‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’: About Failing R

"I've read the script of KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA and I can tell you with surety that Karan Johar has come up with a controversial story this time. KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA is by far his most accomplished work, which may raise eyebrows and hit the moral guardians hard." Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar's introduction to KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA catches you unaware and takes you by surprise.

"KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA pushes the envelope. In this fast-changing world, relationships change within fraction of seconds. That's how the seeds of KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA were sown," Karan tells me.

Karan has assembled an ensemble star cast again. "I want to work with family. When I enter the sets, I want to be assured that I've entered a comfort zone. I cannot work with strangers," he answers. But there are rumors of rifts between Big B and SRK. "Believe me, they are ridiculous and baseless. I started the film on schedule, I ended it on schedule. There were no hiccups whatsoever. I don't know where these rumors originated from in the first place," Karan quashes the loose talk.

KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA is the first time when Karan has ventured into a new territory [film production] independently. "It was tough. But I know dad's [Yash Johar] still there with me. He's still around, guiding and encouraging me all the while… The one thing I miss is his constant complaint that I overspend on costumes in my movies. 'Kapde kaun dekhta hain? Log kahani dekhte hain,' dad always said," Karan reminisces.

The music launch of KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA was a grand event. Besides the theatrical trailer [screened during FANAA], a 3.30-minute trailer [made for Cannes] was also screened on the occasion. And if the two promos are an indicator of what's to follow, expect yet another emotional fare from Karan this time.

"Yes, KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA is an emotional film. It's very emotional. People always ask me about the chemistry between the lead pairs in the film. I want to tell them that I hope they see no chemistry, because KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA is about failed relationships. And when you talk of failed relationships, you can't expect to see great chemistry," he states.

Music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and lyricist Javed Akhar have worked extremely hard on the music of the film. "It's a 'complete' album. In fact, each track has its distinct melodious identity," says Shankar. Javed Akhar adds in the same breath, "Karan is a hard taskmaster. Although I don't believe in reincarnation, I strongly believe that Karan was a taskmaster in his previous birth in Egypt, who thrashed his slaves if they weren't doing their jobs well," he jokes.