This film was screened at UCI Telford in Shropshire from Sun 11th January till Thurs 15th Juanuary 2004 |
The film opens in Manhattan (New York) as Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta) takes us on her daily morning jog. She begins to narrate her personal story by introducing the various characters in her life. These include her mum, Jennifer (Jaya Bachchan), who is always at loggeraheads with her mother-in-law, Sushma Seth. She runs a small bakery shop which is doing not too well financially. Then there is her little sister and brother who she has to look after. To top it all up, she is still trying to overcome the grief from her dearly departed father.
So this is enough for Naina to give up on life and turn into a boring introvert.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel as she soon finds out. This comes in the form of college pal, Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan). He is a typical Gujarati guy whose father runs a business called Dial A Dhokla. With no fault of his own, Rohit tends to be headstrong when it comes to women although he thinks that he is a ladies man. Onto the scene enters Aman, who comes into Naina's life as a breath of fresh air, ready to give those cobwebs a good dusting. Initially, Naina hates him but gradually she gets overwhelmed by Aman's charismatic nature. This takes us nicely to the interval point as we enjoy the song and dance sequences. These are well integrated with lighter moments enough to bring a smile on your face. The film takes a serious turn after the interval point as we learn the truth behind Aman's happy go lucky character. If the recently released Baghban made you cry then Kal Ho Na Ho will make you sob. So come prepared with those tissues. You will need them! The highly charged climax is fully justified and true to everyday life in many ways. Full credit goes to director Nikhil Advani and producer/ writer Karan Johar for yet another splendid and flawless entertainer. Nikhil Advani makes an excellent debut, proving that he has the natural ability to handle both the lighter and serious moments in the film. Credit also goes to Karan Johar for his excellent scripting, making it look fresh and appealing. Kal Ho Naa Ho would be incomplete without Shah Rukh Khan. The actor injects energy and emotions into Aman's character throughout the film. He is strongly supported by Saif Ali Khan whose character of Rohit Patel will leave an everlasting impression on your mind. Preity Zinta gets into her character with ease. From wearing those bi-spectacles to her serious nature, Preity plays Naina Kapur with conviction. Brief appearances by Kajol, Sonali Bendre, Rani Mukerji, Sanjay Kapoor and Uday Chopra add value to the film. Overall, Kal Ho Naa Ho proves a winner. A well crafted product which will break box office records in the coming weeks. That's my prediction! Reviewed by Manish Gajjar, BBC Shropshire’s Mr Bollywood. | 
