Movie Review : Ki and Ka (2016)

Rating : 3/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2016
Running time : 2 hours 6 minutes
Director : R. Balki
Cast : Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Swarup Sampat, Rajit Kapoor
Kid rating: PG

Ki and Ka is the Bollywoodian take on what is traditionally thought of as “women’s work” – the unpaid 24×7 work that women do at home, when they are considered to be “doing nothing”. Here the guy, Kabir, wants to be like his mom, i.e.; a home-maker, while the girl, Kia, is only interested in her career. Thus they see no problems when Kabir stays home to cook and clean, and Kia goes outside the home to work. Kia’s mom (Sampat) is just as liberal, but Kabir’s dad (Rajit Kapoor) has massive problems with this situation. The young couple must take it all in stride, and patch up the cracks they see appearing in their relationship, as society bears down on their household arrangement.

For the most part the film does a decent job on portraying how it is. Kabir’s dad is ashamed of him and considers him a “namard”. Kia’s smart officemates wonder what her husband does – doesn’t he have a real job? Kabir has his insecure moments and Kia has hers. Although Kia exhorts Kabir to “chill” initially, once she gets used to the home-cooked khana, and clean household, expectations from Kabir rise. This is kind of the situation with female home-makers, except no-one ever asks them to “chill”.

But for all its liberal attitude and horn-tooting, this film is still half-baked when it comes to showing actual progressiveness. I like that Kabir adores his home-making duties, and has no qualms getting the home-running funds from the wife. But why does he have to be shown as the macho man beating up the baddies who dare cast leering glances on the Mrs.? Is a man without the biceps not a “real” man? Or does he have to balance out his kitchen-y sensibilities with a little fist action to still be considered male?

Also problematic are the stereotypical, kittie-partying aunties with whom Kabir, as house-husband, hob-nobs. Plus what’s with the song with Kabir dancing in women’s high heels? Subtlety, anyone?

This was just about an average film. Felt a little jaded and simplified. I couldn’t quite connect with either of the two leads, because I couldn’t tell what they were thinking. Kabir and Kia seemed out there with this gender-reversal thinking – which was great, but we didn’t get any sense of they whys and hows that made them think that way, except a few lines about how much Kabir loves his mom.

Kabir’s character was more like-able than Kia’s; she felt a little glossed over. I wish that Kia’s progressive mom had had more of a back-story – how did she get this way and why? I wish the film itself had had more depth.

Kidwise: Lots of kissing and canoodling, which IMHO, looked pretty fake. Ergo, kids will remain unscarred. Although probably bored.