u/Dangerous-Agent3617

I know, this wasn't the last one in our marathon, but this one is so fascinating and interesting to talk about that I purposefully kept it at the last. And I think I'm going to drop a nuclear take about this film, that is going to start a nuclear war in comments, so I'm all in for this.

If My Name is Khan '10 is an emotional masterpiece, this is a "CHAOS MASTERPIECE". This explores the complexity of relationships maybe too well. So yeah let's talk about this, one-by-one.

1. The Characters: Dev, Rhea, Rishi, Maya and "Sexy Sam" Samarjit.

What I love about this film the most, is that there's no clear ideal or good people in this one by DESIGN. Unlike Karan's earlier protagonists, which are flawed but they are considered as ideal. They don't suffer for the actions caused. (Don't tell me Aman dying was a consequence, it wasn't, he knew that and that still doesn't excuse his god-complex behavior). I love flawed people when they suffer consequences for the actions caused. Dev and Maya are the obvious candidates; they did the deed. BUT I believe that Rhea and Rishi are equally responsible for this, as their flaws led to THIS.

The closest we've to an ideal hero is "Sexy Sam" Samarjit lmaoooo. Beneath the facade of "Sexy Sam" and bro having fun and throwing crazy one-liners ("Chandigarh"), there's a quiet sense of regret of the loss of his wife and more than that, it's that regret that he didn't value her enough back when she was with him, he thought he had time on his side to love and cherish her, but he didn't and doesn't want the rest 4 of the protagonists to go through this.

• Dev: The obvious one. Bro's a certified dick, bitter about his leg injury and inability to play football, insecure, petty, seriously a toxic husband 101 lmaooo.
• Maya: She isn't a saint either. She isn't a "trapped wife" lmaooo, as she doesn't even try to connect and make it work with Rishi. Even those efforts led to whatever happens instead lmaooo. Unlike Rishi, she doesn't even try saving the relationship lmaooo.
• Rhea: Emotionally distant, career-oriented to the point that Dev can't recognize the emotional efforts taken by her, as it's seriously minimal.
• Rishi: The wildest card in my opinion. Guy feels like he's never been in a relationship before. Doesn't recognize that consent is sexy always. Wants to do the deed always. Terrible communication skills. BUT has a good heart, tries his damn best to save it.

2. Consequences and Sufferings:

Having flawed protagonists isn't a problem, showing "cheating" doesn't glorify it, but not showing consequences for the actions caused is problematic. But this clearly shows consequences for all 4 (actually 5, including Sexy Sam). The deed in the hotel room led to a suffering of 3 years for all 4 of them, and yes, what I really like about this film is that, it lets the victims move on first, to make you feel like yeah, that's some good old justice to them, and then the cheaters. That's smart. So yeah, showing "cheating" doesn't glorify it, it shows the complexity of the relationships, something that we weren't ready for in 2006, and we still believe that we aren't.

Talking about the ending, yes, I know, this splits a lot of people up, but I like it, as it's after the crazy amount of suffering for 3 years that led to this reunion, it's after the victims that move on from all that mess, that these guys get a ending at a cost, the film acknowledges the guilt, regret and the pain caused in the way. So yeah I like it.

3. The masterful irony and the music.

SEL's soundtrack is a GOATED masterpiece. All 5 GOAT level tracks: The title track, "Mitwa", "Where's the Party Tonight?", "Tumhi Dekho Naa", "Rock N Roll Soniye". But let's talk about the most important one, as it happens during "the deed".

"Where's The Party Tonight?" is a certified club dance number, but also filled with crazy irony. The victims celebrate for obvious reasons and the cheaters, well they do the deed and decide to cheat physically, it's such an interesting way to juxtapose the 4 people. If the first half of the film was indirect emotional cheating, the second half is direct emotional and with this, physical cheating. The tonal duality is bonkers to me.

Where's The Party Tonight?
In the hotel room.
Where's The Party Tonight?
Our marriage is doomed.

4. So I think I've talked the themes, the consequences, the characters, let's talk about the obvious. The visuals are great, probably the best apart from MNIK. Big B's role is my favorite, because he brings some good old fun in unexpected ways, and while his death is fine, the execution is so good, that bro dies like a legend lmao, and without him, this film really is a uncomfortable and miserable movie to sit through. It doesn't glorify cheating, it just shows it and the consequences.

So yeah, overall it's a damn bold mainstream film to sit through, and what surprised me is that this isn't a niche documentary, so people can say it's half-committed, but I think that's the point, right, RIGHT?? Like beneath the excess, the ideals, the glamour, there's the damage. That irony is what makes Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna a great film. The ambition is off the charts. Like dude, this is 2006.

But I think Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna needs a serious cultural re-evaluation as I think it's "ahead of it's time" and more relevant, now that we talk openly about this topic way more than in 2006.

I just have one question though. This is great film, yes. But Karan, how did you manage to get this film a 'UA' certificate, the language isn't even implication lmao, it's straight up direct, confrontational, and we have scenes of yeah, not naked, but yeah. So how did you manage this lmaooo????

Anyways, so yeah it was really fun, to go through this marathon and see Karan's filmography to an extent, and see him evolving along with some good old mainstream films. So yeah, that's all I've to say. 2 masterpieces in 5: KANK and MNIK. 1 straight-up terrible with KKHH. 1 needs editioral restraint with K3G and 1 is just meh and I don't get the love for it with KHNH. So there's it, guys. Thanks for engaging.

#1 - My thoughts and opinions on KKHH '98 and K3G '01 as a first-time watcher. : r/bollywood

#2 - My thoughts and opinions on Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) as a first-time watcher. (#2) : r/bollywood

#3 - My thoughts and opinions on My Name is Khan (2010) as a first time watcher. (#3) : r/bollywood

Alright, I know the 3rd film in our Karan X SRK marathon mode was KANK '06, but after seeing it, and knowing that it will trigger a really interesting post, before I go all in, I just wanted to appreciate this piece of art, a masterpiece. My Name is Khan (2010).

Honestly, there's zero flaws in this film. This might be Karan's, SRK's as Rizwan Khan (although Dev from KANK comes pretty close for how big of a dick he really is in that film) and Kajol's as Mandira Khan to this date. On paper, this is such a ridiculous premise, an ordinary man with Asperger Syndrome goes to meet the President of United States. But the execution is flawless.

Karan here, did the unthinkable. After 4 continuous films with unlikeable primary leads, this one just makes the lead so damn good, that I actively root for the guy, no middle ground, I want Rizwan Khan to meet the President of United States and tell that his name is Khan and isn't a terrorist and I want him to talk about Sam and his death. Like the tonal whiplash from unlikeable leads to a lead, I actively root for is insane, prior to this film, (apart from KANK, that film by design has unlikeable and flawed leads), Karan just made the primary leads suck. This one goes from that rep to me caring for the guy and his success.

And while it's relatively grounded in the nature, when compared to the last 4, because Karan finally learns some good old editorial restraint, keeps the emotional drama come from the sincerity of the protagonist (instead of good old emotional manipulation) and yes, 2hrs 45mins.

And yes, the technical craft is GOAT tier. The visuals are great, the editing is from Rizwan's PoV and we get to see a lot of the way he walks, the way people like him feel, it feels frantic and disturbed whenever Rizwan feels like that. The soundtrack, GOATED. The themes of tackling islamophobia are more relevant than ever, and themes of individual selective humanity are so good. Not every serious film like this has to end with a downer note, sometimes it can end with hope, despite everything Rizwan represents HOPE. He's one of the best protagonists that represent humanity in the history of cinema. The voice narration by SRK throughout is soooo good.

And man, I could just go on and on...., seriously. This film is a piece of art, a masterpiece. This emotionally wrecks you up.

So yeah, I've got some really interesting thoughts on Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which I will clarify in a later post. It was genuinely great to see these films without the baggage of nostalgia and the growth of Karan Johar as the director throughout from '98 to '10, it was really fascinating to watch. So yeah, I had a great time with My Name is Khan (2010).

Thank you, Karan, SRK, Kajol, Jimmy and the team for delivering this masterpiece that deeply emotionally resonated with me.

#1 - My thoughts and opinions on KKHH '98 and K3G '01 as a first-time watcher. : r/bollywood

#2 - My thoughts and opinions on Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) as a first-time watcher. (#2) : r/bollywood

So as a part of the Karan X SRK marathon, this was the 3rd film on the list out of five. My context for this film is that the OST is on my Spotify Playlist, so I love the music of this film anyways, but apart from that, I've not seen this film not even once. So let's go.

Let's talk about the negatives first, because this isn't an untouchable masterpiece as some claim to be, but I gotta say this film is a way big upgrade over KKHH '98 and K3G '01 in terms of literally everything (apart from one thing coming there). The negatives:

• Aman Mathur is essentially an untouchable protagonist, he's emotionally reckless, does whatever he wants, zero regard for consequences. He loves Naina, but casually drops that he's a heart patient, deceives her, and reveals Priya isn't his wife but his doctor. Meanwhile, Rohit loves Naina, Naina loves both but Aman slightly more. The first half is chaotic but still carries this hopeful energy despite the crazy interval block.
• The second half is where he fully goes off the rails. If the first half was Aman being reckless with his own life, the second half is him trying to play God with everyone else's. He doesn't just live dangerously. He starts writing fate for other people too.
• That being said, the Aman and Rohit's bromance being this good, that the domestic help thinking that both are gay (Karan got his Dostana idea here) is peak. But even that gets hijacked by Aman deciding, on his own, that Rohit should try to win Naina over in 6 days. And then he has a cardiac arrest during the engagement and survives which honestly felt like the natural endpoint, but the film keeps going for maximum emotional impact.
• Due to that, Rohit at the end, gets the shortest end of the stick. Even 20 years later sequence, Naina still remembers Aman at the end of the day, and although Naina and Rohit are still together, that one question still remains: What happens after shared grief fades away?? Like dude IRL, the truth is that after a few years, it's just a memory, "yeah he passed away" that's it, not "He was my first love" lmaooo. Like strip away the shared grief, and even the romantic events between Naina and Rohit were orchestrated by Aman lmaooo, so yeah.
• Like dude, poor Rohit will never be loved wholeheartedly even if unintentionally by Naina considering the circumstances of the film lmaooo, Aman will always be a shadow in their marriage.
• Also the visuals are a significant downgrade from K3G, I don't know whether they had lower budget, but it felt like expensive TV lmaoo, ngl.

But the positives. Boy, there's a lot of them. The positives:

• The soundtrack. The music integration. I don't know, probably it's switch to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as composers, but the improvement is A LOT.
• The whole film is from Naina's perspective. And that, gives a lot of agency, despite her transformation being heavily tied to Aman's presence. Naina, like initally she loves Rohit more, but then Aman does Aman things and now she loves Aman more, like she's just so confused, like a kid in a candy store, but I think that's the point, because she was really miserable and unhappy, until Rohit and Aman come together in her life and then as she drinks, and that smile comes out (It's the Time to Disco) and then she reveals about her dad and yes, when she's heavily drunk, Aman just scolds her and her reaction where she goes this whole inner kid mode, that's interesting to me, especially in the first half.
• The story, despite being a questionable protagonist is clean. No side quests like Poo in K3G. It's tight and efficent. No underwritten characters. Rohit is written with such a nuance, I love the guy and ironically that's what made so sad for Rohit, the ending.
• Dude the first half is GOAT tier. Seriously, the humor is so elite. I laughed like an idiot throughout, situational chaos at it's peak. Before the interval block, which was a significant tonal shift, this film's first half is hopeful and I love that.

So yeah, overall the 2nd half is alright, the 1st half is GOAT tier. But anyways significant improvement over the first 2 Karan films. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, ah "the cheating" film comes next. Can't wait to see it.

#1 - My thoughts and opinions on KKHH '98 and K3G '01 as a first-time watcher. : r/bollywood

Alright, I was bored. Dad always made me listen to the soundtracks of these films on Spotify lmaooo (but not going to like I love the OSTs for KHNH, KANK and MNIK), so I decided to go full Karan Johar X SRK marathon mode and binge their works as a first-time watcher. So I've no nostalgia and so yeah, I'm all here for how good or bad these films actually can be.

There's 5 films in the lineup: KKHH '98, K3G '01, KHNH '03 (written and ghost directed by Karan), KANK '06 and at last MNIK '10. So, technically as KKHH is the first one, I should've first watched it, but knowing the premise of K3G and fearing that it will be another parental propaganda like Baghban, I decided to sit through the torture first, only to realize hey, actually it isn't that at all.

1. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham '01:

I gotta say I get the hype for this film. Beneath all the excess and the problems of this film, there's just a damn film underneath, the core is kinda nice. I honestly was admittedly scared that I signed in for a parental propaganda film, but as the film progressed it just proved me wrong. But before I discuss the positives, gotta talk about the negatives, first. The negatives:

• Karan, pls learn some editoral restraint. Every film of yours (atleast these 5) are like minimum 2hrs 45mins and plus. This one is 3hr 30mins long. I hated the excessive runtime, because there were a lot of scenes that should've gone done the cutting floor, and yet, Karan being Karan, doesn't really do it. Every time Kareena used to come on screen, I used to lose my shit up, seriously.
• And dude, every song is over-stretched to death, the music integration isn't upto the mark at all, and since I've no nostalgia, I realized this film's music ain't my cup of tea. Like dude it just drags and makes the pacing first.
• I gotta talk about Poo here. Seriously, like she didn't feel even like a person. Karan has written these characters less as characters and more like archetypes, but atleast everyone else does it so good, that they feel like characters. My god, where's the Pooja from the past 10 years?? It wildly feels like the girl the fat kid Rohan bullied in the past and this aren't the same at all. Her scenes were unbearable, paired with Rohan, yes, it was slightly better as Hrithik wasn't delivering moral monologues with her, he was being himself and constant aura farming was happening around the scene that made this watchable.
• We were robbed of more Jayaji, seriously. Like in a 3hr 30min film, it felt like we should've gotten Nandini's perspective way more, and while for whatever we have it works, but I think given Jayaji's immense depth behind the character, and making the improv and acting skills feel Nandini like a real character, that pain, that conflict between the ideological fight between her son and her husband, like it's so good so far, but I believe that we could have gotten more insight on that, instead of maternal telepathy, that's nonsense.
• Anjali's dad died (thank god, Alok Nath didn't go full Rajshri Sanskar mode here), and Rahul married her on the same day, seriously, Karan, what are you doing here? Like I understand that we had to do this, because this is the breaking point, but why can't we seriously build up on this instead, like Rahul emotionally supports Anjali throughout, helps her in overcoming grief, and then Anjali proposes him and says yes, that would've been great, this made Rahul look mean, unnecessarily reckless to Yash and indirectly, Anjali.
• Hrithik Roshan is a damn plot device. But a damn good one.
• I hate forced nationalism, Karan. Wtf was that Vande Mataram montage, when London is introduced lmaoo and then Rahul's kid, says Jana Gana Mana in Britain, seriously?? DDLJ did this better by the way, Karan, take some good old notes.

The positives:

• Beneath the excess and the Poo nonsense, it actually felt like it's a damn tight screenplay. Yeah, there's no subtlety, everything happens at 500% volume, but maybe that's why it's so accessible in the first place. Like everything is contributing to the themes of the film.
• The core of the film being Yash, a parent is stuck in his time, his ideology, and wants his kids to follow his footsteps, and doesn't like individuality at all and there's Rahul, whom was following his father's footsteps, until he falls in love with a girl from a lower section of the society, Anjali and that threatens Yash's mindset as it approaches individuality, but the truth is that Yash wants his family to be the extension of himself. So yeah it's so good, the climax is worth it, when Yash breaks down after Nandini calls him out, his ego shatters and he admits that he's got some terrible communication skills and couldn't tell his son how much he loves them in the first place.
• Yash isn't a protagonist, in a typical sense, he's an archetype, a man frozen in time, and unfortunately, wants his family to not express or challenge his mindset, and the film doesn't glorify and take his side at all. And that's what I like about this film.
• The cast is firing on all the cylinders (except Poo), Anjali comes off as annoying for few scenes as the extroversion just takes over, but unlike Poo, it ain't unbearable. Rahul, apart from that weird shit where he marries his love on her father's death, is a compelling protagonist and something I can root for. And idk why, but out of the 3 female leads, Nandini looks the most beautiful and her performance is the best out of the lot.
• And yes, I gotta appreciate that they actually took efforts to age the cast up in the present day, apart from SRK, but dude didn't age till 2013, so that's okay lmaooo. Nandini and Yash are on the older side. Rohan went from "fat kid" to "Hrithik being Hrithik", Kajol looks matured and older enough to emphasize that time passed on, so that's a compliment in my eyes.

So yeah, that's my review of K3G '01 and I liked it. Like it ain't the masterpiece that boomers claim, but I get the hype now, after watching it. I'm not sure if I can say the same for KKHH '98.

• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai '98:

Can I be brutally honest with this one?? How did you guys sit through this?? I wasn't able to make it and quit it after the first hour. Pure nonsense, pure vibes. It feels like either Karan was on drugs while writing this film's script or he didn't have any. Seriously, like apart from blind nostalgia, I don't know why people like this one.

Rahul is such an asshole in the college flashbacks, that even if dude lost his wife, it's really hard to root for the guy. He's aggressive, written as typical alpha lead before some of the recent films made it cool again. Like dude just pushes Anjali (Kajol, not the daughter) for the damn basketball, touches a girl's ass while hugging her in the name of Friendship Day, and his mindset?? Like I just can't root for my hero, and while one can say that flawed characters can exist, and I've no problem with that, where are the consequences??? There's none.

And dude, tomboy Anjali is so good, I just can't believe that the film hates her, like dude you're hating the best part of your film, the film repeatedly emphasizes that she isn't like a girl, she is a tomboy, she's the best friend, dude I hate it. And then Anjali comes on with a saree (Saree Revolution, yeah), and dude's in the present is like "I found my soulmate", wtf even is going on with this film. Filled with stereotypes, the music is terrible, some weaker visual clarity, lot of blurs and focus issues, Karan, were you okay while making this film??

And dude, the letters. Fuck. Like it's understandable that Tina wrote it for her daughter, but then says to Rahul to name her after his ex-situationship, seriously??? And then proceeds to give instructions to reconcile with Anjali, so now dead wife is issuing letters to the male lead, to how to start a relationship with the help of her daughter, seriously?? Peak emotional manipulation 101.

And the timeline, my god, K3G takes all the efforts to look those painful 10 years lived-in, this one, so how much gap is there in the timeline, between college and Tina's existence??? Who knows, and yet no one in the film ages a day.

But I've a positive, tomboy Anjali. Seriously, unlike K3G, where Kajol was given this limited screentime to express her extroversion and comes across as a bit annoying, here it's natural, lived-in, and her expressions throughout whenever Rahul is with Tina, and that one-sided love, that moment where she cries after Koi Mil Gaya track is over, like it feels like Kajol improv'd a lot and brought nuance to this character, which was a cardboard cutout, otherwise.

Anyways, I'm done, I'm quitting. And yeah, that's all I've to say. Kal Ho Naa Ho comes next.