Dec 08, 2003 08:27 PM
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(Updated Dec 08, 2003 08:27 PM)
Kal Ho Na Ho (2003)
Cast : Saif Ali Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Jaya Bachan, Sushma Seth, Lilet Dubey, Rajpal Yadav, Sonali Bendre, Sanjay Kapoor.
Director/Producer : Nikhil Advani/Dharma Productions.
Synopsis : Love triangle between Rohit Patel (Saif Ali), Naina (Preity) and Aman (SRK), set in New York.
The Review :
Kal Ho Na Ho had generated an amazing amount of pre-release hype. First, it was penned by Karan Johar, and second it was coming from the Dharma Productions stable. The cast is incredible, and the music decent and pleasant enough like most Dharma movies.
Kal Ho Na Ho starts of on an interesting note with narration by Preity Zinta. Nikhil Advani has handled the introductory scenes with aplomb. The monologue-style introduction to each character is unique and very different indeed.
Saif Ali Khan's introductory scene is simply creative, to say the least.
The movie has many high points, some emotional, some funny. The main highlights are the sub-plots that revolve around each character. The Jaya Bachchan-Sushma Seth track is a little loud, but very natural. Kuddos to Sushma Seth for infusing life in the otherwise typical bad mom-in-law character.
On the funnier side of it, Satish Shah provides many genuine laughs with his Patel character. So do Rajpal Yadav, and the aging yet seductive Lilet Dubey. The Shahrukh-Saif gay misunderstanding is handled very well by the director.
On the performance front, Preity Zinta takes the laurels for acting our her part in a deft yet convincing manner. The transformation from an uptight individual to a carefree one is perfectly played by Zinta.
Saif Ali Khan is a revelation. He does so well in his character, and has his dialogue delivery is so natural, that he steals the thunder from SRK in some scenes. His wit would surely be met with lots of applaudes.
Shahrukh Khan, although an actor of fine caliber, seems to be type-cast in tragic roles now. He tends to over act a bit, and still sufferes from the Devdas hangover. He does light up the screen with his presence, but could have sobered down on the acting front. He irritates at times, with his nosey attitude in the movie. I could garner more sympathy for Rohit's rejection than for Aman's end towards the climax of the movie.
On the whole Kal Ho Na Ho is a simple story said through the eyes of a very creative and able first-timer : Nikhil Advani. Advani's direction makes Kal Ho Na Ho stand out from the two previous Johar films that we have been bombarded with. Although Karan Johar penned the script, Nikhil Advani has fused that with his vision. Apart from an annoying performance by SRK, watch the movie for Nikhil's direction and the performances by the rest of the cast.
