Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

The 2001 romantic Bollywood drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ("Happiness and Tears") proved to be even more successful than Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the highest-grossing Indian film of all time and one that was also directed by Karan Johar. Starring veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan and wife Jaya, this tells the story of an Indian family who live in palatial comfort but who are riven when the eldest, adopted son Rahul marries Anjali (Kajol) a feisty and attractive woman but whose "lower breeding" causes his father to disapprove of her. Breaking his mother's heart, Rahul moves to Britain with Anjali before younger brother Rohan tries to go after him and end 10 years of estrangement to reunite the family.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is packed with contemporary trappings and production values but is in every way a traditional and generic Hindi movie. Those new to Bollywood might be disconcerted by some of the fashion statements or the mixture of drawn-out, lachrymose melodrama and slightly overplayed comedy-romantic interplay between Rahul and Anjali. There are also some scenes around Leicester Square and Westminster that are almost insulting in their stereotyping of hot, swinging London. However, K3G--as it has become affectionately known--is a riot of joyful color, music and choreography (an embarrassing version of "It's Raining Men" is an exception). This is not a crossover movie, perhaps but a sumptuous treat for Bollywood fans. --David Stubbs Amazon.com

Beautiful, but highly melodramatic

K3G was the first Bollywood film I saw, and my viewing it resulted in my thorough addiction to the genre. I spent almost four hours watching this family drama, the singing and dancing, and all the beautiful actors and actresses and was completely mesmerized by the sheer pageantry of the film. The so-so story is essentially two different love stories, set against the backdrop of intense family pressures and cultural issues unique to life as an NRI (non-resident Indian). As with all Karan Johar movies, there is plenty of crying and melodrama, but a happy ending. K3G is an Indian blockbuster that stars six of the biggest film stars in the Bollywood industry and features unusual, exquisite scenery and expensive, lavish costumes. The songs, in particular, are gorgeous eye candy.

My main complaint about this film arises from several years of watching Hindi cinema, in that the melodrama and pat dialogues of this movie become less moving and more annoying over time. However, I still recommend this movie as a nice, entertaining film and a fine overall introduction into the spectacle of Bollywood movies. While it's not one of the best for either acting or story (despite winning several awards in the year of its release), K3G is still a solid Karan Johar production that is easy to watch and likely to lead to a Bollywood addiction. July 10, 2008

Singing, dancing and happy endings- welcome to Bollywood!

It's interesting that so many of the reviewers of this movie have Western names. It looks like Bollywood is starting to gain a non-Indian following in America, and why should we be surprised? Bollywood is fun! Unlike most of the dreadful foreign films that art house lemmings go into raptures over, Americans like Bollywood films for their inherent entertainment value, not because some elite of turtleneck-wearing professors or New York film critics discerns genius in the muddled hallucinations of some Italian gasbag. In Bollywood, Americans can enjoy the kinds of movies that Hollywood used to produce, while learning about a different culture. Of course, the main thing we learn about that culture is that Indian people frequently break out into song and perform lavish dance routines in the street, but still, there are fascinating nuggets of cultural education here. Besides that though, the subject matter of Bollywood films have a universal appeal: love and marriage, family problems, tradition and modernity- and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham has those themes in spades, along with some catchy tunes ("Say Shava Shava" for one), spectacular dance numbers and good clean fun. This movie is a bit long, but still a great introduction to Bollywood for non-Indians. June 23, 2007

A Treat From Beginning To End

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (translated to: Sometimes there is happiness, sometimes there is sadness) is a story about relationships between parents and children, between husband and wife and between siblings. This movie has a great cast, wonderful songs and a good storyline. The acting across the board is great with Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachan being the stand out stellar performances. The character development is excellent, you can completely identify with the characters. The chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol is believable and touching. Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan's pair is funny and nice also.

The first half of the movie is flashback. The first half of the movie is pretty good overall with a little lull in between. There are some emotional scenes and some funny ones. The second half is perfect. It will make you alternate between laughing out loud or crying in some scenes.

The only criticisms I have with this movie is Johnny Lever is annoying in the first half (he doesn't come in the second half thank goodness) and Kajol overacts at being Punjabi in the first half a little. This movie is like a breath of fresh air after watching "Family Stone" and other American movies where people have sex and/or great drunk or alternately "fall in love" after one meeting and there is no character development or a sense of love on a mental or emotional level. In Bollywood and in Hollywood directors seem to think less character development or the less wholesome a story the better. But in reality after seeing how much people like this movie or wonderful American movies like Secondhand Lions, movie producers and directors should understand that there is still an audience for these kinds of family oriented movies.
December 23, 2006

One of the best Bollywood films I have seen!

I am an avid Bollywood fan, and yes, though that may sound strange (since Bollywood films are typically stereotyped as plotless and pointless), it is who I am and I can't change it. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not bored by the several, monotonous storylines of "boy-gets-girl". Of course, there are always a few exceptions that stand out from the typical trend. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a shining example. Karan Johar's direction is truly amazing, and the acting is unbeatable. If Johar had cast anybody else to play any of the characters in this film, I doubt it would have been the same. That doesn't mean the film relies heavily on acting. The plot and direction individually are enough to carry the film through. The cinematography is first-rate, and each camera angle seems to have a special, radiant beauty. Overall, a noble endeavor that has resulted in an awesome film. No wonder it was such a big success! June 8, 2006

National Geographic said it best when they said, "Shah Rukh Khan is God" (Feb 2005 issue)

I have watched this movie at least a million times,and I still think it's perfect. Maybe that's one of the great things about Bollywood. There's literally something for everybody in just about every movie, but none more so than this one.

If you are new to Bollywood, you must watch the Holy Trinity, in the following order, and I promise you will be hooked for life. First, DDLJ, or Diwale Dulhania de la Jayenge, or whatever it is. It is the most popular film in the history of the world, and that's a fact. That one stars the same couple as in this film, and there is absolutely no point ever discussing on-screen chemistry after you have seen Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol together. They are--why mince words? perfect. Then you must see Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. You will catch some cool references to DDLJ, and you will see a sexier and more mature Kajol, and SRK is quite different than in DDLJ--he is thinner, more mature, and much handsomer, though he is pretty insufferable in the first part of the movie.

That's another point I'd like to make about Bollywood movies for you non-Desi newcomers to the fold. Each movie is really two movies: there is the fluff in the first half, and then things really get going in the second half. Remember this when you are ready to pull the plug halfway through the first half. Fast forward through the unbearable parts but stay with it. Things are going to get better. Much. Much. Better.

Anyway, turning to the movie at hand, KKKG: Having watched the previous two SRK-Kads starrers, you can now fully appreciate the musical references to KKHH and even DDLJ. But that's just one of the treats in store for you. This movie is indescribably rich and beautiful on so many levels. Don't miss it. It makes a great family entertainment, too--nothing anyone could find remotely objectionable. Everyone I've forced to watch it has without fail become hooked for life just like I am. Like the greatest works of art, you will be changed forever after you see it. Before I discovered these three films, I pretty much hated movies, but now I can honestly say K3G is my favorite movie of all time! June 7, 2006

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