Review of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

A four-hour emotional torture, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a masala mix that is sure to either make you split your sides laughing at its stupidity, or it would probably make you weep your heart out (if you belong to the category of people who usually cry at movies). With an amazing star cast, the movie has been attracting large audiences, but whether it is going to be as big a commercial success as it was expected to be is another question.

The film starts off with Jaya Bachchan (the traditional maa) hugging a poor kid to pieces for a full five minutes during the titles. The kid obviously grows up to be Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) who is the adopted son of Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan) and Nandini (Jaya Bachchan). At the age of eight, Rahul discovers that he is adopted, but is mature enough to appreciate the gesture and feels 'indebted' to papa and maa. A year later, Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) is born and the two brothers are taught to follow the khaandaan ki parampara (family traditions) to the T.

Raichand happens to be so rigid about family traditions that he sends both his sons to boarding school just because his father and grandfather studied in boarding school and so did he. What's more ridiculous is the fact that his sons travel only by private choppers and chartered jets. As the film progresses, you get an overdose of Punjabi culture and a few silly dance numbers in addition to a wee bit of overacting by Shah Rukh kkkkkk… Khan and Kajol. Our mushy Mr. Khan falls hopelessly in love with a financially backward girl Anjali (Kajol) and when papa is against the match, he promptly takes off to London, breaking ties with his foster parents.

The theme of the movie revolves around Rohan's (Hrithik's) attempt to bring Rahul bhaiyya back to India and unite him with the family. Kareina Kapoor adds some spice to the movie with a great deal of overacting and some comic scenes playing 'Pooh,' the eternally popular college student in a London college (yet another of Karan Johar's unbelievable antics) and Kajol's younger sister. Pooh naturally falls in love with the hunk Rohan who loves her passionately in return with a generous amount of hip-shaking dances.

The film has some good music by Jatin-Lalit and Aadesh Shrivastva, with some truly hummable numbers like Bole churiyaan bole kangana and Dekha tumko jabse. Jaya Bachchan has done total justice to her role and if you happen to be the emotional type, you will surely shed a tear or two during the touching maa-beta (mother-son) sequences. Amitabh gives a repeat of his performance in Mohabatein, with the parampara concept stretched a little too far for comfort.

Rani Mukherjee, Farida Jalal, Sushma Seth, Johny Lever, Alok Nath and a few others appear in very brief roles, adding some color to the movie, if not anything else.

All in all, a below average film, that seems to drag on and on, making you feel you lost a few years of your life in the theater.