Kabhi Khushi, Kabhie Gham (2001)

One of the first movies that actively sparked my interest in Hindi cinema was Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gham (English: Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sadness) from 2001, directed by Karan Johar. Mr. Bachchan led the star studded cast that included Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and, lest we forget, Mrs. Jaya Bachchan.
My brother-in-law brought the DVD home I remember, and after being apprehensive about watching a Hindi movie (I was 14 or 15 at the time). I vaguely remembered watching Aami Khan’s Dil and Love Love Love in Iran, when I had been very small. Nonetheless, I sat down and found myself pointing at the tall guy with the voice. I remember my oldest sister nodding and telling me “that’s Amitabh Bachchan, dad used to bring home all his movies, you must have forgotten”.

And indeed, I had forgotten Mr. Bachchan, as I tried to adjust to life in America, the shift from the Middle East to the United States unsettling, the burden on my shoulders heavy. But I remember watching this incredibly emotional movie with my family, and feeling the Westernized me slowly bridge the gap with my Eastern family.

I should have realized then that I had not heard the last of Mr. Bachchan.

The movie itself is…extremely close to perfection. The story and plot are throwbacks to the old Hindi cinematic tradition of highlighting the importance of family, and how important respect is and how it should always remain so. But one of the things that Kabhi Khushi, Kabhie Gham does is to remind the audience that respect goes both ways, the children have to respect the elders, just as the elders have to respect the point of view, the ideals, of the children.
This blog is about papa (Mr. Bachchan), so let’s focus on him. When the first song in the movie, “say Shava Shava” came on, I wanted to dance. There was so much energy in the song, and Mr. Bachchan had such a wonderful attitude. Now that I am an Bachchan expert, I look back at the song and see the style of dance that has always traveled with him throughout his career.

There’s playfulness in his singing and dancing that some actors are missing. The scenes that feature him as a strict father are so wonderful, you resent him as much as his sons in the movie, but he wins you over completely in the final scenes with his boys. One scene that always sticks out in my mind is when his character Yash, calls his wife (Jaya Bachcan) to help him with his tie and draws over a step stool because she is so much shorter than him.

I will say this many times, and this theory has been proven countless times, but when Mr. Bachchan cries, the whole world cries with him. Something happen with his eyes…can’t describe it exactly but you know you’ll do whatever it takes to just get him to stop crying. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan on the other hand, can’t cry. And it annoys me greatly. You will witness my love/hate relationship with SRK as we go on.

Until next time fellow Bachchan lovers,

IS.