The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : A goodbye won't hurt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 12, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

A goodbye won't hurt

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Hindi)

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan

Director: Karan Johar

Unrequited love. Unanswered prayers. Unsuccessful marriage. Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" has them all. What is missing is the soul. No understated elegance. No actor who is not first a star. Shah Rukh Khan is Shah Rukh, not Dev, the failed footballer. Preity Zinta is not Rhea, the ace fashion editor. Rani Mukerji is Rani, not the nursery teacher Maya she is supposed to play. Stars overshadow the characters and the lead actors, except the Bachchans, are reduced to stars.

Too perfect

Everything is picture perfect. There is so much perfection it stifles free expression. When the actors shed a tear, it trickles down only up to a certain point on the cheek. When the hair gets unruly in anger, all the strands fall at a certain angle! They live in mansions, and make love under silken sheets. Ah, the tyranny of perfection! Now, if we could just experience the joy of human foibles!

The good moments

Sad but true, Karan Johar's film comes to life only once in a while. That is when he remembers that a film is supposed to appeal to the heart, not only pamper the eyes. For those few moments, there is a lump in the throat as Dev and Rhea alternately seek to make their marriage work, and walk out of it. And Maya does the same with Rishi - Abhishek Bachchan in easily the most controlled portrayal among the four lead characters.

As their marriages head for a dead end, Maya and Dev find themselves drawn to each other. Then there are scruples, but there is passion too. There is responsibility towards the spouse, there is a longing for the beloved as well. All interesting situations with some potential for story-telling skills to come to the fore. Not to be. Simply because Karan skims the surface. His never has a grip over his characters, they are all self-limiting and often one-dimensional.

Snip goes missing

Had he shown the guts to show the angst of a failing marriage rather than merely try to capitalise on the charisma of his stars, had Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy's music been more poignant, less hep. And had his editor not gone on a long vacation taking his scissors with him. Really, for all the worth of spectacle, this film needed some dispassionate editing.

Watch it, if you must only for Amitabh Bachchan who packs a punch in his smallish role as the patriarch with a glad eye and loose, ready to drop trousers.

Watch it if you are in love with stars Watch it to know that a woman is like a pearl -- it gleams when it is with somebody else. In no mood or need for such sermons? Good. Say goodbye to "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna".

Ziya Us Salam

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Andhra Pradesh