I know I am going against the nearly unanimous public and critic opinion, when I say that Kites is a good film. Well, thats primarily because it actually is a very well made film which hasn't got the respect and accolades it actually deserved! Let me explain why.
Media is a powerful tool, which, as shown in Rann, can make or break anything in this world. It created such a hype about "My Name is Khan" that the whole of India ran into theatres, risking Shiv Sainik attacks, to watch what the film was all about. I was one of those poor souls who spent his time, money, and energy to watch the film which was unanimously lauded by critics. I trusted those critics. However, after watching that "trashy and stupid" film, I have stopped going by the reviews. The American critics, seem to have judged the film much better, or rather, much closer to its actual merits.
Even the people seem to have given a thumbs down to Hrithik's film. Hrithik seems to get unlucky with the box-office whenever he tries to deliver a quality product. Lakshya, an well made film, didn't fare very well at the boxoffice, and now Kites. His mass-oriented efforts like Krish, Dhoom 2 seem to click more with the ticket-buyers. Similarly, Farhan Akhtar, who tried to scale new heights with Lakshya, felt that it wasn't worth the effort, and made a poor remake of Don, which surprisingly did very well.
Anurag Basu is a very talented film-maker who thankfully moved from box-office oriented films like "Tumsa Nahi Dekha" to handle brilliant multi-layered films like "Life in a Metro". He is one of the directors I trust inherently, hence will watch the film irrespective of what critics or people say. I am happy to say that he didn't disappoint me. Infact, Kites is one film I have seen not once, but twice. Surprised? Read on.
Kites tells a simple story, which seems to be picked and criticised unduely by lot of critics. I really wonder whats wrong in having a familiar storyline, if the presentation/treatment is mint-fresh in its approach. Wasn't "Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Na" storyline as old as the hills? Why then did all the critics ignore it and go ga-ga over it? In case of Kites, people say its similar to "Ek Duje Ke Liye", since the main protagonists speak different languages. Well, I guess its more similar to "Qayamat se Qayamat Tak", which was inturn was similar to "Ek Duje Ke Liye". I would say the screenplay's structure is similar to "Saathiya". However, this detail doesn't matter because the structure works brilliantly for this film.
The film begins beautifully with Hrithik's voiceover on Kites followed by the titles with Salim-Sulaiman's amazing theme track which soothes our senses. The theme track, a mesmerizing composition, is played at significant moments in the film, and lifts the film to an altogether new level. One of the reasons for my repeat watch was just to listen to the background music. After "Ab Tak Chappan" and "Fanaa", I consider Kites to be SS's best best work and I really hope they win the award for it. The first transition from present to past begins with a pulsating jazzy tune which was really quite superb.
I think most of you would've read and understood the story, so I won't talk much about it. What sets this film apart is the screenplay and direction, both credited to Anurag Basu. One of the best things about the screenplay is that it flows like a river in the first half, and the songs blend with the story very well. I must mention the first song, Fire. Its by far the most amazingly choreographed and picturized song I have ever seen. Its choreography should win all awards this year. Hrithik really raises the game with this performance. I would say that this song alone is worth the price of a ticket. Some critics have written that this doesn't match up to Hrithik's dance in Dhoom 2. I say, "What rubbish!"
The second song "Dil Kyun Ye Mera" is one of the most melodious songs I've heard this year, and Barbara as well as Hrithik look heavenly in the song. There's no lip sync, but the lyrics gel extremely well with the situation and shows his emotions and state of mind. He's marrying Kangna for money, but his heart is drawn towards Barbara, who is marrying Kangna's brother. The song, in short, is superb. It shows that lot of thought has gone into merging the song with the storyline.
Make no mistake, there are quite a lot of smooches in the film, but its not vulgar in anyway, so I didn't find myself squirming in the seat. I felt their love, their affection, and since most of it is after their marriage, its quite fine.
Kites is one of the most beautifully shot films of all times. Ayananka Bose, please take a bow. You and Anurag Basu, who previously displayed his flair for capturing panoramic landscapes and extreme close-ups, have done an outstanding job. One can literally feel Hrithik's disappointment when Barbara doesn't come alongwith him when he points the gun on her fiance Tony's head. I would consider Kites as the most likely candidate for "Best Cinematographer" award, although "Raavan" is going to be tough competition.
The music by Rajesh Roshan, contrary to what critics feel, is extremely good. I would rate it among his Top 10 compositions, for the kind of variety that he has presented. A love ballad, a dancefloor song, a road song.its all there.
Editing by Akiv Ali is excellent as well. You don't feel the need to chop out a single scene.
Hrithik and Barbara do an outstanding job. They look very beautiful, dance well, and emote extremely well. Her smile is divine. Not only is she a pretty woman, but her anguish reaches out to you when she talks to wounded Hrithik while driving the van towards the end of the film. You feel for her. Hrithik, for his part, emotes so well that you are literally in tears during the last scene at the cliff, where he recollects what happened and cries his heart out.
The villain, Nick Brown, is a new face but his look is really menacing. He does a wonderful job as the angry and obsessed Tony, who will go to any limit to avenge the couple because they cheated him and caused a disgrace to his family. His face has a cold steely look and his Hindi accent is quite good.
As a director, Anurag Basu has come out trumps once again. His efforts to give the film a Hollywood look-and-feel have worked amazingly well. Also, he has presented Hrithik to the West in a way that will surely give rise to surge in demand for this star in the West.
The stunt director has done an amazing job in the car and bike chase scenes. They are extremely well executed, compared to the usual Matrix style flying stunts, and flying-exploding cars that we're used to seeing here!
Despite some blemishes(highlighted in Comments section), Kites is an experience not to be missed. I think the only reason it didn’t work with Indian audiences is the ending, which is not a happy one.
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