Roughly translated in English, this title means – ‘Someone Went To The Mill’. Even though no member of the cast is shown visiting mills, I was suitably convinced, on seeing the promos of Hrithik Roshan in a popat green, sleeveless T-shirt dancing to a song that goes “Hailla Hailla Hoowaa Hoowaa”, that it was pretty apt a title. I imagined that what would go to the mills here would be the audiences’ brains- to the grinding mills!
Au Contraire! How shockingly mistaken I was, as ever in life. Mill or no Mill, the movie is immensely enjoyable all the way.
Well-wishers (surprisingly, this species exists) had been constantly advising me to see Koi Mil Gaya. But then, he who was burnt by milk, drinks even buttermilk after blowing twice. (a not so correct translation of a popular Hindi cliché) Petrified and extra cautious of seeing anything containing Hrithik Roshan, was what I was, after witnessing an oppression called MPKDH. To compound the advice of well-wishers, when even a certain hypercritical crazeebiddee tells you to drop everything and go watch the movie, you have to have to take heed, and find out, once and for all, what’s the big brouhaha about.
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Historical Trivia (best skipped)
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Approximately a decade ago, Shabana Azmi was shooting for an obscure movie Rakhwala along with Anil Kapoor and Farha (the only Indian actress with a striking resemblance to Boy George; and though I’d love to discuss this further, it is way too off-topic). During the shoot the director D. Rama Naidu suddenly asked Shabana to act ‘mad’ after some calamity befell on her character, and be ‘mad’ for the rest of the movie. Since Shabbo was a bit more evolved than regular heroine, she dared ask, “What type of mental disorder and how would you want me to manifest it?” She went about listing things like paranoia, malaise, schizophrenia, mania, depression etc. while director babu goggled and said, “No, not all that. Just be mad.” And Shabbo was squarely left to her own interpretations of the character.
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Cut to circa 2003
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And now, here is a Hindi movie much more deliberating in a portrayal of ‘madness’ with some precise and studied manifestations. A brilliant performance of an ‘outsider’, someone who does not fit in with others, while he and his mother struggle for the basic minimum acceptance. The abnormal boy is thankfully not done as a caricature and wins your heart over.
Koi Mil Gaya is about a young boy (Hrithik Roshan) who is not ‘normal’ who simply wants to his life happily. But, he is teased and taunted by his peers, as a result he has to befriend children much younger than his age.
The pangs a mother (Rekha) feels when single-handedly bringing up such a child, trying to provide him the best possible education available, keeping him away from barbs, at the same time trying to make him understand his limitations, feeling helpless and frustrated herself are depicted all through Koi Mil Gaya.
To this, add in a picture pretty heroine (Preity Zinta), an alien who helps the retarded boy achieve all that he couldn’t otherwise, lots of magic, and an underdog winning over the bullies theme that together work for this rollicking movie.
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A rather applicable translation of the title is “I’ve found someone.” Indeed I have:-
~~ First of all, I have found that there exists an actress so unbelievably good looking that she makes the overhyped Aishwaryas and Kareenas look like mousy maids in waiting. Preity Zinta besides looking criminally beautiful (the camera loves her, and so do I) imparts in Koi Mil Gaya her characteristic minty fresh appeal.
~~I have finally found a movie in which Hrithik Roshan acts marvelously. The lack of motor co-ordination and slurring of speech for the character, is thoroughly studied and invested in with loads of effort. Very endearing!
~~ I have found brats, that aren’t the usual repelling filmi brats. They are actually funny.
~~I also found a few male bimbos (Rajat duh but dashing Bedi and co.) who have no other work than roughing up retards and kids, and get on your nerves.
~~I have found a computer scientist (Rakesh Roshan!! Don’t worry its just a matter of 4 minutes and then he explodes. Thankfully, no garlanded picture either) who contacts aliens with Rajesh Roshan tuned ‘OM’s. I’ve have also found that aliens tend to lurk pretty close to earth are here in a jiffy as soon as you send them ‘OM’ signals. (OK lets desist from making funny remarks here. Cinematic license you see.)
~~I have found, after years, that sometimes Johnny Lever can make you smile subtly without making you want to throw rotting vegetables at him.
~~I have found that one still can’t help feasting eyes on Rekha. Watch her tick off the bullies, or get overjoyed when her son is promoted to a higher class, or get horrified when her husband burns in the car, or get shaken by the presence of the alien. Oh hell, watch her when she does anything!
~~The alien has expressive eyes. Cute chap. (I’m biased, as his face was exactly like my pet tortoise’s). The part of Hrithik saving the alien from the police was ET re-visited, yet good time-pass.
~~ And I have to admit, that despite not liking it in the promos, I even loved Hailla Hailla Hoowaa Hoowaa when it came in the movie.
What also works for Koi Mill Gaya is a fairly taut script (Sachin Bhaumik, Robin Bhatt, Honey Irani, Javed Siddiqui, Rakesh Roshan, whew, too many cooks, but good broth), the special effects (Mark Kolbe et al) and Rakesh Roshan’s deft and dependable direction.
~~ I have finally found in recent years a popular and commercial Hindi movie that isn’t pathogenically harmful (K3G, MPKDH) and does what it had intended to - ENTERTAIN !
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