Tuesday, August 26, 2008

NOTE MAT KARO.........FEEL KARO

FILM NAME: KABHI HAAN...KABHI NAA
STARRING: SHAHRUKH KHAN, SUCHITRA KRISHAMURTHY, NASEERUDDIN SHAH, DEEPAK TIJORI.
DIRECTOR: KUNDAN SHAH
RATINGS:*****

If you watch Shahrukh Khan's films, he has acted similarly in almost all of them. He has played the monotonous character of "Raj/Rahul" innumerable times. But this film is different, Shahrukh Khan goes skin deep in a character called "Sunil" and plays it to perfection. The only other recent film where he broke the steorotype was "Chak De..India."

Sunil is your average "nalayak" neighbour whom you see everyday. He has failed three times in his board exams, he is a pain to his parents, doesnt have any goal in life and one who shamelessly lies and cheats for short term gains.

He is also a member of a struggling local music band. He is madly in love with the only female member of the band, Anna (Sucitra Krishnamurty). He has stiff competition from another member of the band Chris (Deepak Tijori). Chris is a succesful man in life, rich, responsible, never cheats anyone, plays good music and loves Anna too.

Sunil tries all the tricks to get Anna away from Chris. While there is a race to receive Anna at the railway station, he punctures the tyres of Chris's car and reaches before him. Then he shamelessly tells Chris later, "Railway station pe recieve karne ki baat hi kuch aur hoti hai, nahi!" :)

His white lies are not limited to getting Anna only. He nearly bluffs his way in getting his band a chance to play in the local bar. "We played music in Enter the Dragon Club" he says after seeing a photo of Bruce Lee. You will love him for his stupidities.

No matter how much Sunil tries, but Anna gets close to Chris. In one of the parties he sees Anna and Chris getting too intimate for Sunil's comfort. The expression on Sunil's face takes the prize.

Sunil still doesnt give up. He tells Chris that Anna is not a girl of good character. She is a big flirt who has played games with many boys including himself.

Sunil's lies are exposed in front of Anna and he is thrown away from the band.

He tries his level best to get back with his freinds but to no avail. The insults he takes from his friends and Anna makes you feel for the poor guy. The suggestions given to him by Naseeruddin Shah, the priest at local church is heartening. He says "Sunil tum hamesha khidki se kyun jaata hai, darwaza kyun nahi try karta!"

He eventually makes up back to the band by saving his friends from an assault by the rowdy patrons of the pub. He also wins the heart of the local don (Goga Kapoor), who also had a very bad love life. So Sunil is back in touch with Anna, but he could see her slipping away from him.

The scene in which he is playing mouth organ on a very sad tone and crying is one of the best in the film. The don hears him and says to his assistant "Aaj koi saala bahut sad hai re, isiliye itna achcha music nikal raha hai." His assistant makes a note of it. Then comes the dialogue of the film. Don says, "Note mat karo, feel karo." :-))

On personal front Sunil fails again in his board exams. To save himself from his father's ire, he makes a fake marksheet with the help of the don. But don was his fan so he gives Sunil the marks of a topper! His parents get happy and throw a party to the whole town for their son's success. Sunil couldnt bear it anymore and confesses. This is also one of the best scenes of the film.

Life starts getting better for Sunil. His parents are happy with him. Anna breaks off with Chris and their parents are talking about marriage of Anna and Sunil.

Now I cannot tell you the end of the film. It is for you to see for yourself and enjoy.

The music of the movie is good. One of the very few movies in which you feel that songs dont break but heighten the rhythm of the movie. The music looked original, other than the song "Kaise don" which starts with the tone of "Rasputin" by Boney M. (When will Indians stop copying!)

The lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri are refreshing. All songs have meaningful lyrics. "Ho bas agar tum hamare sanam, hum toh sitaro pe rakh de kadam."

The dialogues are witty and funny. The dialogue by the priest, "Idhar se jao, udhar se jao, sabhi rasta God ki taraf jaata hai." is just one of them!

Kundan Shah shows that "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" was not a fluke.

The support cast of Satish Shah, Goga Kapoor, Anjan Shrivastav, Ahutosh Gowarikar (Yea, the director of Lagan, Swades and Jodha Akbar) etc. are perfect!

And lastly any person who has ever been on the wrong side of a one sided love will seriously feel the pain of Sunil. Well done Shahrukh, I bet even you cant repeat your performance in KHKN again!

3 comments:

Manoj K said...

bhai ji yeh puri kahani telling ka matlab ? KHKN is a good movie, shall i take it you are also one of the Sunil

Unknown said...

WELL WRITTEN REVIEW...

Unknown said...

So much inspired by the movie. I must have seen the movie twice or thrice but still i dont remember the facts u hav written... May b need to see it again.
Waise Sharukh looks Good in Swadesh also.