Synopsis
For Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta) life has been cold, grey and dull since the passing of her father. There is constant bickering between her grandmother (Sushma Seth) and her mother Jennifer (Jaya Bachchan) as her grandmother blames Jennifer for the suicide of her son, and has not come to accept Gia (who was adopted) as a part of the family. Due to this upbringing, Naina is serious and she is boring.

Enter Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan). Like a whiff of fresh air he takes over the small Indian community in New York and helps others solve problems and face life‘s challenges. Aman has all the answers. However, this is to Naina‘s annoyance and she is pushed by Aman into doing things she would never have dreamt of doing. He nags her until she learns to smile, have fun and enjoy life. He conspires with her friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan) to help her find happiness.

‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘ is the story of Aman, Rohit and Naina‘s journey together and how they discover themselves, find the courage to love and come together to celebrate life. The film is a contempory one and is set in New York, and although this is a largely western setting, the film has its own Indian magic.
Review
Going into the film, there is one question on everybody‘s mind: Is ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘ as good as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai‘ and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham‘? YES! ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘ matches the earlier productions from Karan Johar in every respect, and in fact exceeds them! Mixing meaning, laughter and emotion into one package, this film not only has the emotional quotient audiences have come to expect from Dharma Productions, but it also has a lot more laughter. With towering performances, a well written script, a great cast and good music the film is a must see.

The first half of the film is packed with light moments, and Advani establishes his characters with moments that keep the smiles transfixed on the faces of his audience. However, there is also meat in the script, with Advani cleverly inserting drama into the proceedings through the Sushma-Jaya track. Moving at a rapid pace the viewers become engrossed in proceedings and the film builds up powerfully to the intermission. The first half is nothing short of awe-inspiring and the viewer comes back in after the interval wondering where Advani will go with this well told tale.

As expected, the second half is much more serious and certainly, many will be reaching for the tissues by the end of the film. The love triangle is shown in a different and refreshing light and keep the viewer glued to the screen. The climax is emotional and completely justified and the end is pleasant and family-oriented. The emotional quotient in the second half transports the film to a whole new level, and Advani shows maturity in excluding SRK‘s death scene.

The music is superb and fresh with ‘Pretty Woman‘, ‘Mahi Ve‘ and the title song rising above the rest. Choreography (Farah Khan) is top notch. Background music also has a strong role in proceedings and enhances the well written script. Cinematography is of an international standard and the film is a visual treat. The indoor sets meet the demand of the script.

Nikhil Advani has done an admirable job as a debut director. He shows a flair for light scenes, while handling the emotional part with maturity. Karan Johar‘s scripting is brilliant. The film has a depth that is unexpected for such an enjoyable movie. He shows that even commercial cinema can deliver powerful messages while entertaining an audience. Dialogues are excellent.
Now to the performances!

Shah Rukh Khan has proven time and time again that he is one of the best actors in the industry today, and his performance in ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘ merely reinforces this fact. The actor shows an amazing flair for comedy, and his comic timing has not been exhibited so whole-heartedly before. The film rides on his performance, and with enormous status given to the character he plays, a polished performance was required and SRK rises to the challenge.

Preity Zinta delivers a career best performance. She has never looked so pretty, nor has she ever acted with such conviction. This is a performance that hails her arrival as one of the best actresses in the industry. Saif Ali Khan is outstanding. He holds his own against the towering performances delivered by SRK and Preity, and in fact delivers what is undoubtedly the best performance of his career. Saif Ali Khan may be a late bloomer but if he continues to deliver these results, directors will definitely start casting him as a solo hero.

Jaya Bachchan delivers yet another power-packed performance. She may yet earn herself accolades for this measured performance in a difficult role. Sonali Bendre acts her part well. Kajol, Rani and Uday all make fleeting appearances. Sanjay Kapoor does well. Rajpal Yadav excels in a cameo. Sulbha Arya‘s (Kantaben) comedy track will bring the house down. This is something to watch out for! Sushma Seth is first-rate. Ditto for Reema Lagoo. Lilette Dubey, Delnaz Paul, Satish Shah and Ketaki Dave liven proceedings. Simone Singh looks gorgeous. Shoma Anand and Dara Singh are adequate.
On the whole, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘ is one of the most polished and enjoyable fares to come out of the Indian movie industry in recent years. With a great cast, soulful music and brilliant merits this film should emerge a winner.

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