Column | How ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ defined a new era in Bollywood

25 years ago, on October 16, 1998, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” has been released.

In his autobiography, writer-director Karan Johar tells the story of how he pitched what would eventually become ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ to star Shah Rukh Khan.

Driven by the image of a father and daughter living together after the child’s mother dies in childbirth, Dzhokhar narrates a scene early in the film. Her daughter is participating in a speech contest in which she has to give a one-minute impromptu presentation on a randomly chosen topic.

But when she thinks of the word “mother,” she freaks out, stutters, and stumbles. At that time, her father comes and she tells her daughter in front of the crowd what her mother should be and how she strives for her mother.

Khan tearfully agreed to appear in the film. And in that moment, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ was born.

In many ways, that scene that Dzhokhar recalls is emblematic of the entire film. The structure is blunt and melodramatic, but it’s still hard not to be overwhelmed by the palpable wave of emotion that ties it together.

Looking back on this film 25 years later, that sentiment rings even more true. This movie was definitely a phenomenon when it was released in 1998. Many years have passed since then, and its legacy has only solidified its status not only as a cultural fixture, but as a totem piece of popular Bollywood filmmaking.

The film begins on Tina Malhotra’s (Rani Mukerji) deathbed. While suffering from internal bleeding due to complications during her childbirth, she writes eight letters each year for her daughter’s birthday. Saying goodbye to her husband Rahul Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan), she asks Rahul to name her daughter Anjali.

Eight years later, Anjali (Sana Saeed) is almost eight years old. She noticed that in her eighth letter, she talks about how her mother met Rahul in college and Rahul’s relationship with Anjali Sharma (Kajol).

The film then moves to their college years. Anjali and Rahul are best friends, playful yet close. When her principal’s daughter Tina arrives, Rahul gradually realizes that he is in love with her, and Anjali, who secretly loves Rahul, is distressed.

When Rahul finally decides to confess his love to Tina, Anjali decides to quit college and the two lose touch. Tina and Rahul get married, but she feels some regret that Tina might have come in the way between Anjali and Rahul.

So she ended her letter with a simple wish. Find her Anjali and reunite Rahul with her so Rahul can be happy again. Anjali is engaged to Aman (Salman Khan), but her daughter sneaks away to the summer camp where Anjali Sharma is counseling, hoping that Rahul will come and the two will realize their love for each other. will have to go.

The film would ultimately catapult Mukherji to stardom. Casting the role of Tina was the most difficult part of casting the film. Mukherji was still relatively unknown when he appeared in a film starring superstar Aamir Khan. However, Aditya Chopra, who helped Johar produce his 1995 sensation Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, offered her the role And she continued to embody the role as if it were made for her.

I was really excited to see Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol reunite on screen. Originating from the aforementioned ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, his friendship with Johar on the sets of that film eventually paved the way for him to star in this debut film.

Although not the focus of this retrospective, it cannot be overstated how much of a genuine cultural movement Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was at the time of its release. And a big part of ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ exists in dialogue with that movie.

Indeed, with Khan and Kajol at the center of the cast, the film once again became an instant asset in the changing landscape of Bollywood cinema, but in contrast to Chopra’s vision, Johar’s The inherent uniqueness of their visions makes these two films an interesting pair in many ways. The dominant language of Bollywood filmmaking in the early 2000s.

The acting is as good as you can expect from the star cast. Much of the film’s romantic performance rests with Kajol, and she does a great job contrasting her lovelorn girl with someone caught between her own feelings and her duties. .

Khan brings the wiry charm and sunny emotion that made him perhaps the biggest Bollywood star of all time. His portrayal of young Rahul is often both inspiring and frustrating in its singular focus on exuding this “too cool for school” energy, but there are times when the performance sends a negative message to young men. It has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to the question of whether

The attention to this subject became so important that Dzhokhar himself said: He doesn’t want Rahul to be perceived as a role model.

However, it could also be argued that the film recognizes Rahul’s contradictions and a large part of his journey is gaining the maturity necessary to reject the false beliefs that once drove his actions. Masu. Nevertheless, the way this film approaches this idea is at the expense of its female characters.

It’s also worth mentioning that much of the Bollywood filmmaking of this era was built on a foundation of gender stereotypes that were inherently regressive. To this day, the dominance of masculinity persists, promoting a male-centered perspective, while the female aspects of these stories are excluded or diluted.

There is nothing small about ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. Each camera movement, each musical cue, each dialogue, and each facial expression have all been recreated to the fullest extent possible. It can be exhausting at times, especially considering the film’s long running time of 185 minutes.

But it also exudes a certain confidence. This confidence is perfectly reflected in the film’s iconic gazebo scene where Rahul and Anjali, drenched in the pouring rain, take shelter in the gazebo. Rahul suggests dance to Anjali but Anjali replies that there is no music. Almost as if expressing the inner feelings of the characters, Rahul evokes the main theme of the film, to which the two dance.

This short sequence, almost completely wordless, conveys a lot through the characters’ body movements paired with Dzhokhar’s fluid camera. Decades of love, longing, loss, grief, and desire explode melodically as the characters seem to admit for the first time how much they love each other. However, the moment was cut short as Anjali realized her devotion to Aman.

The sequence was stunning, once again demonstrating why Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol make such a compelling cinematic pairing, and was also a moment of extraordinary virtuosity for Johar. Among the many iconic moments created by their collaboration, this is definitely one of his most memorable.

“Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” also serves as a turning point in portraying India as it becomes increasingly globalized. St. Xavier’s College, where much of the first half of the film is set, is visually defined as an integration of Western design with traditional Indian aesthetics.

The characters are all dressed in bright, simple, bubblegum neon costumes, but the set is largely rooted in the feel of a traditional Hollywood college set mixed with an Indian setting. , it exudes the charm of a story.

The result is a film that feels distinctly of its time, but every design choice ultimately emphasizes its hyper elements.A pop energy runs through most of the first half of the film. Johar specifically notes how much the characterization of the college setting is influenced by “Archies,” and it’s hard not to see that influence baked into every frame.

The unique look of the film also adds to its impact. The lights often go out and glow, and the different colors give it this pulpy look that makes you feel like you’re watching some kind of serial or comic come to life.

The increased focus on a more globalized culture may also be the reason why the film connects so well with Indian audiences around the world. Johar became one of the leading filmmakers of the Indian diaspora, and many of his subsequent films, both as director and producer, became touchstones for a new generation of Indian audiences born and raised abroad.

The film’s aesthetics are well combined with the film’s soundtrack. It is, without a doubt, an album and probably one of his best albums in Dzhokhar’s filmography. Composed by Jatin-Lalit, each song on this album is full of energy and melody.

As with many of Dzhokhar’s early albums, each song slightly overstays its welcome, with Dzhokhar’s attempts to weave narrative and supporting character moments into the vocal structure. It just makes it feel like it’s being stretched more than it needs to be.

The title song ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ is a complete Bollywood ideal. Filmed in Scotland, the song’s visual language is defined by extensive helicopter shots, characters dancing around in gorgeous landscapes, and emotional movement. Against the backdrop of castles, green hills, and blue skies, the vocals feel even more accentuated by the inherent grandeur of the landscape.

Additional songs such as “Yeh Ladka Hai Deewana” and “Ladki Badi Anjaani Hai” offer a familiar, breezy look as they depict Anjali and Rahul’s relationship at two stages in their lives: their college best friends and their reunion almost a decade later. It provides an upbeat atmosphere.

But the best part of the movie is the song “Koi Mil Gaya” that plays when Tina arrives at St. Xavier’s Church. A burst of energy, the song is an electric blend of dance, lighting, camerawork, guitar, and motion, creating a highly propulsive experience while also sacrificing his relationship with Tina. It shows an important point for Rahul, which is to get closer. Anjali.

As a love story, this movie works perfectly. It was certainly designed to be that way, and remains one of the most relatable and charming of Khan and Kajol’s careers.

Khan’s role as a father makes the film particularly resonant all these years later. The special relationship between parents and children later became a defining theme throughout Dzhokhar’s films. Those emotions seem to come out very strongly here, with the dynamic between Rahul and his daughter serving as both the narrative and the emotional part of the entire film.

The idea that a father is led to his own happiness by his daughter, and that they both reach emotional catharsis in the process, remains universal and powerful.

That’s why I was so shocked to read Dzhokhar’s father’s reaction when he saw the film for the first time, referring back to Dzhokhar’s autobiography. “My father collapsed,” Dzhokhar said. “We had never seen him cry like a baby like this.”

Dzhokhar’s father said, “This is the best movie in the world.” “My son made the best movie in the world.”

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