Eshtyle Raja
20th August 2006, 05:11 PM
Interesting fwd from one of yahoo group
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Before you continue reading my review on KANK, keep in mind I am not
making any professional statements here. This movie affected me,
since approx 5 years ago I went through a bad marriage and clearly
this one came too close to comfort and I knew it was coming and yet
wanted to see it enacted on the screen, cause in a way, it was also
bringing a final closure to a chapter and an opening of a new phase
and whenever a movie gets this close, of course I will become
emotionally involved and of course my review will be skewed and of
course I loved every minute of it and more........
Almost 99.99% of Indian and American movies end with "and they got
married." The question that needs to be asked, if life has to be
observed in the real India and the real India America is "then
what?" Let's not forget that we tomtom to the whole world about how
our family system is one of the best and most stable, yet a look at
the REAL life in the metros of India and the NRI world suggests
something totally different. Our marriages are breaking, more and
more folks are questioning the need and appropriateness of the
institution and this is a far cry from we proclaiming to be the
final frontier in this most universal of customs.
KANK dwells into that territory and more power to Karan for that.
Kuch Kuch was ground breaking and perhaps his best film till date.
Yes it was bubble gum, but it was ground breaking cause it dealt
with the emotion of love at different stages of one's life. School
love and adult love, even when enacted by the same lovers can be
very different. His next two were entertaining films, but hardly
challenged any established norms. For all the Karan bashers
(including RGV and a whole lot of wannabee small time failed
filmmakers), Karan does challenge an established system one more
time...that of marriage as a thing to be done (almost like brushing
your teach) than one which has passion. And don't give me that about
passion going away after a while, I have seen it last an eternity in
some, just the form changes.
KANK may or may not make us shed a tear, it will certainly make us
look deep inside into who or what we really are. Living in Silicon
valley, one would think we are all about "my marriage, my child's
first birthday, my house warming, options, start up," etc, etc.
Similar emotions would be felt in NY/LA/Dallas, etc wherever it is
that you live. This one, against the beautiful backdrop of New York
and New Jersey, asks that basic question, leave all those emotions
behind, what about the most basic emotion of love and care and
feelings? what about them? are they not the most fundamental reasons
one marries or is in a relationship and if they are missing then is
it even worth going through the motions? and what are the
consequences of not going through the motions? fortunately or
unfortunately the world does not stop rotating.
KANK, rather uncomfortably for some, takes us into our most grey
emotion of selfishness. We are not God and should not try any
pretence to be one. We are human, almost like the instuction given
by the cabin crew before a plane takes off "please ensure that your
own oxygen mask is fully secure before you help others," and what if
it is not? isn't the need to love and be loved any less of an
oxygen, then if it is missing, should one not try and secure it?
KANK is more real I would think than Silsila. That was in it's era,
today, despite the uncomfort around us life has to go on and this
one takes an uncomfortable set of characters and puts a fair share
of humor around them, not to belittle the fallicy of a failed or
failing marriage, but more to give it a practicality which the 21st
century forces on us.
KANK is how people in the real world, the present world, the
imperfect world react. It is not a NY film, it is an Indian film,
the current India, which is spread in all four corners of this globe.
Yes it is long, but then when layers of human emotions are being
enacted, there is a need to look at all the underlying layers and
uncovering them is not a time bound exercise.
See it for NY, see it for one of the most outstanding performances
by AB. When he was angry with the world, he did an outstanding job
being the angry young man, when he is at ease with the world, almost
happy, he does even better as the funny old Sam. But he also shows
classical emoting when Sam gives way to Samarjit and only a man who
is inherintly a class act could pull of that, appearing to some as
cheesy, role.................I can't go on much more, as I said, the
film came too close to comfort for me and now I have to leave my
comfort zone.
Sincerely,
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before you continue reading my review on KANK, keep in mind I am not
making any professional statements here. This movie affected me,
since approx 5 years ago I went through a bad marriage and clearly
this one came too close to comfort and I knew it was coming and yet
wanted to see it enacted on the screen, cause in a way, it was also
bringing a final closure to a chapter and an opening of a new phase
and whenever a movie gets this close, of course I will become
emotionally involved and of course my review will be skewed and of
course I loved every minute of it and more........
Almost 99.99% of Indian and American movies end with "and they got
married." The question that needs to be asked, if life has to be
observed in the real India and the real India America is "then
what?" Let's not forget that we tomtom to the whole world about how
our family system is one of the best and most stable, yet a look at
the REAL life in the metros of India and the NRI world suggests
something totally different. Our marriages are breaking, more and
more folks are questioning the need and appropriateness of the
institution and this is a far cry from we proclaiming to be the
final frontier in this most universal of customs.
KANK dwells into that territory and more power to Karan for that.
Kuch Kuch was ground breaking and perhaps his best film till date.
Yes it was bubble gum, but it was ground breaking cause it dealt
with the emotion of love at different stages of one's life. School
love and adult love, even when enacted by the same lovers can be
very different. His next two were entertaining films, but hardly
challenged any established norms. For all the Karan bashers
(including RGV and a whole lot of wannabee small time failed
filmmakers), Karan does challenge an established system one more
time...that of marriage as a thing to be done (almost like brushing
your teach) than one which has passion. And don't give me that about
passion going away after a while, I have seen it last an eternity in
some, just the form changes.
KANK may or may not make us shed a tear, it will certainly make us
look deep inside into who or what we really are. Living in Silicon
valley, one would think we are all about "my marriage, my child's
first birthday, my house warming, options, start up," etc, etc.
Similar emotions would be felt in NY/LA/Dallas, etc wherever it is
that you live. This one, against the beautiful backdrop of New York
and New Jersey, asks that basic question, leave all those emotions
behind, what about the most basic emotion of love and care and
feelings? what about them? are they not the most fundamental reasons
one marries or is in a relationship and if they are missing then is
it even worth going through the motions? and what are the
consequences of not going through the motions? fortunately or
unfortunately the world does not stop rotating.
KANK, rather uncomfortably for some, takes us into our most grey
emotion of selfishness. We are not God and should not try any
pretence to be one. We are human, almost like the instuction given
by the cabin crew before a plane takes off "please ensure that your
own oxygen mask is fully secure before you help others," and what if
it is not? isn't the need to love and be loved any less of an
oxygen, then if it is missing, should one not try and secure it?
KANK is more real I would think than Silsila. That was in it's era,
today, despite the uncomfort around us life has to go on and this
one takes an uncomfortable set of characters and puts a fair share
of humor around them, not to belittle the fallicy of a failed or
failing marriage, but more to give it a practicality which the 21st
century forces on us.
KANK is how people in the real world, the present world, the
imperfect world react. It is not a NY film, it is an Indian film,
the current India, which is spread in all four corners of this globe.
Yes it is long, but then when layers of human emotions are being
enacted, there is a need to look at all the underlying layers and
uncovering them is not a time bound exercise.
See it for NY, see it for one of the most outstanding performances
by AB. When he was angry with the world, he did an outstanding job
being the angry young man, when he is at ease with the world, almost
happy, he does even better as the funny old Sam. But he also shows
classical emoting when Sam gives way to Samarjit and only a man who
is inherintly a class act could pull of that, appearing to some as
cheesy, role.................I can't go on much more, as I said, the
film came too close to comfort for me and now I have to leave my
comfort zone.
Sincerely,