Karan Johar is a brave man. He really is. After watching his latest movie “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna” (KANK) after the climax when Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee walk out of the railway station (oops) and when the credits start to roll in, I think Karan Johar had the guts to announce “A film by Karan Johar” I do not want to be even associated with the credit of watching the film.
Relations are very complex. Dealing with relationship is a far more complex affair. KANK deals with relationship and more precisely marriages. KANK is the story of two people and then KANK is the story of two couples.
Shahrukh Khan plays Dev, a football star turned football coach married to Fashion Magazine editor Rhea played by Priety Zinta. Dev, once a rising football star is jealous of his wife’s success and always has fights with her.
Rani Mukhejee plays school teacher Maya who is married to PR man Rishi Talwar. Maya’s marriage to Rishi is a compromise, even though Rishi tries his best to keep the relation alive.
Maya and Dev meet at Maya’s marriage where Dev convinces Maya to get married because according to him, ignoring the tiny winy reason of no love and absence of romance, marriage was the best thing happening to her. After 4 years they meet again and this time Maya finds passion and love, in Dev. They start cheating on their spouses, have an affair and end up in broken marriages. 3 years later they completely unaware of each other marriage, they meet again and now it’s DDLJ or KKHH a.k.a candy floss love.
Actually if you sum KANK, it is husband of one person falls for wife of another person and has a affair inspite of having dedicated spouses and then breaks their individual marriages to end up in each other arms in the climax. The message here is maybe true love wins or true love finds each other in spite of all odds or marry the person you love or divorce the person you don’t love or whatever. I am just giving a message here because K3G had the message “Its about loving your parents” so trying to find a message here.
The biggest problem with KANK is the story, the heart of any movie and the second biggest problem is the execution that means Karan’s direction. The story is simple as told above but it takes more than 3 hours to be told. I agree that people can love another person for stupid reasons but Maya falling in love with the frustrated, angry Dev is beyond my scope of understanding. Abhishek’s Rishi seems like a much more dedicated and passionate man without the angry tag. He seems more understanding to his wife’s need than Shahrukh Khan’s (Dev). Now after 4 hours after the movie, I don’t actually see a story here. I see just a collection of situation where the actors get to voice dialogs with heavy duty background score.
Shahrukh’s Dev is shown to hate his wife’s success and never talks lovingly to her but lives in a big house with a big football size garden with her.
The story-writer was not sure if they wanted to make a serious film about relations or a candy-floss love story about married people. What comes out is a mixture of both and that makes it a real bad product. The way relations are handled is like making Shahrukh and Rani as good people and Abhishek and Priety as bad people. Ok not bad but not worth of any emotions. The audience was supposed to sympathize with Shahrukh and Rani but it fails miserably.
Karan Johar’s best movie was “Kuch kuch Hota hai”. Great songs and cute film with right emotions at right place. His next “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham” was less better that KKHH. The only thing good in that was Kajol. Now with KANK, Karan Johar has dug inside the ground and reached the pits. Fortunately and hopefully, the only way he can go is up. I don’t think he can and should dig further than that.
Another question is Why New York? It could be any metropolitian city in the world. It could have been Bombay. Atleast it could have recovered the money faster. Shooting in NY just for the Brooklyn bridge is certainly not worth it.
They character looks the weakest of them all. Instead Amitabh Bachchan who plays Sam, the flamboyant, skirt-chasing-blonde chasing father of Abhishek is the strongest character in terms of characterization and character. Atleast he is sure what he is doing.
The music is good. The songs are good and have the special treatment that every Karan Johar film has, a typical heroine in saree and hero in slow motion waving his hands toward the sky and something like that. Nothing to write home about.
Shahrukh Khan is Dev and as usual he gives a lover boy performance which means a lot of hamming. Its Shahrukh Khan the superstar here. He is shown as the angry man here not to be confused with Amitabh’s angry young man but a generally angry frustrated man. One more thing is he has a scowl on his face throughout the film and one moment it does not look like a love story. The movie starts with the football match where Shahrukh re-lives his DDLJ image, then moves to a frustrated man. According to the story, he is a victim of the situation if not the people around him but ends up as a loser and person with no moral responsibilities.
Rani Mukherjee tries to put some life into a poorly sketched character. I mean this is one confused girl. She does not want Abhishek but marries him. She does not have passion but allows herself to be passionate in a NY hotel. But atleast her performance is restrained unlike Shahrukh. But then she does not do anything new other than her earlier film.
Priety Zinta is a good actress and a complete waste here She plays the savvy editor with style but hardly gets to show her acting skill. “Salaam Namaste” was her much much better film.
Amitabh Bachchan plays the Casanova father of Abhishek and is the laughing track of the otherwise crying heavy film. Shahrukh Khan does not laugh at all. So we have him making everybody laugh. He is also the person who provides the twist in the climax before he dies (oops again!). Thank god!
Kiron Kher in a small insignificant role of Shahrukh’s mother is strictly ok
There is a small boy playing Shahrukh’s son in the movie and he is cute. The child actor are getting better in each movie.
That brings us to the best actor of the lot, Abhishek Bachchan. He is cool-dressed, smiling, funny husband of Rani Mukerjee. He shines in the small role he was offered. His character is well-etched too. He plays the husband who searches for passion in his wife and loves her dearly inspite of seeing no love for him in her eyes.
The 192 minutes long movie is boring. At one moment we were praying that the movie ends. Except the climax scene when Amitabh dies, the movie lacks a soul. After I came out, I saw a huge crowd waiting for the next show. I wished them all the best for the movie.
I have never given so low rating for any movie and this rating is only because of the Bachchans
Rating: 3/10
Well, I genrerally tend to agree that one cannot show everything in three hours and the root cause of the grouse relating to the extra marital rift is not fully explored, by the standards of a typical hindi commercial film, it was all right.
If you wish to see the film vis-a-vis the teachings of Osho Rajneesh, you can take a look at my review.
Should I watch Kuch kuch Hota hai?
Hren
well if you look at it in different perspective, it may be a valid analysis from your side but KANK is supposed to be a commercial movie and it should have some entertaintment aspect to it which is clearly lacking in the same.
Moncia
Yup Watch KKHH. It was Karan Johar’s debut film as a director. I wouldn’t reccomend KANK though
Punds
completely agree with you.
[…] https://full2faltu.wordpress.com/2006/08/14/kabhi-alvida-naa-kehna-2006-too-much-hype/trackback/ http://hirenshah.wordpress.com/2006/08/11/kabhi-alvida-na-kehna-osho-ka-alag-hai-sochna-svabhavik-hai-bahuton-ko-chaahna-sirf-ek-ke-saath-kyon-hamesha-rehna/ http://mypyp.wordpress.com/2006/08/11/kabhi-alvida-na-kehna-humesha-ke-liye-alvida-kehna/ […]
Wah! this is great! No need to go and watch the movie in the theatre! You are saving me a lot of money !
Thanks JV
Observer
Thanks for the link to the post
Ashu
What to do? Yeh toh mera farz tha.
Punds
hey i saw this movie…i simply loved it and want to watch it again…i guess i love to watch such type of movies..for all the girls who like kal ho na ho, kkhh, ddlj pls watch it ur gonna love it.
cheers
pragati
Pragati
People will watch it because it has the tag of being a Karan Johar movie.
I must say that 3 and a half hour was a way bit too long for the movie. KKHH and DDLJ were good movies but i don’t think KANK will come in that league.
Punds
but punds, i did not watch this movie for karan johar, i watched it and loved it for it entertained me just like the above mentioned movies did. i also enjoyed watching being cyrus eventhough it did not belong to the same league. come on punds it was a good movie::)) probably they could have cut down half an hour of the movies but again it was a good movie.
cheers
pragati
Pragati
We could go on and on about this. but the truth remains that if I find myself looking at my watch then the movie has failed to hold my attention.
I said Karan Johar is a brand in himself and people will watch his movie for the name itself. There are high expectation from him in that regards.
Just as you have pointed out, the time could have been reduced to a more bearable limit. I understand that you have to overlook logic while watching a movie, but then many things like why Rani marries Abhishek and does not love him are never explained. Why the gap of three years before the climax? They could have known that before hand. Priety and Abhishek work in the same entertaintment field.
Anyways, I still have to find a person here in Amsterdam who has liked the film. (Most of the Indian population have seen the movie.) But then our opinion is not based on other’s thinking too.
Anyways I find your site a very interesting concept! Its a good site. Keep it up. You should include blog reviews too.
Punds
Punds,
People do marry people without falling in love and that is the case in most of the marriages in India….and they thinks well one has to get married so get married to any guy or girl. they do not think about the most important factor of marriage that is love. they get married and then end up living a life that is a compromise, which is very true. how many married couples in india due u think are truly madly and deeply in love with each other…they live together becoz they are married and have children and thats it. (The movie might have been more interesting if they showed that Rani also had a baby and still would she leave her house for an EM affair. Here she was drawn to SRK because there was a void in her life. My thoughts…regardless i like the movie with its own story line). For a guy it is easy to leave his home with a kid but for a woman its not that easy!
The gap thingy…that was where the movie was extended so much. I loved the movie with its flaws. Watch it again uld love it…jus kidding:)
Sweet u liked my website, i was actually thinking of adding blog reviews…would love it if u would add ur two cents there!
cheers
pragati
THE WORST MOVIE IN THE HISTORY OF INDIAN CINECMA – KANK OH I THINK IT SHOULD BE KALNK – A BLOT
Watched it last night in Toronto, Canada. The movie lost it’s fervor by Intermission. It was wayy too long with lots of scenes and characters that were not needed. Why anyone would love the character played by Shahrukh remains a mystery to me. The character has no compassion, no morals, is not a good father or a good husband, he is what he is at first portrayed to be- a loser. That marriage was never gonna work with so much negativity in his character.
Whereas, Maya and Rishi’s marriage could have worked out with a bit of couples counselling but even though they are apparently New Yorkers, they have never heard of counselling. Even though it seems like she had her doubts about her love for him, I felt they still had some form of love between them, but friendly love that Maya feels for Rishi does not make a marriage, I suppose. That was an incomplete relationship from Maya’s side. Too much ‘Adhura’-ness going on. The movie itself was ‘Adhura’. After Intermission, I felt like Karan had no idea what to do with his characters, how to weave the plot in a substantial way, so he just did whatever came to him.
Sure, the movie will make you question certain aspects of your/any relationship but nothing was fully explored or resolved. Ultimately, it was just a tad crappy and a bit creepy as well. The lack of morality and validity in the relationships was pathetic.
Very disappointed in Karan Johar. Even more disappointed in Shahrukh- the acting was so bad, and so studied, nothing we have not seen before. I did not feel any screen chemistry between Shahrukh and Rani. The only good thing about the movie is Abhishek Bachchan, he did justice to his character and then some. The chemistry between him and Amitabh was fun as well. But ultimately, Abhishek is the only one who actually gives the audience their money’s worth.
Watched it just because it happens to be a KJ movie. First day first show first row. What a waste of time and money !!
Pragati
I thought we were discussing KANK. True, the concept was good but look at the marriages. Niether of the spouses excpt Shahrukh had problems. I think ‘R’ seems to explain it better than me.
Sanjay
I agree. Too much hyped
Krithika
Fortunately I watched using my special scheme card which allows me to watch unlimited movies for a fixed amount. Main bach gaya
Punds
haven’t watched it!
after reading all of your msgs.. seems if rhea had fallen for rishi it would have been a better movie!!!
how is that!
Alas!! if somebody could give this idea to KJ before
OHHHHHHH BON FILM J AI PAS VUE MAIS JE PENSE QUE TRES BON FILM.
MONA
Well Chhaya
The negatives here wanted the film to be shorter and yes of course Rhea should have fallen for Rishi. It would have served Shahrukh and Rani well. But alas they were nice people who look at their spouses happiness more than thier own.
Yes somebody should have given KJ some advice.
Mona
Did not get you or is a spam comment?
Punds
i am a great fan of shahrukh khan but after watching this film(kank) i am very much dissappointed.
very third class film , rubbish film , i can’t say the story is bad , the story got motives but karan did n’t do right executions. He has n’t explained in the proper manner , lot of scenes are useless with ideas.
The base thing of the film is suppose to be clearified before moving onwards , they left several spaces .
shahrukh khan now he has to stopped doing these type of rules , is not suits him anymore , he remain the icon always because he sticked a tag of icon on every one mind .
We can say Abhishek bachan has gone upto the marks because every dialog he said its was clear but when it comes to shahrukh it’s rubbish , i dont know why he continued with the style of bazigaar and darr till now , he has to change .
preity zinta and amitabh bachan are wasiteless ,
don’t go to watch this film (
Adnan
The opinions seems to be divided on the way the story is handled. But most of them agree its rubbish. As i said, no movie uptil now has received a 3 rating in Full2 Faltu.
KANK has the distinction
Good observation
Punds
I don’t understand why these types of films become superhit , just for the casts.
Except Fanaa and Phir hera Pheri all the movies are so rubbish that the keen of watching films are going down day by day , what’s wrong with the scripts , Karan johar problem is , he wants his caracters to be superstars even for just 5 seconds playing in the movie but it should be supers stars.
1 as ratings
Come on Adnan, dont tell me u liked Fanna…….i thought the only reason fanna was a hit was because of Kajol and Amir period. there was no story to the movie and it was a ll so predictable…believe me i awas sitting in the theater and i was telling my firends this is going to happen next and this and this. fanna was too much of a hype and no delivery. well the songs of course were good.
cheers
pragati
I think Fanna was a big joke and KANK was a big KALANK to bollywood industry.
[…] Toh aage kya hota hai, abe saari story mere se sunega toh theatre main kya dekhega, ghanta? Toh abhi poori story dekhne ka hai toh theatre main jane ka aur 2 ghanta mast timepass karke aane ka. Garantee deta hai ki saala bore nahi hoyega. Nahi toh saaala aaj kal ka picture, picture nahi KANK hota hai, mera matlab picture ke naam par kalank hota hai. […]
I thought the movie portrays a very interesting question about marriage… and the sacredness of the entire instituition between a husband and a wife… and people in general… There are that marry for love and the few that compromise there existense and marry for the sake of it….
Which is wat Dev and Maya did… they compromised there true inner feelings. But then how long can people go on living a lie…. …. I thought the movie was very thought provoking very humourous, riveting and the ballads although a bit to syruppy filled the movie well. The charachters were well played and the costumes superb…
It actually showed the love and the pain of an extra marital affair.
I do agree with Yatin and Rahul Khanna.. Read my review at
http://saawan.wordpress.com/2006/09/05/kank-talks-about-togetherness-in-a-subtle-way/
I love this movie too much, that I cant express in word,coz 90% of this movie is my life part, imotion situation everything is in prctical. bt I dont know what will happen? my wife is living with me with my chield no talk no raat just a compromise for our chields. “RISTE BAATONN SE NAHI, HAALAT JAZZBAT AUR BHAWNAAO SE BANTE HAIN” I LOVE SOMEONE, BUT I KNOW SHE CAN’T BE MINE! COZ ITS OUR INDIA,AND SHE HAS A LONG LIFE TO GROW AND I AM “INSAAN” NOT A “MAN” THANKS TO KARAN JOHAR AND ALL THEIR TEEM WITH ALL OF YOU.
I love this movie shahrukh khan looks awesome like always, this movie is almost true in every body life.
well for me..i love this movie…i think that everybody did a great job in the movie and i love the songs. i think that many ppl are not ready for these kind of movies/story lines. well that’s what i think….
I think the movie carries the idea of essentials for marriage that’s Love, passion and XFactor not just comparing time spent with each other or depth of friendship etc.
I think Love is much more complex than just living togather, sharing bed.
The practicality of the marriage donna answer the bug.
Thing which you crave in your partner if not sited in spouse these thing outta happen no doubt.
The brave ones will bust out everything and face them as they happened “As it was never happened in KANK, once Maya and Dev decided to revitalize their struggling marriage but situation went to disaster when they confessed their Unfaithful moves both of their spouse Abandon the marriage”
and as they had talked the stories of their efforts to reviving their marriages they kept each other in illusion that they were trying
Ultimately Both of them suffered the loneliness and extream agony after lossing both of their relations
The end was option-less They ought to meet
I don’t like many indian movies, but KANK suprised me.
I loved this movie, it also became one of my favorites.
Personally i think nobody should get married if they are not in love with each other, it’s nothing else than a waste of time.
I also think everyone should get married only if they really want, not because of a stupid compromise or because their parents want it.
Anyway… it’s a nice movie for me, all i say is I like it.
It helped me to understand many things.
[…] KANK has been with the lowest rating on this blog for a long time. T8×10 just managed to know KANK from its bottom most position and with rating as “1″, it would be difficult to knock this movie from its lowest position […]