Bollywood in Review: Kal Ho Na Ho (If Tomorrow Never Comes)

Sold Out Shows - Opening night - I was fortunate enough to get a seat. After counting down the days since knowing of the release date, I squirmed in my seat trying to get in the best position possible to enjoy it. And I must say from the outset, I was not disappointed.

Although it was a Karan Johar story, you could see the spin on things came from Nikhil Advani. There were many layers to this story and twists in it, which you couldn't have imagined. Just when I thought I figured things out, BAM, it changed and the plot thickened. I stayed riveted to my seat throughout the entire time. It is a very emotional film, which is characteristic of Karan's films (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham). It tugs very strongly at your heartstrings and doesn't let go. Kal Ho Naa Ho is a roller coaster ride of emotions for sure.

There were two sides to this story, the first half had me laughing and feeling very nice about everything. The second half however, changed the laughter into tears, back to laughter, then to tears once again. Jaya, Saif, and Preity's performances were wonderful. They kept the story moving at a fast pace. But the one who pieced all the parts of the puzzle together and kept them there was none other than Shahrukh. His performance was superb. I was so emotionally spent after watching him that I was literally shaking as I was driving home afterwards.

Usually I just watch a film to escape from my world. But tonight, as I was drawn into Kal Ho Naa Ho, it made me think about my life too. Just what did it convey to me? Exactly what it set out to do. It shows that "Life happens between the plans you make. If you are only waiting for this big, big plan, you miss out on the smaller things, which you should be enjoying. That's what the character of Shahrukh Khan stands for. He makes everyone around him understand that." Contemplating some events in my life, I realized how true that really is, because it's so easy to do when life sends a barrage of things at you every single day.

Aman (Shahrukh Khan) makes you believe not only in love, but the extent someone would go to in giving up what they love for someone else's benefit. His heart wrenching performance left me holding my own heart, while feeling the pain in his. It's a love triangle with a different perspective. Although he loves Naina (Preity Zinta) dearly, dire circumstances prevent him from making his first love story complete and becoming her life partner. So he does the next best thing, he finds a life partner for her, her friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan). He shows them that they love each other as more than just friends. Although it tears him apart to see them together, he does it for his Naina, because of his tremendous love for her and her happiness. The scene where he actually tells Naina how much he loves her, by making it look like he's reading from Rohit's diary, leaves you speechless.

While playing matchmaker to them, he helps bring Naina's family together, despite the ongoing war of words between Jennifer (Jaya Bachchan) and her mother-in-law Lajjo. He brings happiness to everyone's lives. He solves everyone's problems in the film, except for his own, as he has no control over those. He's everyone's angel and yet no one was his, in the sense that no one could take away what was stopping him from moving forward with his life.

Jennifer, Naina's mom is such an amazingly strong woman. When everything is explained about what happened with her husband, you just can't believe that she could have the strength or the courage to do what she did and continues to do for those in her family.

Naina is a young woman who misses her father very much and allows it to prevent her from living life. Until Aman shows up and gets past all her prickles and pins and teaches her how to smile, laugh, live, and love.

Rohit is your typical playboy, or so he thinks he is anyway, which gets him into plenty of hot water. His friendship with Naina grows into love with the help and understanding from Aman. But can he keep her once he's convinced her?

The beautiful mix of other family members like little Gia and other friends like Sweetu, round out the entire film. The music and the special effects were great. Just think about the main lines of Kal Ho Naa Ho themselves and you'll get a taste of what it all means.

Today, today, share another laugh
Today, ask for another supplication
Today, drink {as in save} another tear
Today, live another life
Today, dream another dream
Who knows if tomorrow never comes

Even without all these other components, anyone who has seen Shah Rukh Khan in action, knows what happens when his big beautiful brown eyes start to shed tears. The emotions he emits without even uttering a sound are incredible. A lump starts to build up in your throat, and your eyes start to burn as you try to fight it. Yet, you know that it's inevitable, it's going to happen whether you want it to or not. Those tiny salt droplets are going to start to flow, slowly first, and then they turn into a stream of water running down your cheeks. Then as you try to see through the wall of water, you start to look around the cinema to see if anyone is watching you. And what do you find? Everyone is struck by the same heart wrenching emotions and find themselves expressing them in the same way. So you know you're not alone.

Much effort and forethought obviously went into making this film to have such diversity yet, something everyone can relate to. Kal Ho Naa Ho is a film you don't want to miss. Be prepared for an emotional journey, a journey you won't soon forget.

Banner - Dharma Productions
Producer & Screenplay - Karan Johar
Director - Nikhil Advani
Niranjan Iyengar (dialogue)
Cast
Jaya Bachchan (Jennifer Kapur)
Shah Rukh Khan (Aman Mather)
Preity Zinta (Naina Catherine Kapur)
Saif Ali Khan (Rohit Patel)
Sushma Seth (Lajjo Kapur)
Reema Lagoo (Aman's mother)
Lillette Dubey (Jaswinder "Jazz" Kapoor)
Delnaaz Paul (Jaspreet "Sweetu" Kapoor)
Shoma Anand (Lajjo Kapur's sister)
Kamini Khanna (Lajjo Kapur's sister)
Ketki Dave (Rohit's mother)
Sulbha Arya (Kanta Bhen)
Athit Naik (Shiv Kapur)
Jhanak Shukla (Gia Kapur)
Simone Singh (Camilla)
Satish Shah (Rohit's father)
Dara Singh (Aman's uncle)
Sonia Bendre (Priya)
Sanjay Kapoor (Abhay)