Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa

I have watched this movie over 20 times. But i don't think that it's a GREAT movie. It's just a fairly good movie. Simple, to the point, slightly comedic, slightly romantic, slightly heart-warming. But I have watched it over 20 times. The reason is Shahrukh Khan.

This was Shahrukh before Baazigar, before Darr and more importantly, before DDLJ. This was Shahrukh Khan raw. This was him before the audiences found him lovable and adored him. This was him before he was able to floor girls with just a look and a smile. This was SRK before he became a star.

As said by another reader, SRK breathes life into the character of Sunil. Sunil is a guy we all know, we all are. He is the common man. He has weaknesses, he isn't rich, or particularly handsome and he's sometimes willing to go the wrong way to achieve something.

The movie is filled with ridiculous situations (the Chinese theme bar!!!) and characters (Anthony Gomez) but SRK fights it all and shines through. I recommend this movie to all people who watch SRK today and say that he keeps doing the same kind of roles. It is a brilliant performance.

Being such huge fans of 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron' I still remember the excitement when we (some friends and I) went to watch this movie. It was after a gap of 10 years that Kundan Shah had come out with a movie and we couldn't wait to watch it. Though we found 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naan' to be OK but were disappointed as it was nothing like 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron'. But I give credit to Kundan Shah for his judgment on not trying to repeat 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaron' again because it is difficult to recreate magic.

Caught 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naan' on cable couple of years later and since this time I knew what to expect, I quite enjoyed the film. I watched it again and this time I enjoyed it more. That's the thing about this movie; it grows on you. It's like a friendly face in the neighborhood that the more you see the more you like. Now I consider this as one of my favorite movies that I can watch from any point and enjoy it.

It's the story of youth with all its elements; the unrequited love, the ambition to do something different, the generation gap etc. But it is the characters and situations that are so real and so delightful that you can identify with most of them from your own personal life. The humor is subtle and will make you smile and at the most chuckle. Performance wise everyone does a fine job. Jatin Lalit's music is melodious and pleasant, but I must admit that I have a bias against Kumar Sanu's voice so I would have preferred someone else to sing the songs.

Best Shahrukh Khan movie (swades follows closely) till date. This movie was shot during his pre-Baazigar days and you can see rawness in his acting. Even Shahrukh admits that this is his best film. He played the role of Sunil to a T. Though the character had negative shades it was loved by all. It was also Kundan's Hindi film after a long time (the first being Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron). He brought many actors of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron like Naseer, Satish Shah, Ravi Baswani into this film. The songs were also amazing. Among the best Jatin Lalit albums. Songs like Ae Kaash Ke Hum, Deewana Dil Deewana are still remembered for its freshness.

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa is the story of Sunil (Shahrukh Khan), the girl he loves, Anna (Suchitra Krishnamurty) and the guy she loves, Chris (Deepak Tijori). Sunil, realizing the budding relationship between Anna and Chris decides to take things into his own hands by trying to create rifts between the two and taking advantage of the situations to woo Anna himself. Supporting these three are Sunil's family, his musical friends (look a little closer and you'll see Ashutosh Gowarikar among them) and also the local Father (Naseeruddin Shah) who acts as Sunil's mentor.

This may sound like a very simple and typical love triangle, which it is. What makes it different is Sunil. His character is one that is rarely seen in Indian cinema, yet not unfamiliar to us because we've met hundreds of Sunils in our lifetime. We ourselves might be a Sunil. He is that real. He has no great physical strength (Shahrukh in 93? puny!), or great intelligence (he failed the same class several times)or great wealth (his father is a mechanic). He is a regular Joe trying to get the girl he loves.

Sunil happens to be Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa's greatest asset. We see everything and everyone through his eyes which makes his world real to us. The things he does are things we might do when in love. What he ultimately does in the end might reflect on who many of us really are on the inside: simple people who love their family and friends.

A lot of people believe Shahrukh Khan became an actor with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge in '95. The truth is that he was well on his way to becoming a legend in Indian cinema with this movie. He IS Sunil. He breathes life into the role making it much more than just a character in a story, he brings Sunil to life, he brings Sunil to us. He is brilliant. Just watch the film.

Shahrukh Khan is not where he is today without a reason. He is one of the most natural and talented actors Indian cinema has seen. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa is a true example of his ability to create a character so simple yet so memorable. Though such films do not always work out commercially for him, Khan is always at his very best in roles like this, where he plays the ordinary and simple middle-class guys, who are romantic and witty, generous and lighthearted, vulnerable and yet ever so optimistic. That's what represents Sunil, a character so real and so easy to relate to. He badly loves a girl who does not love him the way he would want her to, he is an average student, and most of his efforts to find romance are unsuccessful. Sunil is partly a comic, partly a tragic character, and Khan injects it with so much energy, realism and passion that you don't really feel it is an actor playing a part. That's what makes this character unforgettable and this performance an all-time great.

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa is actually about what life is. Sometimes you get something, sometimes you don't; sometimes it hurts, but in the end, you learn to come to terms with it. Kundan Shah's direction is outstanding. He brilliantly portrays all the aspects of Sunil's life, if it's his relationships, his love, his hope or despair. The dialogues are well-written and the film is realistic throughout. The music is beautiful and all the songs are absolutely spot on. Though the film belongs to Shahrukh Khan, the entire supporting cast is fantastic, and every actor, from the pretty Suchitra Krishnamoorthi to the ever-great Naseeruddin Shah, does a fine job. Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa is surely an underrated gem. It is a film that will at least partly remind one of oneself and generally has bits every person can relate to. It is a film that I can watch over and over again, and still be excited, saddened and encouraged. It is a film that teaches you how to look at life differently, how to take things as they come and despite the pain, be able to recover with a smile.