I love this movie. I can watch and enjoy it anytime. Like many other bollywood movies, it is a love story but this one is so beautifully filmed that you totally forget the fact that you have seen movies with similar stories. You forget that it takes many elements from other movies, like it has a song ‘Its the time to disco’ that looks and sounds a lot like ‘Koi Kehay’ from ‘Dil Chahta Hai‘. A person bringing happiness to a shattered family (like in Bawarchi and countless other movies). A love triangle (A universal romantic movie formula). You forget all this and you just sit down and relax to enjoy the magic this movie creates.Nikhil Advani stepped in as a director for the first time with the release of Kal Ho Na Ho in 2003. Previously Nikhil assisted Karan Johar in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The producer Karan Johar who also wrote the screenplay for this movie is to be equally credited for this movie. The Karan Johar style is very obvious in the movies in various scenes. Repeatition of theme song during the sad moments in the story and adding guest appearances by Rani Mukherji and Kajol is typically Karan Johar.
StoryThis is the story of Naina (Priety Zinta), an Indian girl who lives with her family in New York City. The story is narrated by Naina. Naina’s life is troubled. Her father committed suicide when she was young. This incident left a huge impact on her life. She is doing MBA in an evening college and works at her mother’s resturant in the morning. Naina’s mother Jennifer (Jaya Bhaduri) is a christian and her paternal grand mother Lajjo Kapur (Sushma Seth) who also lives with them in the same house is a devoted Hindu. The relationship between Jeniffer and Lajjo is that of a typical Indian Saas Baho. They can not stop arguing, the grand mother lives in a culturally isolated world and Jennifer wants her children to grow up naturally in the culture they are living in. The culture of the Indian families living in United States not that of Indian families dreaming India while living in United States. Naina has a younger brother who is unable to walk due to disability and a younger sister. Naina’s younger sister is not from Jeniffer, she was the result of her father’s discreet relationship with a white woman who left Naina’s father and abandoned the baby. Jeniffer took up the responsibility to take care of this little girl as her own daughter.
It was not just the cold war at home. Naina who is very close to her mother knows very well that their restaurant business is not doing so well and they are unable to return the money they loaned from the bank. The only little happiness Naina had in her life was her best friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan).
Then one day a guy comes from India to live next door. Aman, (Shahrukh Khan) is a happy go lucky sort of guy. He is charming and handsome and every one loves him. Initially Aman’s friendly nature and his never ending attempts to bring happiness to other’s lives frustrates Naina. Later, Naina realizes that Aman has all the things missing in her own life, Aman knew the formula to happiness and she falls in love with Aman. However, Aman has some different plans to bring life back into Naina’s troubled life. He tries to set her up with Rohit.
The plot of movie is very simple and could be explained by the words used by Rohit in the movie “Rohit loves Naina, Naina loves Aman, and Aman… Aman has gone mad”.Cast:
- Jaya Bhaduri as Jennifer Kapur
- Shahrukh Khan as Aman Mathur
- Saif Ali Khan as Rohit Patel
- Preity Zinta as Naina Catherine Kapur
- Sushma Seth as Lajjo Kapur
- Reema Lagoo as Aman’s Mother
- Lillete Dubey as Jaswinder “Jazz” Kapoor
- Delnaaz Paul as Jasprit “Sweetu” Kapoor
- Shoma Anand as Lajjo Kapur’s Sister
- Kamini Khanna as Lajjo Kapur’s Sister
- Ketki Dave as Rohit’s Mother
- Sulabha Arya as Kanta Bhen
- Athit Naik as Shiv Kapur
- Jhanak Shukla as Gia Kapur
- Simone Singh as Camilla
Music of Kal Ho Na Ho
Music of Kal Ho Na Ho is composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The music is just as melodious and romantic as the movie itself. The title song of the movie ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ sung by Sonu Nigham sets the basic background theme of the movie. The song has two versions, one in the normal tone and the other is the sad version. I just totally love this song, the lyrics beautifully explain the concept and moral of the story in the movie. Video of the song is even better, shot on different locations in Central Park New York City and Toronto.The film was first going to be shot in Toronto but later Karan Johar moved it to New York. However some parts of the song “Kuch To Hua Hai” in the movie are shot in Toronto.
‘Kuch to hova hai’ is a romantic duet sung by Alka Yagnik and Shaan.
The song ‘Pretty Woman’ is a tribute to Roy Orbison who composed the song for Julia Roberts starrer ‘Pretty Woman’. Kal Ho Na Ho’s pretty woman has Bhangra music and it is a simply fantastic dance number.
‘Mahi Ve’ is a typical bollywood wedding song. Wedding songs in movies are a hall mark of Yash Chopra school of thought. You would see such songs in all movies that are made in Yash Chopra style. The entire cast of the movie would dance and celebrate the occassion in the song. Kal Ho Na Ho ’s Mahi ve is not different from other songs of this genre.
Comments
This was Nikhil Advani’s first movie as a director and it is hard to believe that this is his first attempt to entertain bollywood audience. Nikhil had a very strong support from the producer Karan Johar who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Karan’s work, suggestions and his style is quite obvious in the movie. Kal Ho Na Ho is a typical bollywood family drama set in Manhattan New York. It shows the lives of Indians living in the United States and their problems in a light comic way. Before the release of the movie every one was expecting it to be a copy of 70’s classic Anand. There is a little similarity between the stories of two movies. However it is not a copy of Anand, it is an entirely different and original story.
Shahrukh Khan, Jaya Bahaduri, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan’s excellent performances create a magical impact on the audience. Dialogues are so refined, yet so simple and powerful. Manish Malhotra designed the costumes for the movies and it was not an easy job for Manish. This was not just a bollywood movie. This movie has a different location and it tells the story of people in cultural chaos. Manish had to come up with costumes that are trendy, casual and depict the culture of Indians based in NYC.
