Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
by Karan Johar
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Shah Rukh KhanDirector: Karan Johar
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); Hindi (Unknown)
Format: Dolby, NTSC
Running Time: 210 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-12
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Yash Raj Films
Movie Reviews of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Movie Review: Bridging a family chasm thru dance and song, guilt and subterfuge
Summary: 5 Stars
KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sorrow) boasts as sparkling a dream cast as Bollywood can ever hope of putting together. Director Karan Johar reunites with his three stars from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji) and then, for extra flavor, tacks on Amitabh Bachchan, his wife Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, and Kareena Kapoor. In India, brother, that translates to some megahuge star power. That cast alone is enough to guarantee a killing in the box office (which is in fact what happened). And, as predictable as the sun rising in the east, Kajol and Shahrukh Khan's chemistry retains its potency.
When you tune in to a Bollywood flick, brace yourself for tears and laughter, get ready to drown in vivid colors and over-the-top musical numbers. Chances are, you may even scoff at the sheer overwroughtness of the story. KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM, coming out in 2001, offers the quintessential Bollywood experience. There's nothing so new about this story, which revolves around a younger son's vow to return his long vanished brother back to the fold, after a decade of estrangement. The film follows the expected beats and clobbers you over the head with maudlin family histrionics. What makes it work are the terrific performances of the actors.
Caste and breeding matter to Yashvardhan "Yash" Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan), the proud, unbending patriarch of the powerful Raichand family. So the whatsis hits the fan when Yash's marriage plans for his adopted son Rahul go awry, because Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) has already fallen in love with Anjali (Kajol), the daughter of a lowly sweetmeat shop owner. That Anjali is vivacious and captivating means diddly squat to Yash, who just can't get past the notion that her station in life falls so far beneath expectations. When Anjali's father dies unexpectedly, leaving her and her younger sister Pooja orphaned and alone, Rahul decides to marry Anjali on the spot. This, as expected, enrages Yash all to bits. He and Rahul exchange words, the result of which is that Rahul is disowned. He bitterly departs, never to return. Ten years pass.
Even though Hrithik Roshan is featured in the framing segments of the film's first half (which is mostly a long flashback to what happened ten years ago), his presence is really felt in the second half. It's pretty funny, to look at this good-looking, all-muscly dude, that the character he plays, during childhood, used to be called Fatty. Fatty's real name is Rohan, Rahul's obese younger brother. Present day finds Rohan the best player in his cricket team, and I'm guessing he's implemented a good, good diet. Rohan, having been so young when Rahul left, has never gotten a full recounting of the rift between his brother and his father. When, on visiting his grandmothers, he finally learns the truth, he promises to find and bring Rahul and Anjali home to reconcile them with their father. His search leads him to London.
Not for one nanosecond do I think that KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM improves in any way on KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI, which is one of my favorite Bollywood films ever. But KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM has got its moments. First of all, the lush cinematography dazzles the bejeesus out of you, offering many stunning images and striking compositions and instantly assuring the audience that everyone involved in making this film spared no expenses and effort. There are ten songs here, some of which are impressively lavish productions, with "You Are My Soniya" and "Bole Chudiyan" showcasing Hrithik's dancing mojo. And, of course, there's that sweeping and evocative theme song. Although, I do vaguely resent that in "Suraj Hua Maddham" (the number set in Egypt) one could hear the strains of the theme song from KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI (Is it a rip-off or an homage?). Note too that the names of the lovers in both KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI and KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM are Rahul and Anjali (and that, in these two movies, they're played by Shahrukh and Kajol). Coincidence?
The film's second half mostly takes place in London and focuses much on Hrithik Roshan as he begins his subterfuge and ingratiates himself to an unwitting Rahul and Anjali, having passed himself off as the brother of Pooja's friend (Pooja, remember, is Anjali's younger sister, with whom Rohan has come clean and asked for help). Pooja is played by Kareena Kapoor, so it's no wonder that she's grown up smoking hot. Kareena does her shallow, perky bit, and it's a bit annoying, but this film's not really about her. Hrithik, on the other hand, is very good, especially when called on to produce unshed tears, an acting conceit which Shahrukh had long ago perfected.
I don't think I'll go into how very good each actor here is (okay, Kareena Kapoor doesn't totally suck). As usual, what was initially meant to be some quick comments have diarrhead into this lengthy thing. I'll say this: the actors do earn their paychecks and all that good adulation, and Kajol remains the most incandescent star in Bollywood (sorry, Aishwarya Rai). And, here, Kajol is also very funny. KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM has flaws which critics can gleefully pick at, it's true. It's certainly hammy enough. But one of the best things I admire in Bollywood is that its films aren't afraid to show unabashed emotion. No romance is so romantic, no heartache so torturous as when expressed in Bollywood. This film features two love stories, that of Rahul and Anjali and that of Rohan and Pooja (which really isn't as well developed). But, at its heart, this film means to demonstrate the significance of family, of one's roots and ties, at least in Hindi culture. Or as Director Karan Johar's introductory quote goes: "It's all about loving your parents." While I enjoyed Rahul and Anjali's interactions, I found it almost as absorbing that Anjali so desperately longs for the blessings of her father-in-law. I do wish that Kajol and Amitabh Bachchan had more scenes together. As far as the scenes between Amitabh and Shahrukh, brother, they are intense, intense stuff.
Speaking of Hindi culture, there's one neat scene in which Kajol's character, exiled to England and often prone to nationalistic moods, is gratified to hear her young son singing the Indian national anthem at a school function. Just one of the standout moments in this film, which, by the way, is three and a half hours long. So you're gonna need a whole mess of hankies.
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