The most awaited movie and may be the most expensive (high profile star cast with a 90 day shoot in New York) film is out in theatres worldwide. Given the fact that, it comes from one of the best production house in India - "Dharma Productions" and it’s directed by Karan Johar makes even more news. It’s been 5 years since he last directed a film (KKHH-98, K3G-01) and this new venture is just his third film. The expectations are huge, and what happens is you get disappointed. The problem is even if you watch the movie sans expectations, still you get disappointed.
It’s a very daring step (if we can say so) for Karan Johar who has slightly changed tracks this time with respect to the subject/storyline. It’s still about relationships but in a subtle way. When majority of the movies end with marriage saying "They Lived Happily Ever After", this one starts after marriage.
THE CAST:
Dev Saran - Shahrukh Khan - Football Coach
Maya Talwar - Rani Mukherjee - School Teacher
Rishi Talwar - Abhishek Bachchan - party planning upstart
Rhea Saran - Preity Zinta - A fashion magazine editor
Samarjit Singh Talwar (Sexy Sam) - Amitabh Bachchan - Philander running around firang babes
Kamaljit Saran - Kiron Kher - A typical Punjabi (oops) Chandigarh role
THE PLOT:
KANK is the story of Dev Saran and Maya Talwar who are married to Rhea Saran and Rishi Talwar respectively. It tries to answer what will happen if you fall in love after marriage. The film teaches that "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - Never Say Goodbye - as it kills the hope of meeting again"
Dev Saran is basically a failure unable to support his family financially, which forces the career savvy Rhea to become the man of the house and thus she loses (no time for family) out on caring for their kid Arjun. Hence, the relationship already on the rocks gets even worse gradually.
Maya Talwar is a cleanliness freak and likes to discuss everything under, above and around the sun, no matter how silly the issue is. She is passionless, never happy and is questioning herself whether her decision to marry Rishi was right or is it the biggest compromise of her life. No matter how hard Rishi tries to woo her, work on their relationship, her dilemma acts as a catalyst in widening the gap in their relationship.
One fine day (after a couple of short meets) Dev and Maya meet up. Slowly they discuss their marriages and find themselves together in a familiar territory. They start up as friends with the purpose of helping each other mend or rather save their respective marriages. This results in spending too much time together than necessary. And as they say, do ajnabi, ek halat aur mushkile katam. They fall in love, cheat on their life partners, indulge in adultery (triggered by jealousy) all the while knowing and acknowledging the fact that their relationship cannot survive in society.
After doing everything, they finally decide to end their relationship, and smitten by the honesty bug reveal what they call "now void affairs" to Rishi and Rhea. Next, things happen as they should happen. Its kalyug right, so as you must have guessed all four part their own ways.
Karan Johar like every other fellow thinks that time is the best healer and hence forwards the movie by three years. And we find out that Rishi and Rhea caught up with time and moved ahead in life. But Dev and Saran (as they are lead characters) shoeing some passion stopped living life from last three years and think ignorance is bliss. Near climax, their ignorance is shattered and the movie ends in the most predictable and silly way. But thank god, it ended.
THE ACTING:
Now, everybody is a successful established actor so you don’t quite expect a bad performance. Amitab is excellent. Shahrukh is his own self yet again. He has his scenes, remarkable ones but doesn’t appeal much as you expect him to deliver so and there is nothing new in his acting. Abishek is impressive, especially when he gets angry. Rani is good and Preity is OK.
THE MUSIC:
Music is good to listen. Title Song and Mitwa are excellent. Rock N Roll Soniye and Where’s The Party Tonite, sound like old stuff but still feel good to the ears. Background score is pretty good. Nothing so exceptional about picturisation of songs. A new style is tried with the song "Tumhi Dekho Naa".
THE PLUSSES:
Amitab Bachchan
The sudden transitions from happy loving couples to unhappy ones, clearly establishing the friction between them is executed brilliantly.
Real good dialogues which simplify the life/love/marriage’s harsh truths, hit you hard. Very good observations, straight out of life. The scene where Sam explains why he hosts a party every year is one of such situations.
Technically, very good film. Cinematography is awesome and like in every other film, New York looks great.
Couple of guest appearances that refresh you.
A few comedy scenes which succeed in bring a smile if not a laugh.
THE MINUSSES:
Even though Karan Johar tries hard to balance between a mature movie about relationships and a candy floss cinema, he fails miserably. The complex subject was not handled efficiently.
At more than 3 hours (22 reels), it’s a lengthy movie. And worse still, it makes you conscious of the length all through out the movie.
Even though the characters and sequences are identifiable, you never for a second get connected to them. No feelings, no concern for their tragedy, not even a bit of sympathy.
Editing is bad. There is no flow.
THE PROBLEM:
A weak script handled badly. I am sure, had it been shot with some other low profile actors instead of these big stars, pretty faces, it would be really difficult to sit through the whole movie.
THE ADVICE: You can safely miss this one and live happily ever after. But people who plan their life well ahead, booked in advance, won’t listen to others advice, should be ready to take full responsibility of their actions.