| Issue 22 Vol I, August 31, 2006 | Archive |
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Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
Even though the film may strengthen Bollywood firmly on the international arena for its take on modern marriages and the very “in” infidelity as Karan himself puts it, his much hyped blockbuster was a damp squib. It was all the more disappointing because it also happened to be the most awaited movie of the year for its stellar star cast and the popularity that Karan’s movies have enjoyed in the past. Except this time the three-hour-plus film seemed tedious and tiring. The story is about two couples whose marriage is on the rocks. Accidental injury changes the life of Dev Saran (Shah Rukh Khan) an ace footballer who resents his tenacious and career-oriented wife Rhea (Preity Zinta). Rhea's success as a high profile fashion journalist combined with his own failure shatters Dev’s ego causing tension in their relation. On the other hand Maya Talwar (Rani Mukerji) is a sensitive character who cannot for some reason bear a child. Despite the fact that her husband Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan), a stylish PR consultant, loves her passionately, the couple suffers from intimacy issues. While both couples have their share of marital problems, which seem quite trivial, Dev and Maya realize that they might be each other’s soul mates. Wow? How convenient! So, on the one hand you have a weak foundation to the extra-marital affair between Shah Rukh and Rani, and on the other, you have a ridiculous reason that brings them together. The duo befriends each other to play marriage counsellor to each other, and guess what? They end up breaking their own marriages. Flawed script, poor logic, average characterizations, and pitiable performances. Overall the movie stands crooked under a weak platform. What irritates most is that the characters instead of making any effort towards making their relationships work, adopt the easy way out. On top of that the reasons for the couple’s incompatibility seem very frivolous and are shown in a very forced manner. The romance between Dev and Maya seems such a put on that one cannot sympathise with either. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is different from Karan’s previous works - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in terms of the subject that it deals with which is relatively bold in Indian context. The movie simply says that it is better to walk away from a marriage if it is not working. However, it is similar to Karan’s previous works in its lavishness and grandeur. But then there is nothing more to it. Moreover the reasons shown for the break-up of the two marriages are too insignificant. In the end the film just seems like a desperate attempt to make a bold statement. If the film holds, it’s because of the few dramatic moments that manage to touch you, a pretty New York backdrop and some fine chemistry between the father-son duo Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Although Big Bee’s flamboyant playboy character was quite uncalled for, but as always he plays it deftly. To sum up, the common man cannot identify with Karan’s point of view regarding extra marital relationship though a section of high class society might agree. Directors have earlier too dealt with infidelity and that too with much more conviction. The most unforgettable ones being Arth and Silsila. But one can say the same for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. |
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Hrishikesh
Mukherjee
His popularity was also due to the sensitivity and a benign aura that pervaded his films and made immediate connect with the audience. Mukherjee has over 40 Hindi films to his credit. In an industry which is known more for its romance, violence and song-dance sequences, Mukherjee works instead focused on the myriad emotions of ordinary Indians and mirrored his socialist values. This is what set him apart. Without being aggressively experimental or ostentatiously avant garde in form, theme or treatment, many of Mukherjee's films have charmed audiences and critics alike. Most of his characters inhabited a middle-class, urban, educated milieu and lightly wear an air of high morality and intrinsic geniality. His debut film as a director was Musafir (1957), which was episodic in structure. However commercial and critical success came with Anari (1959) starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan. But his best work undoubtedly remains Anand (1970), a film which depicted great compassion, a delicate balance between hope and fear, between life and death and is probably Rajesh Khanna best performance. It was also the launching platform for Amitabh Bachchan, as for the first time brought to fore his acting talent in the role of a doctor who overcomes cynicism after meeting the patient. The 1970s saw Mukherjee at his best with films like Guddi (1971), Bawarchi (1972), Abhimaan (1973), Namak Haram (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975), Golmaal (1979) and Khubsoorat(1980). All revealing the filmmaker understanding of middle-class mentality and the fine portrayal. The way he poked gentle fun at its outworn values, its failings and foibles, and incited his audience to think. But this new genre of films that Mukherjee started could not last longer and by the 1980s his brand of filmmaking in a way died out. He did try a comeback with Jhoot Bhole Kawa Kaate (1999) but the film was both a critical and commercial failure, which also happened to be his last film. However, Mukherjee gave cinema lovers some well-made films which became milestones in Indian cinema. He also worked as writer for many films, including Namak Haram, Abhimaan, Bawarchi and Guddi. He was also involved as editor with 15 films. He won the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1999 and Padmavibhushan for his contribution to the Indian cinema. And indelible mark that he left on Indian cinema with his style of direction and view of life will always be remembered. |
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AFTER
a bold portrayal of live-in relationships in Kunal Kohli’s Salaam Namaste,
Karan Johar’s latest venture Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna goes a step ahead
to justify extra-marital relationships.
ACE
filmmaker, Hrishikesh Mukherjee or Hrishida as he was fondly known, who
could make his audience laugh or cry through his character portrayal passed
away on 27 August leaving behind a rich and memorable legacy of films. He
was known not merely for the clean and wholesome entertainment they provided
but for the standards that he as a filmmaker set for the industry.