Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)

I respect Karan Johar. He is an honest director. There are a lot of young directors out there today that are taking the Hollywood approach to film making and the end result is a mish mash of a desi product in a foreign packaging. Karan Johar, on the other hand, takes a desi story, puts it in a desi package but only refines it more than most others do. What you get is a very good Bollywood movie that has elements of emotion, melodrama, comedy, family values, romance and music in equal doses. Yes, I admit that the story does leave a lot of questions unanswered, but that's OK considering the desired target market is one that is alright with that and sheds expectations of credibility before walking in to the cinema.

K3G is a beautiful example of what a good director can do. Agreed, the movie may not have been as great without the power star cast, but then, let us not forget that before those people are stars, they are very good actors. Well, except maybe Kareena and Hritik.

This is where the minus points are. Hritik did nothing but weep perpetually. Kareena played an overbearing slut. And to top it off, she and her friends all spoke American slang and also had that slight twang of an American accent. (PHAT: Pretty Hot And Tempting?? That's ghetto lingo!) And I really didn't like the national anthem thing. i felt it was a little pushed. I think KJ went a little overboard there in trying to make the NRI audience cry. The only time that trick has worked effectively was years ago in "naam" when Pankaj Udhas sang the "Chitthi Aayi Hai" song.

There are certain scenes that I found really well done in the movie. The last time Rahul meets Rohan before the latter goes off to boarding school, he has a talk with him about taking care of Mum, losing weight and joining he cricket team. They are sitting on a bench, side by side having this talk. Years later, in the second half of the movie, after Rahul realizes that his brother has been living with him all this while, the scene again cuts to them sitting on a bench, this time ten years later. It could've been shot anywhere, but the fact that the setting is so similar just makes it even more memorable.

The scene where Nandini (mom) meets Rahul after years at the shopping mall, she places her hand on his shoulder and he turns around. Wow.

And the finale of course. Amitabh breaking down with SRK.

One mustn't expect great international cinema here. this is what great Bollywood is all about.