overseas for Indian movies. Countries or theaters that never screened BW movies were screening this one for the first time, especially in the smaller European countries. There was a hype for KANK if you lived abroad that has not been felt by any movie since until Bajrangi Bhaijaan and now Pathaan and Jawan. The strength of this cast was unparalleled with 5 major stars, all at the top of their game during this period (yes even Abhishek who was riding high on his collabs with Rani), and I don't think we've seen an A-List cast like this since.

Even in India, people claim it was a flop which isn't true. It did good business in India but not as much as KKHH, K3G, and KHNH. It was never going to appeal to native Indians as much as it did to NRIs, but the film was not rejected by the masses. The biggest tell of this is if you compare it to Silsila. Silsila actually was a huge flop in India 25 years before. That film was ahead of its time and despite being Yash Chopra's fav film (almost all his movies after feature references to Silsila), it could not find an audience at all. Ironic since Jaya Bachchan was said to have said that if she stayed with Big B or not would depend on audience reactions to Silsila and what she felt they wanted. The film's flop seemed to ensure that audiences were not ready to accept the breakup of their marriage and Big B with Rekha.

In Jab Tak Hai Jaan, many people took offense to Katrina accepting her mother Neetu Singh leaving Anupham Kher for Rishi Kapoor. Watching that scene, I always felt it was Yash Chopra giving audiences the ending he always wanted and originally planned for Silsila where the lovers walk away together. Because for those who don't know, Silsila was supposed to end with Big B and Rekha together but he was forced to change the ending. Many people speculate that Jaya only agreed to do the movie if it would keep her marriage intact and not let Rekha have the happy ending.

Originally posted by: Clochette

What an interesting read...reminds me of the discussions lead at the time of the release (and after that).

1) the happy ending: It indeed had been the crux of the movie which brought the most of rejection from a a big part of the audience. It was also this ending which which ShahRukh didn't want as he (rightly) saw it as a kind of a positive outcome of a negative behaviour. He also didn't really like the the overly-bitter/cynical traits of his character but Karan wanted the movie this way...and I guess I know why...

2) Kajol: Will Kajol ever tell the real reason why she didn't want to do the movie? The moralistic take is just a pretexte.

Remember the reputation, the acting couple SRK-Kajol and their chemistry also as real life friends had at the time...can you imagine the reaction on a Maya played by Kajol and the same movie???!!!

That Karan even had Kajol in mind when writing the script...

3) the realism: No doubt about that...it certainly was a shock for the Indian audience that Karan made a movie like that (after the 3 others)...and - like in the next (MNIK) - he indulged in his own imagination and missed certain points.

I think that also was a reason for the creative distance SRK put between himself and Karan.

4) the psychology in the movie: Honestly, after having read the comments, I mostly got the feeling that many did not connect with what was really going on in the protagonists, why their marriages failed, why their friendship changed into platonic love and then physical love and then the the separation...

the praise for their partners and calling them losers show me that...

1) I don't normally side with KJo over SRK but in this case, I have to admit my taste goes more the way of KJo. I liked his character of Dev (one of my fav SRK roles) and I felt the happy ending was earned. Dev and Maya are separated for 3 years and they're absolutely alone during that time. Rhea has moved on with Arjun Rampal's Jai and Rishi has found new love as well. From the beginning of KANK, it seems Rhea and Jai are more compatible and in a longer cut of KANK, I'd have liked to have seen more screentime for him.

Tbh, what's more shocking is that Rhea and Jai never have an affair. As for Rishi, he makes peace with the fact that Maya cannot be his wife but she's still his family and that's more important to him. Those 3 years of penance may not absolve Dev and Maya entirely of the pain they caused, but I do think Rhea and Rishi were right to forgive them. In an alternate version where Rhea and Rishi had an affair and broke their broken marriages first, I do believe Dev and Maya would have forgiven them too (Dev taking a bit longer and it being more of an ego thing than actually being upset about the breakup of his marriage).

And even the ending proposal scene by Dev sorta points out the fact that this won't be a typical happy ending. He reminds Maya that he's broken both physically and figuratively and Maya herself is still broken on the inside. What he's offering to her is a broken life which may not be much for others, but it's all he has to offer and the best he can give. That's good enough for Maya and thus good enough for me.

Can you explain the bolded part? I'm curious why you feel Karan wanted the happy ending specifically.

2) Going by the extreme outrage in that thread about SRK and PC's skit, I should say Kajol should be thankful she didn't do KANK, lest people start making up rumors again that she and SRK are having an affair. I know KJo said he felt audiences would have accepted KANK with Kajol as the lead because they'd be willing to forgive SRK/Kajol in a way they couldn't forgive or condone SRK/Rani, but one could argue that a more revered pairing could have had even more of an extreme reaction. SRK/Rani could get away with such a controversial storyline in a way that SRK/Kajol couldn't precisely because they don't have the same audience expectations.

In Kajol's case, she so vehemently rejected KANK in the video that I'm also thinking her refusal was more personal in nature. Going by the innuendo of her marriage and Ajay's wandering eye, I can't help but think that Kajol could not accept this film because playing Maya would force her to face issues in her own marriage which she still isn't ready to do all these years later. I think Kajol is a better actress than she gets credit for her, but she's admitted herself that she only likes to take safe roles and doesn't challenge herself. So even without the personal issues of her own marriage, I think she would have shied away from a controversial role especially in a decade where she infrequently worked. Films like Fanaa and U, Me, Aur Hum allowed her to still expand her scope without confronting personal issues and thus were still in her comfort level.

That being said, I do find it hilarious how in the video you can tell Rani is not pleased with Kajol's words at all. I always felt Rani's strongest asset as an actress was her eyes and how much she can convey with just a glance. Some of her best scenes in KANK (the dinner scene) involve nonverbal acting on her part. In the video, from her eyes alone, you can see how ticked she looks at Kajol's claims about KANK and how she vehemently disagrees but this was a much earlier Rani who had not yet found her voice as the YRF head. She still lived in Kajol's shadow and dealt with her insecurities of not being accepted with SRK the same way he was with Kajol (something I noticed she still seems to believe to this day like in her latest KWK appearance where she tells KJo he should do a mature love story with SRK and Kajol, never considering for even a second that she could be the one to do the role). The Rani of today would not have remained silent and I think Kajol wouldn't have dared criticize KANK so openly like she did back then. You can tell now she's forced to view Rani as an equal if not superior.

3) I enjoyed both KANK and MNIK and both did gangbusters at the box office so if SRK did have creative differences with KJo, I hope he didn't hold it against him. I know they haven't worked together since then but that seems to be more from personal issues beyond their film issues and also I've heard SRK was very hurt when KJo made SOTY since he had previously promised to never make a movie without SRK. Based on that, I'm assuming SRK would have continued to work with KJo in future films had KJo not broken his promise. I imagine also that KJo's personality changes were more responsible for breaking the friendship than friction on KANK and MNIK.

4) 100% agree. Reading the comments on here have made it abundantly clear to me that most people don't really understand the character motivations or the marital states. I said earlier that I'm thankful for this because it means most people haven't been in these situations, but honestly looking at these comments again, the outright disdain for this film and utter inability to look beyond one's perspective to try and understand makes me think differently.

Now I'm convinced it's more a case where the detractors actually are personally offended because KANK is forcing them to try and look at their own marriages/relationships again and they're unwilling to do so. Like Kajol, that is not something they're ready for, so instead they lash out at the movie in order to remain in their insular bubble where they are safe from considering what could actually be. Wasn't it KANK which caused an influx of divorce amongst Desi couples because so many couples realized how true to their own lives KANK was? It's no wonder this film still gets so much dissent from some crowds, because clearly it worked a little too well in that regard. I've heard many directors say that their idea of a film isn't one that is universally loved but one that universally provokes and goads all sorts of different reactions. In that sense, KANK could be considered KJo's biggest success in terms of art.

This is why I distrust Kajol. She is in Snakejo's gang like Alia where physical cheating is a-okay so their comfortable lives are not ruined. NO RESPECT

Many don't, Kajol..

I actually liked the film in how it wasn't the usual KJo film for once. Dev and Maya were definitely problematic. Giving them a happy ending would never sit well with the audience. What most people here fail to see is that nobody is judging Maya for not loving Rishi.. that could happen, you don't just magically love someone unless you know it's Bollywood. The issue is you also don't really see her putting effort into their relationship.. up until it's already too late and then too, just sexually. So it makes you think she has major issues. She is not emotionally mature enough to communicate what she wants properly.. and people like that often should not get married in the first place. That's actually what damaged her marriage. Dev, well there was nothing good about his character, SRK portrayed him well though.. bitter old man 😆

Funny how someone here mentioned that it's a surprise Rhea didn’t have an affair with Jai? What? So now it's a surprise that there are still people with morals and values.. that believe in loyalty despite being in an unhappy relationship? Humanity really is doomed or what 🫠

I agree with her n never liked KANK.

Movies justify EMA when the spouses r bad but here Maya n Dev were bad n their spouses were nice.

Maya couldn't have children n was always irritated with Rishi still he loved n supported her n she cheated him.

Dev was troubled with his failures but he never acknowledged that his wife is working hard to run the house n give their child a good future. He blamed his innocent wife for their failed relationship but he was wrong in it n not his wife.

I will never understand people who consider KANK ahead of its time. I liked the movie when I was much younger mostly because it had SRK and Rani both actors whom I loved individually as well as together but that movie is such a horrible watch now. I tried watching it last year and every scene of SRK and Rani's character meeting behind their spouses gave me so much ick.

IMO Karan tried making his own Silsila but without any nuances. Movies on cheating and affairs have been made and even liked but none gives me so much ick as this one. Karan tried to romanticize that affair between two losers and made them look like star crossed lovers who should be united at all cost.

I agree with Kajol here for Rani's character that if you have such a nice husband why won't you just talk though? These two assholes didn't even try to talk to their own spouses who were so so much better than them. If only Karan had actually portrayed these flawed characters a bit realistically it might have been much more loved and appreciated and even 'ahead of it's time'. But right now I struggle to even enjoy watching the beautiful songs of this movie as they remind me of what these characters put everyone around them through.

Nothing can justify cheating nor cheating can be defended and supported. This movie at that time my cousin brought me to the theatre & watched the film and wasted my time & money boiled my blood. After the film my another cousin was looking at my face & i am looking at his because of what being shown at the same the one brought us enjoying the film just because she loves SRK & Rani and their pairing usko story se matlab nahin😡😡

The problem with this film is communication and a marriage needs communication to talk and sort out issues or to think abt the relationship where is it heading for the future and to take decision based on that communication for the future

Honestly both couples did not have any issues in their marriage its Dev & Maya who are problematic. They were selfish & egoistic and was thinking abt themselves and tries to be a victim

Girls are always pressured into a marriage be it arranged or forced but when marriage happens it takes effort to work a marriage. Its efforts to build up the elements of marriage to make it strong. Her reasons are plain stupid and there are many ways to give birth to a child through scientific way. All these years she did not make an effort to work on the marriage she only saw Rishi as childlike person but she did not understand why he was behaving like that. He was such a understanding guy he knows her weakness he does not want to hurt her feelings by pinpointing her weakness thus he becomes a kid to her. Why can't a husband be a kid to his wife his antics makes his wife laugh,gain attention as after his parents its going to be his wife being everything for him. She just did not try to make effort to work on the marriage & grow to love Rishi. If i was Maya i would have fallen in love with Rishi even though i was pressured to marry Rishi or indebted to his family thats why i marry Rishi

Here we have another looser who is so insecure egoistic and did not try to understand his wife the typical MCP. He blames his wife who is actually fulfilling her wedding vows when husband is going through bad times the wife steps in and takes half of the burden from his shoulders. She is successful but those hardwork is for her family,her husband and her son. If only he understand her ,take life as it is he would not have been a bitter man. He has a amazing wife who loved him and a son. He can't even behave well with his son as a father. He was jealous insecure egoistic and these are the negative elements that destroy a marriage. He deserved that slap that Rhea gave him thats the only scene i loved

They did not even communicate where their marriage going wrong and they should do something abt it either start afresh or divorce each other. Instead of talk sort and decide these two loosers cheat their spouses and also Kjo romanticized their affair with full glory. Disgusting

Cheating and EMA does happen in real life but before going ahead with it pls respect the marriage first talk abt it and apply for divorce. I call that respect for that marriage even if its broken than go ahead start a new life with whom the person you are in love with

Dev & Maya should have talked to Rhea & Rishi of their respective marriage breaking apart and file for divorce or start afresh not cheating their spouses. These two loosers broke their marriage due to their own inner demons. They fall in love we can't blame it but they should have done it in the proper way where they do not disrespect their marriage and hurt everyone who loves them

Where's The Party Tonight when Rishi & Rhea party together if one listen to the lyrics,one could tell how much they love their spouses now that they are free from commitments they can focus on their love of the lives and their marriages. What was happening in the hotel during this song with their wedding ring on was digusting & KJO tried to romanticsed the disgust that was happening