CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI

Kuch kuch hota hai, but not just to the 90s kids

A simple, relentlessy heart-tugging and ambrosial love story that indeed is timeless and surprisingly effective. The movie goes like this- during their college years, Anjali was in love with her best-friend Rahul, but he had eyes only for Tina. Years later, Rahul and the now-deceased Tina's eight-year-old daughter attempts to reunite her father and Anjali. Through trendy logos on clothes abound, and flashbacks to Rahul and Anjali's carefree college days they reinvent GREASE in a Bollywood vein. The film has been a part of all the 90’s kids memories. From dancing to ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ and going to the basketball court to play and call someone a cheater at least once, to saying ‘Tussi jaa rahe ho, tussi na jao’ for loved ones.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is the film that redefined the romantic comedy genre in the Hindi Film Industry. It is indeed the film that resulted in transition from romance against the backdrop of families to romance against the backdrop of college lives. Though the main theme is romance the important underlining theme is that of friendship. “Friendship is love” that is the everlasting truth of the world. Without friendship there is no love. Inspired by the movie friendship bands soon replaced red roses and Friendship Day became more important than Valentine's Day. What was exemplary was the boy-girl friendship even at a time when no one believed in it.

The movie also had iconic wardrobe from trend setting Gap hoodies to cute miniskirts the dressing is prevalent even today.

Oscar Wilde once stated: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Well, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai proved that what he said was just right. It is only human nature to feel that the grass is greener on the other side. So, we try to ‘become’ like other people hoping that we feel more accepted and more important in the society. However, you must realise that nobody, we repeat nobody is perfect and that changing yourself will never be the answer to your problems. In the film, when Anjali notices that Rahul is attracted to Tina, she tries to become more like her by putting on a short skirt and some lipstick. However, her assumption that Rahul will magically fall in love with her because of her makeover doesn’t come to fruition. Instead, she is mocked by Rahul and the rest of the college.

Another important thing the movie taught us was that parents are always there for your aid. Like Rahul coming to little Anjali’s rescue or Principal Malhotra advising her daughter Tina on love and marriage or even Mrs. Sharma asking her daughter to not ‘compromise’ by marrying.

So every time we watch this movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… par tum nahi samjhoge.