Originally posted by: HotMess
I don't think the message of KANK was "committing adultery is okay."
I agree with you. I didn't feel that KANK had a message at all until I watched the original version- Hollywood's Falling in Love (1984) with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. When you see this movie, you realize what the message WAS supposed to be. Unfortunately, Karan Johar did not prosecute the storyline correctly which he changed slightly. I wrote a short review on it in the recently seen movies thread. Here it is if anyone's interested:
Saw Robert de Niro and Meryl Streep's "Falling in Love" (1984) last night. Amazing movie, absolutely loved it. Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna is clearly based on this, with some changes. I loved KANK but the original is way better. Srk and Rani just couldn't do justice to the kind of acting Robert de Niro and Meryl Streep had in this movie. The emotions, the mimicks, the thoughts were superb. This movie makes you believe that love is above all else. Even if you're already committed to someone, when you meet the person you're really meant to be with, everything else becomes meaningless.
Here's how the original story line goes-
Meryl (Molly) and Robert (Frank) bump into each other on Christmas eve doing last minute shopping. They even accidentally switch the books they've bought as gifts. Three months later they bump into each other again on the train (subway/metro) in downtown New York and recognize each other. After several coincidences and a clearly visible attraction towards one another, they make it a point to meet up on the train and spend more and more time with each other. They fall in love but they're both married.
Meryl decides she can't do this and they don't meet for some time during which Meryl's father passes away. Meanwhile, they both open up to their spouses and confess that they've met someone. Mind you, nothing happens between them physically, except for kissing. Robert decides to take up a one-year job alone in Houston, Texas and tries to meet Meryl right before he leaves. But Meryl isn't able to make it.
Exactly one year later, again during Christmas time, Robert comes back to New York to sell his house because him and his wife are splitting. Meryl has also split from her husband but neither of them know about this. They manage to get to the same bookstore where they had first seen each other one year before. They see each other, they talk but neither mentions that they're divorced. They say goodbye and Meryl gets into the subway. The train's doors close and then Meryl sees Robert in the train, coming towards her. They kiss and hug and live happily ever after. 😍
Arjun
Anupamaa
15