Ki & Ka

If all went reversed in society, men at home, women in office, how would it be? Well, of course, this movie just focusses on a single couple but it's an interesting take. It started slow, brought comedy and a cheesy ending. I wouldn't say it's worth a watch but curiosity is what made me watch this one. :)

PEACE OUT !!!

Ki and Ka has one hell of an interesting premise.

Kareena Kapoor aka Kia doesn't want to get married and have kids as that will ruin her career while Arjun Kapoor aka Kabir is very happy to play the house husband with no ambitions inspite being from a wealthy family and B School topper. They get married but how long will this last?

The 1st half of the movie is fun filled. The way Kabir and Kia meet. Kabir is not the usual Hindi hero; he cries and tells Kia that housewife is an artist. How Kabir convinces her to marry him? How Kabir takes over running the house and becomes a favorite of all the ladies in the apartment. Frankly, the 1st half is simply awesome.

Its when the 2nd half starts that the cracks arise in the marriage and that when the movie starts to sink. The problem in 2nd half is that Balki and his co writer Virmani have no clue how to take the movie forward. So there is a stupid scene of Kia worried that she is pregnant and takes multiple pregnancy tests.

And, finally to ensure that there is a dramatic end they turn the film into a very old Amitabh Bachchan classic called Abhimaan. The only difference is here Kia gets jealous of Kabir's success. There is also one stupid mandatory fight scene to show that Kabir is still a man. Seriously !!

Very ironically, when the movie loses steam, Balki takes help of Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan who stared in Abhimaan and comes with a nice interesting piece between them. Both the actors steal the show in the 10 mins they have but those 10 mins also makes the viewer think about marriage and roles a husband and wife play.

Which also brings me to the question of what Balki was thinking while writing the movie? The problem with Ki and Ka is that Balki takes the story very seriously. If he wrote the 2nd half as the 1st which is fun filled and less preachy, this film would have been a cracker.

The film is also watchable because of its leads. Kareena Kapoor proves to us what a fabulous and talented actress she is. The fact that she ends up signing blockbusters with minuscule roles is the sad part of her career. I hope she concentrates more on the roles she signs because she is still capable of giving Deepika and Kangana a run for their money.

Arjun Kapoor also does a commendable job and is at ease playing the house husband who never looses his cool. I don't believe any other actor who have risked is career but Arjun takes it and shines.

And, finally both the Kapoors share one hell of a chemistry on screen which also lights up the movie.

However, I believe Ki and Ka could have been a landmark film for Hindi Cinema had Balki got the idea correct. He misses the plot and for me its an opportunity lost.

‪#‎Ki‬&Ka: I wanted to give it 7; but my wife demanded little more. We argued, we debated, and then we finally settled for 7.25/5.

And I guess that's the only essence of this brilliant ‪#‎love‬, ‪#‎relationship‬ movie from R.Balki, which is somewhere between traditional and modern, yet loaded with highly practical, anti-age- old advice for those who think that being in a relationship is actually tough (or easy!)

Overall, I would describe the movie as a mixture of several Bollywood movies of this genre; as if R.Baliki is giving an ode to all previous directors: It has the pride and ego of Abhimaan, the wit, intellectuality from Bawarchi; the complexities and subtle emotions from Saathiya as well as the dark, mysterious elements of love from Hum Tum. R Balki has picked up ingredients from these movies, reversed the protagonists and the conflicts and presented via ‪#‎KiKa‬.

If Kareena Kapoor is the burning deity of hardcore feminism in this movie, then Arjun Kapoor is the epitome of gender equality and the evangelist and advocate against running the 'race'. Watch it with a pinch of salt, and get immersed in the awesomeness of food-porn, get bewitched by the portrayal of a successful blogger, and some untraditional, out of the box experiments which A-list stars seldom try out.

Watch it with an open mind, remembering the fact that the director had earlier given us path-breaking cinema like Cheeni Kum, Pa & English Vinglish. Ki&Ka won't change your life; but yes, it will seep an idea about the 'positive' change all right!

7.25/10

Director and writer Mr. R. Balki successfully breaks the established norms of gender biased society. He enhances the concept with adding perfect shots and churning out right expressions from actors. Story line is thin but screenplay and dialogues make it lovely. You can witness freshness in approach even from beginning of film. The way they meet and introduced on screen. The way Kia takes to meet Kabeer to her mother is good and the way Kabeer father reacts being introduced Kia by Kabeer and her reply is fantastic. When Kabeer catches maid red handed, the way this scenes handled is appropriate for the premise, even she is not fired but warned in cute way. Kabeer father wishing him Happy birth day is quirky but it shows the equation between father and son and it gets justified and enhances the climax. Perfect example of establishing characters and using it in proper way. Kabeer and Kia heated argue culmination is very good. Even the guest appearance of Mr. Amitabh Bachhan is very entertaining. His expressions are awesome and this plot is also used to realizing Kia's over reactions. Pre climax dialogues by Kia's mother about justification of gender with work is very good. Climax is emotional and impressive. Only drawback in this film is, its 30 minutes of second half which is full of montages and in films ads, promoting lots of brands in non creative and stuffed way. It slow the movie pace up to level of boring. Performance wise Kareena Kapoor is fabulous. Arjun Kapoor is endearing and balanced. Swaroop Sampat as Kia mother is very good. Rajat Kapoor as Kabeer father is good. Music wise "High heel Par Nache" is peppy and foot tapping.

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!