You might want to kill me for saying this.
BUT I LIKED the film KANK aka Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
It isn’t really about infidelity, loveless marriages or failure as much as it is about incompatibility in romantic relationships. And this issue is relevant today, more than ever in Indian society because the divorce rates are soaring like the temperature.
I never could relate to Karan’s previous films which dripped corny. I would say that even this KANK is a wee bit corny and you have glam getups and fashionable sets. However, I don’t see that as a problem because the film explores a specific relationship issue in depth. As for the fanfare, that seems to be a part and parcel of the Karan kitty.
In KANK nothing is black and white, no one is wrong or right. There are many shades of grey, there’s sensitivity, there’s passion, there’s angst, there’s frustration, people make mistakes, people get hurt, people forgive…all these elements make up real life. The dialogues had me in splits for the first half. The second half I personally found unpredictable.
Relationships especially in an urbane context seem so complex and I cannot look towards someone from another generation to set the benchmark. How do I know this is the right person for me? Or do I embrace a relationship because I feel lonely, bored or both? The bottom-line: We are often driven to accept relationships, because we feel — what if I never find love? We play it safe and tread on our toes. Or we throw ourselves into one crazy liasion after another and end up being cynical and jaded.
The answers sometimes they exist between the covers of a book, somtimes in a cryptic tarot reading, sometimes real life springs up an insight. It’s a journey of discovery with bits and peices coming together slowly but surely. KANK did add a little to this jigsaw puzzle.
As my editor (who liked the film) says: This film is meant for an older audience.
And by older I suppose he means those who are in their late 20’s and above. However, I think younger audiences should see this film cause it does bring home a couple of home truths about relationships, marriage, the whole shebang.
I usually don’t like Shah Rukh onscreen. But I think he did a good job as a character to has been shortchanged by life and his own choices. The rest of the cast was great too.
