Movie Rec of the Day: Kal Ho Na Ho (India, 2003)

[dangermousie]

Today's movie rec and pic spam of the day is Kal Ho Na Ho. It's a fun, funny, tongue-in-cheek movie that turns melodramatically heart-breaking and which I adore. It's not a masterpiece but a movie I can rewatch ad nauseam. And it's set in New York City.

The story revolves around Naina (Preity Zinta), a twenty-something New Yorker, whose life is rather bleak: her father is dead, her mother and her grand-mother fight continuously, she is afraid of loving and losing, and the restaurant run by her mother is about to fold. The only bright spot in her life comes from her best friend, Rohit (Saif Ali Khan), but her life changes dramtically when a new neightbor, Aman (Shahrukh Khan) moves in and turns Naina's quiet neighborhood and Naina's world itself upside down.

The music is great, the characters are too, the story is witty and funny and angsty. And Saif and Shahrukh have a great chemistry. I love it.

Aman and Naina:





Rohit being a bit bold with Naina:



Aman living it up at a party:



Aman. I love the tears on the brink of his eyes. How very Karan Johar:



Naina and Rohit:



Rohit and Aman having waaay too much fun:



Rohit and Naina:



Pensive Aman:



Naina:



Aman, get down from there!



Rohit and Naina learning to dance:



Aman enjoying a fantasy:



Rohit and Naina:



Aman showing his moves:





Rohit trying to impress Naina:



My favorite KHNH scene (for those who've seen it, it's the diary reading scene):



Naina's Mom Catherine (Jaya Bachchan):



Rohit showing some questionable taste in shirts:

Comments

[wasabi-girl1.livejournal.com]

MY FAVE MOVIE WHOOO!!!!! Hee, I was actually thinking that I am long overdue to watch this movie again. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's funny because the first time I saw it I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. And then every time I saw it I liked it better and better and now I love it and it's infinitely rewatchable.

[vierran45.livejournal.com]

I love KHNH! It's one of my faves and eminently rewatchable. I love all the songs (maybe with the exception of "It's the Time to Disco") and the film is so funny and sad and heartbreaking and romantic.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I actually enjoy the disco song for its cheese. And yeah, it's totally totally rewatchable (which is true of all Johar movies, IMO) and it's such a perfect combo/hodge-podge of everything. Love it. And for once, a love triangle where I adore all the characters and don't know who to root for!

[ginger001]

Okay... this is probably one I have to watch pretty soon ;) I really like Preity Zainta and Saif Ali Khan and for what you say about the premise of the film... I think I'm going to like it very much!!!

Thanks for the pic spam. I really enjoy them ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

First of, Fanaaaaaaaaaaa! Yeah, I am five.

And I really rec this movie. It's one of my favorites.

[syliasyliasylia.livejournal.com]

One of my fav Bolly movies!!! Everytime I watch it I spend the last hour crying my eyes out, seriously!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know! It's such a fun, funny movie and I remember being delighted. And then that last hour sneaks in and hits you like a punch in the gut. That scene with Aman and Naina on that platform, and her crying and repeating "why do you love me so much" as he is in tears himself and is still denying it all "I don't love you" but he can't help it and his arms go around her? Waaaaaaaaaah.

[rossywar.livejournal.com]

I tell you, SRK in Pretty Woman is so effin hot. :) It may be just me, or it may be the orange combat trousers, but... damn.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

No, it's not just you. But he is totally totally uber hot in that song. Daaaamn.

[ameya.livejournal.com]

Eee Yay! I loooove KHNH and i was just talking to my friend about it today :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeeee. Icon! I love Kantaben :P

I am on a SRK kick, right now. I was too tired to rewatch KHNH emotional rollecoaster, so am rewatching One Two ka Four. SRK as the sexiest cop ever can arrest me any time :P

[ameya.livejournal.com]

omg i know what you mean it takes a lot outta me when i watch KHNH.. it took me forever to be able to watch it a second time.

I've forever been on a srk hit.. i have yet to see one 2 ka 4 though :-o

[adhuri-roshni.livejournal.com]

How apt that I'm listening to the title song right now.

It's funny because the first time I saw it I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. And then every time I saw it I liked it better and better and now I love it and it's infinitely rewatchable.

I didn't understand the love for it the first time at all. Rewatches always get to me! Or maybe it was the Preity-hate mellowing. I don't know why I used to have such a problem with her, but it's become one of my favorites since then. It's funny. I like the music. SRK! Saif! And scenes like the one on the bridge and in the train station. *sniffle*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I really do think it's a movie that improves on rewatches.

And the train station scene is one of my very very fave bolly scenes. Sometimes I put in the dvd just to watch that one.

[sinclair-furie.livejournal.com]

OMG Saif!
I actually didn't like this movie all that much just on the grounds that NOBODY would pick Sharukh over Saif. But I am a very loyal Saif fangirl.
The music is good, though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee. I totally WOULD ick Shahrukh over Saif in a nanosecond :) It was acutally a huge tribute to how good Saif was and how much I like him that when he was proposing I was chanting 'say yes.' I was nainaish during the movie: all about SRK but then at times just couldn't help it and root for Saif. Back and forth, back and forth :)

[sinclair-furie.livejournal.com]

I dunno, it may have to do with the fact that I grew up with Sharukh and so he was more of a childhood hero. And then I went through my whole rejection of Indian culture thing, and now I'm tentatively looking at some of it, and Saif is one of the actors I like.
Also, he's better looking.