Posted:
August 11, 2006: A Karan Johar movie has its limitations. There are those odd comic moments when you want to scream murder. Loud characters run all over the place, mouthing over-the-top dialogue, forcing you to squirm in your comfortable multiplex seats. And then there are those stories - mundane and commonplace. However, nothing can beat Johar's conviction behind these ordinary stories. His biggest directorial strength lies in his ability to turn something absolutely ordinary into something extraordinary. Let's not even get into the gloss and the grandeur bit. He is an absolute marvel when it comes to gorgeous looking stars, top-notch production values and stunning cinematography.
Hmmm. Talking about his debut movie, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', a story of two friends who miss the bus of love the first time round and then find passion many years later. As an audience, you got swayed by that conviction. Err, then there was 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'. It was tough justifying that one. It released in the same year as 'Lagaan' and 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Again, an old-as-wine story - a Richie Rich foster son defies his father and marries a middle-class girl of his choice. Estranged for years, they are reunited in the end. A battalion of superstars - Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor and yet as characters, Yash, Nandini, Rahul, Anjali, Rohan and unforgettable 'Poo', they left their mark. Soppy, yes. But it was magical nonetheless. The emotions, drama, tears and love struck you as real. It was all about loving your parents, and we did.
But what's with 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'? It just doesn't carry through the daring drama Johar starts out with. Though the story is supposedly "bold", it's a dampener. Two strangers, married man and to-be-married woman, meet on an odd bench. Super! And incredulously, they fall in love at first go! Years later, they meet again, with their spouses in tow. And bingo, they fall into an affair this time, proclaiming undying love. Not entirely unbelievable. It could happen to anyone - you might find your soulmate after you are married. But in this case, it just fails to convince you. Sorry Karan, it just doesn't work.
No moralistic stand on the infidelity business. It's just that one doesn't feel for Dev (Shah Rukh Khan, adequate) and Maya (Rani Mukherji, tepid). They just come across as two losers who are bitter and insecure in life. They find solace in one another and constantly try to convince themselves that what they have is true love. And it obviously doesn't help that Rani and Shah Rukh have zero chemistry and don't get that "timeless love" bit right. One misses Kajol all through the movie. In fact, the scenes that actually work are the ones where the erring pair is trying to bridge the gap with their respective spouses - Rani getting into the S&M act with Abhishek and Shah Rukh getting all seductive with Preity (hilarious!).
Moreover, the movie falls flat in the most crucial scene when Dev voices his love for Maya for the first time, and claims that he flipped for her many moons ago, on the park bench! And then, Maya leaves a perfectly sensitive, loving and dashing Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) for a bitter, negative and egoistic Dev. Which woman in her right mind would do that? Dev lives off wife Rhia (Preity Zinta) for years, before accusing her of not "spending" enough time with him and their child. Come on, where was the ego hiding all these years?
Even though Karan misses the point as far as the whole story is concerned, some parts work well for 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'. Rhia's relationship with her mother-in-law Kamaljit (Kirron Kher, graceful and subdued), and Maya's with Sam (Amitabh Bachchan, flamboyant and sensitive), is effortlessly handled. Karan's touch is evident just towards the end of the movie, when he mends all the fences and leads the movie to its logical conclusion. Rishi and Rhia's characters are superbly defined, despite the length.
What stays with you after the movie are Abhishek Bachchan and Preity Zinta. Watch them in their scenes together, or with their respective spouses. They exude energy and conviction. Abhishek, as the wronged husband, is superb. Note his showdown, after he comes to know about his wife's affair or the scene when he re-establishes family contact with Rani. Preity Zinta breathes life into Rhia, like no one else could have, playing the modern career woman to the T. Whether it's her rock solid reaction to her husband's confession, or her breakdown sequence with her mother-in-law, she is bang on. These two supporting actors absolutely rock and roll... even if KANK doesn't.
i dunno...wat to say...i dont want kank to be flop...becuz then people r not gonna like srk
Hmmm. Talking about his debut movie, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', a story of two friends who miss the bus of love the first time round and then find passion many years later. As an audience, you got swayed by that conviction. Err, then there was 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'. It was tough justifying that one. It released in the same year as 'Lagaan' and 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Again, an old-as-wine story - a Richie Rich foster son defies his father and marries a middle-class girl of his choice. Estranged for years, they are reunited in the end. A battalion of superstars - Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor and yet as characters, Yash, Nandini, Rahul, Anjali, Rohan and unforgettable 'Poo', they left their mark. Soppy, yes. But it was magical nonetheless. The emotions, drama, tears and love struck you as real. It was all about loving your parents, and we did.
But what's with 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'? It just doesn't carry through the daring drama Johar starts out with. Though the story is supposedly "bold", it's a dampener. Two strangers, married man and to-be-married woman, meet on an odd bench. Super! And incredulously, they fall in love at first go! Years later, they meet again, with their spouses in tow. And bingo, they fall into an affair this time, proclaiming undying love. Not entirely unbelievable. It could happen to anyone - you might find your soulmate after you are married. But in this case, it just fails to convince you. Sorry Karan, it just doesn't work.
No moralistic stand on the infidelity business. It's just that one doesn't feel for Dev (Shah Rukh Khan, adequate) and Maya (Rani Mukherji, tepid). They just come across as two losers who are bitter and insecure in life. They find solace in one another and constantly try to convince themselves that what they have is true love. And it obviously doesn't help that Rani and Shah Rukh have zero chemistry and don't get that "timeless love" bit right. One misses Kajol all through the movie. In fact, the scenes that actually work are the ones where the erring pair is trying to bridge the gap with their respective spouses - Rani getting into the S&M act with Abhishek and Shah Rukh getting all seductive with Preity (hilarious!).
Moreover, the movie falls flat in the most crucial scene when Dev voices his love for Maya for the first time, and claims that he flipped for her many moons ago, on the park bench! And then, Maya leaves a perfectly sensitive, loving and dashing Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) for a bitter, negative and egoistic Dev. Which woman in her right mind would do that? Dev lives off wife Rhia (Preity Zinta) for years, before accusing her of not "spending" enough time with him and their child. Come on, where was the ego hiding all these years?
Even though Karan misses the point as far as the whole story is concerned, some parts work well for 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'. Rhia's relationship with her mother-in-law Kamaljit (Kirron Kher, graceful and subdued), and Maya's with Sam (Amitabh Bachchan, flamboyant and sensitive), is effortlessly handled. Karan's touch is evident just towards the end of the movie, when he mends all the fences and leads the movie to its logical conclusion. Rishi and Rhia's characters are superbly defined, despite the length.
What stays with you after the movie are Abhishek Bachchan and Preity Zinta. Watch them in their scenes together, or with their respective spouses. They exude energy and conviction. Abhishek, as the wronged husband, is superb. Note his showdown, after he comes to know about his wife's affair or the scene when he re-establishes family contact with Rani. Preity Zinta breathes life into Rhia, like no one else could have, playing the modern career woman to the T. Whether it's her rock solid reaction to her husband's confession, or her breakdown sequence with her mother-in-law, she is bang on. These two supporting actors absolutely rock and roll... even if KANK doesn't.
i dunno...wat to say...i dont want kank to be flop...becuz then people r not gonna like srk
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Premier League
3