KANK: Why do I like this movie?

I just watched Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna again. And I liked it. again. For my non-Indian readers KANK as it is called was a much panned Bollywood film made by one of India's most successful Directors but which was heavily criticized for its depiction (justification??) of extra-marital affairs. I liked the movie the first time I saw it and I liked it again the second time. I feel its the coming of age of Karan Johar. He's taken a very mature topic and done justice to it without pandering to the box-office. The usual hindi movie is a story in black and white. You have the hero and the heroine (good guys) who meet each other, dont get along, then fall in love and have to battle a disapproving set of parents, fiances, assorted wierdos (bad guys). However, they do so by taking the moral high ground, never compromising on the traditional indian values and finally conquer all. Then ends the movie and all indian families go home contented and overdosed on butter and sugar - from the cokes.

I like KANK because it shows the world as it is - in grey. It tells it as it is. That we all have our moments of triumph and failure. Moments where we know we are doing the wrong things but we go ahead and do them because -- well we're selfish. Every character in KANK is shown with shades of grey. It's unclear who the hero (or heroine is) and its a story I personally understand. I don't think I would ever be in the situation the couples in the story fall into and I don't want to judge but I understand how they could have made the choices they made, how they would have justified it to themselves and how those demons within rear their head when you least expect them to. I like KANK because Karan does not trivialize such a serious topic by doing the obvious- making AB Jr. and Preity fall in love (Admit it all my indian readers, you were expecting him to do that.) That shows how conditioned we are to expect things as part of a bollywood movie. I like KANK because at its core it shows love for what it can be - irrational and irresponsible.

Whew!! there I have done it. Blogged after 2 months. Cheers,