Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

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Article Updated 07 December, 2002 10:23:42 PM IST

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Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Credits
Producer/s:	Yash Johar
Director:	Karan Johar
Cast:	Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee and others
Music:	Jatin-Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya, Aadesh Shrivastava
Lyrics:	Sameer, Anil Pandey

Karan Johar should have been a master weaver. His ability to hold the heart’s strings and let them loose at the right times is almost magical. And after seeing his latest offering Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, there is no two ways that he is by far the brightest talent in the film industry today. K3G reinstates family values with such ease that tears and laughter become second nature to the viewer through out this brilliantly crafted film.

Yashovardhan Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan) and his wife Nandini (Jaya Bachchan) live with their two sons, Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) and Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) in a magical mansion, of which the foundation is the traditional upbringing that they’ve believed and cherished always. Rahul shares a special relationship with Nandini, who adores him, as he is an adopted child. Rahul who knows the reality loves and devotes himself completely to his parents, especially his father. He worships him and his every command, but all that changes one day when Rahul falls in love and marries someone against his father’s will.

The Raichand’s want their son to marry Naina Thapar (Rani Mukherjee) but he goes against their wishes and decides to marry Anjali (Kajol) whom he loves. Despite his father’s public announcement of his marriage to Naina, he follows his heart and ties the knot with Anjali after her father (Alok Nath) dies. This breaks up the family when Amitabh tells him that he proved that he is adopted and asks them to leave the house. Rahul decides to leave, shattering his mother. Younger brother Rohan then decides that he will bring the family together again. He likes Pooja (Kareena Kapoor), Anjali’s younger sister. Together they decide to re-unite the family, but his father’s ego makes that very difficult. After nearly a decade of separation, they unite when Amitabh realizes his mistake and apologizes to his son and they make up the lost love. That is what makes up the basic story of this wonderfully crafted movie. Even though the basic storyline is nothing new, the storytelling is what makes K3G stand out. The film is three and a half hours long but that doesn’t matter because the film is so entertaining.

The star of the entire film is director Karan Johar who handles the scenes very well. From emotional tear jerking sequences to lighter comic scenes between Pooja and Rohan, he has handled the screenplay with great ease and panache. Technically too, K3G is of epic proportions. They’ve spent 42 crores and it shows. The music by Jatin-Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya and Aadesh Srivastava is another highlight of the film. Even though the title track sung by Lata Mangeshkar is the highlight, the other foot-tapping numbers, Shava Shava and You are my Soniya are sure to bring the house down.

Performance wise, Karan has managed once again to extract superb work from all his principal artistes. Both Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan are excellent and deliver moving performances. Hrithik Roshan is earnest, looks dreamy and has definitely grown as an actor and it shows in his confrontation scene with Amitabh Bachchan. Kareena Kapoor as Poo is the life of the film in the sense that she provides all the lighter fluff with an inborn style that is commendable. But the best performances are definitely that of Shahrukh Khan and Kajol. Rani Mukherjee too leaves an impact in her short and sweet role.

The historic opening that the film has got proves one thing- that nothing succeeds better than a simple story made from the heart. K3G is sure to bring a smile on everyone’s face and bring a tear in every eye. Isn’t that what Karan Johar wanted in the first place?