25 Years of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: Decades after the release of the film, filmmaker Karan Johar reflected on the film and called out the fault in it
Karan Johar, Rani Mukerji, and Shah Rukh Khan at a screening of the film on Sunday
Karan Johar's debut directorial 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' completes 25 years today. In turn, the film also marks 25 years of the filmmaker in the movie business as a filmmaker. The romantic drama which went on to become a classic and a vital part of pop culture stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji in the lead with Salman Khan in a special appearance.
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While the film continues to have a massive fan following, in hindsight, Karan Johar isn't too sure of the film's ethics and gender politics. "Rahul doesn’t stand for very much. He’s a deeply confused character, doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t do a lot much in the movie. Whatever happened to him was because people were pushing him - his dead wife’s spirit, his eight-year-old daughter, and Anjali herself. What made him endearing was his charm, his large heart, and Shah Rukh’s charisma," he said to Mid-day in an interview from 2020.
The filmmaker added, “There was no logic or backstory to the characters. You don’t know what Shah Rukh, or anyone else, does for a living in the movie. And the eight letters - one for each birthday - made no sense, either.”
Speaking about what fixes he would make in the film, Karan said, "I’d give him a spine and more EQ [emotional quotient]. I’d also introduce more confrontation. Rahul, today, would be able to have an open conversation with Anjali. He’ll know that she likes him and he’d address that with her. If Tina were to die, he’d come to terms with his feelings for Anjali and go back to her, not sit moping.”
Karan, who wrote the film when he was 24 with no formal training or experience in filmmaking, said that his sensibilities have changed over time. He said, “But my sensibilities changed because I surrounded myself with newer and younger energies. I became more democratic and began practising an open-door policy; that helped me understand where I was going wrong and act on it. I also became more comfortable in my own skin and stopped comparing myself and my work with others.”
Meanwhile, Karan Johar's latest release 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani' opened to heavy praise for its plot, characters, and treatment of various social issues. The film starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt had the Dharma film aesthetics but with a renewed vision.
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