Why Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was a hatke film?

We often misinterpret the meaning of the word bold with erotica or nudity within the cinematic spectrum. But bold, in Cinema’s language, would suggest something never explored before on the celluloid or exploring something unexpected. Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna could be described as a bold film, despite the mixed reactions it garnered upon the time of its release.

Johar seems to have been hurt in love in his earlier days. Except for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and My Name Is Khan, all his films have unhappy endings.

If you see his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, we all were elated when Rahul and Anjali united after eight years, but did anyone bother to even peep inside the broken heart of poor Aman?

Student Of The Year ends with a montage of Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan finally brushing aside their enmities and embracing friendship, but how many felt for the dean of their college, Yogendra Vashishth?

And we don’t think anyone can forget the heart-breaking climax of his last directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil!

The same holds true for KANK. It was a film that depicted the life of two married couples. Dev (Shah Rukh Khan) can’t muster up the courage to admit his marriage with his wife Riya (Preity Zinta) is on the rocks. A tragic accident that abruptly ends his thunderous football career has left him infuriated and his wife’s constantly rising success and popularity has made him insecure.

On the other hand is Maya (Rani Mukerji), who agrees to marry her childhood friend Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan) as she’s indebted to his family for treating her as their own after her parents’ death. Her marriage is a victim of her indifference and callousness.

When Dev and Maya meet, they realize they are drawn to each other as they both are trapped in failed marriages, and they both are thwarted by guilt in the end as they are the ones who have wronged their partners. But unlike most of the other Hindi films, KANK remains one of those rare examples of a film dealing with the issue of extra-marital relationships where the husband and the wife do not reunite in the end.

It was quite bold of Johar to end his film on this note, with Dev and Maya bidding a heart-breaking goodbye to Riya and Rishi and embracing their love for each other. And such a finale was expected to meet with a mixed response. But then, this is what we call a hatke ending!

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