Whether it is about giving a new interpretation to love, a new twist to friendship or a better understanding of relationship, filmmaker Karan Johar does it with the much ease and much-needed style and glamour. The ace director has had a dream run at the Box Office, courtesy the number of takers he has found for his family dramas which has invariably celebrated the unity in the family. But he decided to enter an unfamiliar, high-risk domain with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. As the film completes its glorious 10 years, we tell you why the film will always be remembered for its mature marital-infidelity story.
At a time when filmmakers were happily showing marriages with a happily-ever-after portrait of the couple, Johar opted for a much realistic portrayal. Even though the film was based on the sanctity of marriage, not even once did it cash in on the childlike goodness that we expect in every relationship. Since all through the 80s and 90s, Hindi films had focused only on the importance of joint family, where each member respected, adored the other, leaving no room for conflicts and misunderstanding, here was a film which wasn’t just putting the moral values of Indian culture on a pedestal.
Agreed, the film had all the archetypal Johar characteristic – designer ensembles, Bollywood biggies and set-piece songs and a super huge budget (over $10 million), but this emotional drama came with no immature sequences, and frills. And this precisely the reason why the filmmaker didn’t disappoint the audiences.
For the uninitiated, the film, based in New York, revolved around the story of Dev (Shah Rukh Khan), a man who suffers a setback in his career as a soccer player after he meets with an accident that leaves him with a limp. Since his wife (Preity Zinta) has a soaring professional life, he is frustrated, disillusioned and clearly offended. But it is his meeting with Maya (Rani Mukerji), that helps him realize the need to solve their crumbling marriages but end up falling for each other. Since the plot was an interesting blend of conflicts, dissatisfied parents, hurt spouses and divorce, the pertinent questions that the film raised were numerous.
What would you do when you realize that you are married to the wrong person? What would you do when you find your soulmate even when you are married? Is it sane to give up a relationship just to be with the person you think you should be spending the rest of your life? Is it right to give marriages a second chance despite mistakes?
So what if the film made many feel uncomfortable? We should be happy that it put forth the mature and convincing storyteller in Johar. Even as he took a perilous topic he managed to offer several moments we would relate to and remember for years.
Not a typical family film, KANK was planned for a mature viewers who had no qualms in embracing the idea of not compromising in marriage to find contentment and love.
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