Review : Kabhi Alvida na Kehna

Rating : Above average (3.9/5)
Genre : All-in-one
Year : 2006
Running time : 3 hrs and 38 minutes
Director : Karan Johar
Cast : Amitabh Bachhan, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachhan, Rani Mukherjee, Arjun Rampal, Kiron Kher

KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA : Welcome to “grown-up” cinema!

I have never been a fan of Karan Johar. I consider him a maker of Stylized Toothpaste Commercials. Yes, of course you see his films, but you see them for the film stars, the fashion, the gloss, the well-choreographed dance numbers, the sheen of expensive film-making. It’s fun and interesting to see Amitabh do an arresting Shava-Shava at 62. Or even once in a remote while, see Shahrukh land in a chopper in the grounds of the Raichand palace, and assume it’s a normal day in the life of one very rich man. You don’t expect to see life’s truth’s reflected in the dialogues of these out-of-the-world (in more than one way) people. They exist but only in a fictional sort of way, and their life and worries are a world apart from the universe we common denizens inhabit.

So, a popcorn flick in what I’d expected in KANK. A few foot-tapping numbers, a few cliches, many sob-stories and lots of heavy emotional drama, none of which would make me shed a tear. Ofcourse I see it, first day, first show, in a packed theatre (what an opening !). One does what one must do. However, much to my surprise, Karan Johar actually steps into the “grown-up” zone this time, by tackling the substance under the candy-floss. KANK deals with infidelity after marriage, and takes the story (which is admittedly shaky) to a mature conclusion. A very bold step, considering that the Indian public prefers films to remain in the safe, predictable all-will-be domain.

Dev Saran (Khan) is a rising soccer star in the US, married to fashion magazine executive Rhea (Preity) and they have a son. Rhea works hard at her career, and hence spends less time applauding sour-puss hubby for every goal he makes, than he would like. Bollywood directors (even educated ones like Johar) must stop portraying career-oriented women as vixens – hey, what’s wrong if a woman loves her career ? Anyway that portrayal done with, we shift to Dev’s mom Kamaljit (Kher) a caterer of sorts, who’s most recent project is catering Rishi and Maya’s wedding. Rishi (Abhishek) runs an ad company, loves partying, adores his widowed Dad Samarjit (Amitabh), and is nuts about Maya. Maya (Rani) is a school-teacher who’s having second thoughts about the marriage, and these she talks about with Dev, then an absolute stranger who happens to wander into the vicinity only because of his mom’s occupation. In one of those quirky, surreal encounters (which happen only in Johar movies) Maya and Dev talk, and he encourages her to make up her dithering mind and marry Rishi – which she does. He leaves, and is caught in an accident, which damages his leg effectively ending his soccer-playing career.

Several years later they meet again, and again, realize that they are kindred souls and become good friends. As their respective married lives deteriorate, this friendship escalates to an affair. When later they are found out by Samarjit and Kamaljit, they decide to end the relationship and tell their respective spouses. And when they do, all hell breaks loose . . .

Let me tell you, from all the sobbing going on around me that there was not one single dry, female eye in the theatre. Johar has created a sob-story like no other. You weep (literally) for poor Rishi, and then you weep for …, well just for Rishi then. Out of the foursome, Rishi’s character is the most believably sketched, and Abhishek does a tremendous job, radiating love and sincerity, and managing to convey simmering rage and hurt. I never could quite figure out why Maya didn’t dote on her husband, he seemed adorable. Still Rani being the great actress she is, manages to make even a “fako” character seem believable.

Rhea and Dev’s characters seemed rather flaky too, the bone of contention between them being Dev’s slighted ego (wife more successful) and his gone-down-the-tubes career. To me, Dev seemed rude, irritable and just plain obnoxious. As far as acting goes, Shahrukh did what he does best. He wiggled his eyebrows. SRK is first and foremost SRK, and then any character he might be playing. He is too weak an actor too play a poorly-sketched character. Rhea is not the pativrata nari either, but her character has not been given much thought and it shows. Preity looks older, abd is heavily made-up throughout the movie. The part is small (she probably has the least to do) and even though she does OK, it somehow doesn’t jell.

Besides these 4 , there is Rishi’s flamboyant Dad, Samarjit. Or as he calls himself, Sam. Sam wears the brightest reds, beds the youngest women, and parties like there’s no tomorrow. He also, in his heart of hearts still loves his dead wife and remembers the day he first met her by gallivanting around on that anniversary, with nubile, semi-clad nymphets and rocking to hip-shaking numbers. Also in the grand old Indian tradition of the “elder’s wisdom” , he is not above giving sane and fatherly advice to his son and daughter-in-law. Amitabh accomplishes all this and more, because underneath that larger-than-life persona, he is a superb actor (and you always knew it). That leaves us with Kamaljit, Dev’s Mom. Kher has a small role, but plays a Sardarni from Chandigarh with aplomb.

The story, as I’ve implied before, is shaky. One disbelieves the motivation for disagreement between the couples and it tempted to pooh-pooh at the trivial issues the director brings up as reasons for dis-enchantment. Still one hangs in there, because some moments are magically shot, some dialogues are blissfully meaningful (although it does seem a bit awkward to have these beautiful, stylish people spout reams of philosophy embedded with all this “serious stuff“), and much of the emotion permeates through.

The music is very good ; I especially like “Mitwa” and “Tumhi Dekho Na”. As with all Johar movies, the background score is also effective. Despite all the pros, and the perceived cons, I really liked this movie – the first Johar movie that I have more than tolerated. So, I’d say yeah, see it for sure.

Update : This review was judged one of the 10 best reviews submitted to Rediff for “KANK” and is now also featured on Rediff.