Aug 17, 2006 11:17 PM
12978 Views
I will shamelessly borrow and change a line from the advertising campaign for US Open Tennis. There is no “I “ in “Team” but there is an “I” in “Marriage”, and KANK tries to bring out its place and proportion. I have been married for all of seven months and hence know little about how to make it work. Is it love, empathy, tolerance or is it plain and simple “jugaad”? I liked KANK as its asks these questions, offers some resolution and most critically dishes out some facts, which like most facts are far from palatable.
The story takes place over a span of 7 to 8 years and is completely set in New York. Amidst all the plush apartments, designer outfits and impeccable make up unfolds a story of two young couples seeking the elusive completeness in their marriages. Shahrukh Khan plays a limping, scowling ex soccer player whose career cut short by an accident has relegated to coaching a middle school team. Being married to the dynamic, ambitious and successful Priety Zinta pounds his already battered ego. Abhishek Bachchan is completely and utterly smitten by his wife Rani Mukherjee who inspite of all his hankering and hormones does not feel in kind. Through a series of episodes, some contrived, some inane and some credible SRK and Rani are drawn to each other. In Indian films infidelity is tantamount to sin and this where KANK walks a road less taken. This is by far the only movie that I have seen coming from the mainstream desi dream factory which does not simply condemn infidelity. Mind you, it does not condone it either but offers a rationale. Amitabh Bachchan’s character offers little else than comic relief. However he puts the entire story in perspective when he defines success in marriage during his final moments. Taken in that context the denouement contains a far from perfect, yet a happy ending.
This movie is about less than perfect characters. Playing them is tough but all actors excel. SRK is not Raj or Rahul. His Dev is hurting and anguished. He goes overboard, but that’s SRK and that’s his USP. Those who want to see a consummate enactment of a limping bitter character should tune into USA Network and watch Hugh Laurie in House on Friday evenings. Rani with the maximum screen time looks gorgeous and takes the acting honors. The bit with her in fetish clothing is outrageously funny. Only if the script had fleshed out her character better. Abhishek goes between tender to tumultuous with languid grace. It’s very easy to hate a career oriented go - getter. Priety makes that really difficult. It is a nuanced performance, sadly with the least screen time. Few can equal Amitabh when it comes to comedy. From Anthony Bhai to Sexy Sam his energy and affability have not dulled, with Sam neither has the testosterone. Unfortunately this role makes a Da Vinci paint a picket fence. . The two B’s show great screen chemistry but having the senior referred to as “dude” gets a tad silly. The music is average. Songs go from corny, to clichéd to cacophonous. The movie is long and could easily have been pruned to 2 hours 30 min of running length
I wondered why the movie happens in New York. Is it simply to make it look swanky or because the western influence can help cushion the blow dealt by the actions of the protagonists. If it’s the latter Karan Johar is guilty of cowardice in an otherwise ballsy movie. To conclude you will find a lot of pageantry and platitudes in KANK but there’s pluck and panache too. Also you will find real people. I applaud Karan Johar for depicting tainted characters. Their flaws make them human but more so their forgiveness and compassion. KANK looks at marriage as a roll of dice. Sometimes to make it work you have to let go.
