Ki & Ka

Ki & Ka review :

In one of the scene's in R. Balki's 'Ki & Ka', Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan playing themselves, discuss gender role reversals. Jaya asks Amitabh if he would have been happy being a homemaker while allowing her to continue acting after their marriage. While the Big B awkwardly retorts that he would be perfectly fine with that arrangement, his face and body language indicate otherwise. That amusing scene pretty much sums up the basic concept of Balki's fourth feature film.

Balki, whose films are invariably driven by concept rather than a strong screenplay, gives a fine twist to the gender expectation set by our society - It's ladKA who earns the bread and the ladKI who applies the butter on it. In a role reversal, Balki's KA or Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) prefers to be the househusband to his KI or Kia (Kareena Kapoor) who toils it out in corporate boardrooms.

They meet each other aboard a boring flight and despite a 3 year age gap (Kia's older to Kabir), decide to be life partners more out of their individual choice. She aspires to be a CEO while he, inspite being an IIM topper, wants to be like his mom. Expectedly, Kabir's billionaire builder dad (Rajit Kapur) throws a fit while Kia's mom (Swaroop Sampat) inquires about their sexual compatibility. Anyways, marriage happens and with it, comes the problems and misunderstandings.....

The story as such, is minimalistic and Balki plays around with situations rather than going for narrative twists and turns. A few sequences are truly amusing like the pregnancy scare and Kabir proudly displaying his mangalsutra as a bracelet. Having said that, Balki's concept appears stretched for a full length feature film. Being an ad film maker, I believe he is used to executing high level concepts within a short time frame and seems to struggle a bit in the second hour by which time he is finished with what he had to say. The second half of Ki & Ka dips and dithers - a flaw I had observed in his previous outing 'Shamitabh' (2015) as well.

More on the flipside count those irritating product endorsements from Kalpataru Towers to Saffola oil to even a pregnancy test kit...yikes. Also, the way Kia's office colleagues accept Kabir as a househusband looks unconvincing. C'mon guys, if my female colleague were to introduce her spouse to me like that, my face would naturally show some amount of surprise. That scene actually had potential to expose the societal gender role bias which was frittered away. The ending also appears to be a rushed up job.

Of the cast, Kareena Kapoor is completely convincing as the go-getter career minded woman. She looks ravishing and also shares a sizzling chemistry with her co-actor. As for Arjun Kapoor, possibly reliving his teenage fantasy about Kareena :), does a fine job as the hubby who likes to chop vegetables at home rather than present powerpoint decks in board meetings. Swaroop Sampat as the open minded mom brings the nostalgia of her 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi' serial (1986) days.

Technically, P. C. Sreeram's cinematography is of the highest order. Music by maestro Illaiya Raja and couple of others fits the mood of the film. Editing by Chandan Arora could have been better.

To sum up, Ki & Ka works more at concept level though not everyone will subscribe to it. Eminently likeable through it's 126 minute duration, this gender blender is recommended to all the Ki's and Ka's who frequent high end multiplexes for their weekend entertainment.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

A love story about the reversal of gender roles. It was really a new and amazing experience to watch a new story. Thanks the writer of the movie R. Balki for his direction and story.

Kareena Kapoor is really struggling hard to come back in Bollywood. Arjun as always his acting is really nice and clean.

There is so much to be said about changing roles in today's Asia, and films would do well to reflect on this great churn.

The Music lacks the energy that most of people expect from a new-age romance drama. High Heels remains to be the best song from the album while Ji Huzoori and Most Wanted Munda seem average. I am going with a 2.5/5 for the Music album of Ki and Ka.

Overall Nice movie. Watch, Enjoy your weekend

Ki & Ka – Breaking age old conventions & social conditionings! The female is Kia and the male is Kabir – Hence Ki & Ka.

About Male –

Son of a filthy rich real estate bizman. Father had a belittling attitude towards mother and thought she did nothing at home apart from sitting idle! Well, since they were filthy rich....there is not much that a wife does – apart from shopping, playing Mahjong, attending kitty parties etc....unless of course the Bizman was struggling during his youth and was surviving on measly salary – then the wife really comes handy – she buys food/ vegetables herself, washes utensils, clothes, cooks etc. – even then the members of the family think that she is not good enough! All the good-for-nothingness of the wife get further more exaggerated if there is a mother-in-law around (MIL hereinafter). You see many MILs cannot tolerate the fact that some unknown stranger female will come and have a good and comfortable time at her house! MILs often compare their days of youth with the present day and try to torture the daughter-in-law (DIL hereinafter) just as she was humiliated or tortured when she was a newly wed bride...anyways, I am diverting from the main story! Read on... So Kabir had witnessed the humiliating attitude of his father since childhood and was very upset about it. He was intelligent in studies so he did manage to finish his MBA from a good Institute. But he did not want to join the rat race – he wanted a cushy job of a home-maker. He wanted to be a 'WIFE'! wow!

About Female –

Kia had lost her father at a very young age. Her mother had to become both father and mother to the child – and we all know how important is money to run the family. Mother therefore gets busy with her profession...and of course also feeding & educating her daughter Kia. They lacked a man-figure in the house. Both of them had become males in the journey of life. Their house appeared as if it was hit by a tornado – unkempt and dishevelled! When Kabir had first visited their house, he even commented if they had a dog at home.....shows how terribly unkempt both the mother daughter were...in spite of a maid !

Story line- So ka and ki meet, Ka tells about how he disrespects his father because all his life he had seen him disrespecting his mother! They go around, try out sex and were probably happy with the outcome of the sex-session...so they decide to get married. Mother of Kia confirms from daughter – right in front of Ka - whether she had had sex with him or not – which is very important for marriage commitment! Really !! So very modern outlook!! Triple WOW!! So the movie is trying to convey to the youths..and adults and the aged...that youngsters should be allowed to have sex before wedlock.

Like male A will have sex with female B – if they are not satisfied with each other sexually, male A will have sex with female C and Female B will try out sex with male D....then Male D, who had tried sex with female F, G & H...and had rejected them all because they were not sassy enough as compared to what he had been watching in triple X blue films, will recommend an orgy session with female B because he is really really confused about his sexual preferences!

Anyways, they get married. Ki already had a beautiful flat but after all ka was the son of a rich bizman – he had picked up wasteful habits ..so he renovates the entire house and turns it into an 18th century railway station! Yuk! (I certainly would have kicked him out for this.....anyways pretty far fetched thought – I would never have agreed to such a stupid proposal...maybe because I have had a very normal childhood and I know the difference and importance of both father figure and mother figure in one's life.....and my mother was a very dominating personality.... she dominated with love..and no one in his or her sane mind would ever meddle with the source of sheer, selfless, unconditional love!) Maid Servant episode There is a scene where the maid arrives and thinking that all the family members must have gone to office, calls over her boyfriend to have sex in the AC room! Ka did not drive her away....but politely asked her if she had changed the bed-sheets after having sex ! Wow! Such an understanding kewl dude....the AC is on for 3-4 hours as long as she works, she watches TV and even keeps the house unkempt (remember the 1st time kabir visited the house, it looked like a kennel?) and all that the master of the house..no mistress of the house...whatever – had to say was 'Please change the bedsheets, Thankyou.'!! Gosh! Such creeps – devil knows what Bollywood tries to prove by showing such behaviour towards the wrong doer!

This film is basically a kick on the mouth of those women who consider it lowly to be a housewife and have joined the rat race...esp. to compete with men! Ka showed that recognition and fame, that humans hanker for, could be achieved by being a good home maker too! Ka starts making home cooked, healthy food videos and he becomes more famous than Ki. They fight...then make up at the end.

Story over.

R.Balki's 'Ki & Ka' is innovative, progressive & amusing. This film breaks the stereotype of the hero-heroine concept & offers an all new approach. Its far from perfect, but it has a good heart & the narrative holds at most times.

'Ki & Ka' follows of how A young couple's (Kareena & Arjun) marriage challenges the gender roles placed upon men and women in Indian society.

'Ki & Ka' is about a man who enjoys being a house-husband & a women who proudly runs the house. Its a fresh thought & Balki's Writing offers enough scope for humour & some drama. Its amusing to watch this brand new take on romance & society unfold in those 124-minutes. The first-hour is nicely balanced on how its protagonists meet & their subsequent sudden their marriage, but the second-hour slows down & the jealously angle from the lady's point of view, when the man becomes a craze for his uniqueness, doesn't really work. In fact, 'Ki & Ka' has a breezy first-hour & sets things right up, but the second-hour loses pace, as the proceedings become loose. However, things come back on a track, as the finale, is cute.

Balki's Screenplay is engaging at most parts, but a sharper & more convincing second-hour would've elevated the narrative. Blake's Direction is competent, as always. Cinematography is well-done, although a few frames are distracting. Editing is neat. Music by Various Artists is wonderful. Art & Costume Design are good.

Performance-Wise: Kareena & Arjun make for a good on-screen couple. Kareena shines from start to end, enacting the part of an authoritative wife with remarkable conviction. Arjun is extremely likable as the loving, younger husband. Also, the on-screen chemistry between the two, is exciting. In supporting roles, Swaroop Sampat is adorable as Kareena's lovable mom, while Rajit Kapur is perfect as Arjun's miffed dad. Amitabh & Jaya Bachchan are delightful in cameos.

On the whole, 'Ki & Ka' dares to be different & yet it doesn't forget to entertain. Recommended!

"Hello! My name is Kabir and I am a house wife (husband)" is the main theme of this movie. This movie is a negative mask, that converts every right perspectives, traits, norms and ethics into an opposite. Mr Balki has once again come up with an innovative,fresh and yet slightly controversial topic as before. The movie focuses on marriage lives in subcontinent but in a never seen before manner. Ka(Arjun Kapoor) Ki (Kareena Kapoor) is a married couple in which Ki(Kareena) plays the husband and Ka(Arjun) plays the wife. The story emphasize that it is not mandatory for women only to stay at home and perform domestic tasks while assigning the outer duties to the male partner rather the same can be implemented in an entirely opposite way. This situation creates a natural comic angle and curiosity in the movie that is maintained till the end. A husband has been shown supporting his wife while staying at home and doing house keeping so that his wife can fulfill her dreams and becomes a very successful business woman. But at times success and over commitment of one partner becomes indigestible for the other and this marks the commencement of disputes between them leading towards more problems. Kareena and Arjun Kapoor has done a fabulous job by doing complete justice to their roles. Kareena Kapoor has appeared so fresh after a long time since "Jab We Met". A short cameo by "Big B" and "Jiya Bachhan" serves as icing on the cake towards the climax. R. Balki has proved his direction abilities and capabilities once again and deserves applause for bringing an altogether new dimension of thinking towards personal relations. A recommended movie to be watched by couples for sake of understanding the value and importance of each others role in real life!!!!