Usually, it is always the men who move the story forward, but here it is the women who make things happen while the boys are just along for the ride. One reason being is that it was and still is unusual in Indian cinema for a film to be almost completely centred around its female characters. To Asian audiences though, this is as commercial as it gets, but it is still a highly unique movie. Filmed predominantly in a soft focus and with a colour palette made up of bright, primary colours, it has a dream-like quality and, for newcomers to Bollywood, perhaps even a psychedelic feel at times. Though it is filled to the brim with cheese and unbelievable coincidences, its unpretentiousness and sheer self-belief allow it to overcome any shortcomings and ensures that all characters are impossible not to care about. Although its premise sounds normal enough on paper, its performances, script, direction and music all serve to make it a magical experience. Released in 1998 and directed by the debuting Karan Johar, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ( ‘Something is Happening’) is one of the most delightful romantic comedies ever made in Bollywood. Will everything work out in the end? Well, what do you think? Teaming up with Tina’s father and Rahul’s mother, little Anjali eventually manages to track her namesake down, but discovers that she is engaged to be married to the suave-but-slimy Aman Mathur (Salman Khan). Opening her final letter, young Anjali discovers the truth about her father’s past and reads a request from her mother to find Anjali Sharma and reunite her with Rahul. Realising there would be complications in her childbirth, Tina had written eight letters for her daughter to read on each of her first eight birthdays. Little Anjali is now seven years old and about to celebrate her eighth birthday. She decides to back off, but before she can, a heartbroken Anjali drops out of college, packs her bags and catches the first train out of town never to return.Įight years later, Rahul is a widower after Tina has tragically died giving birth to their daughter, whom they named Anjali at Tina’s request. Upon realising Anjali’s sentiments, Tina fears Rahul’s love may only be a crush and that his heart really belongs to his best friend. As the two get closer however, Anjali discovers she herself has feelings for Rahul. When Rahul lays eyes on her, he falls head over heels in love and Tina eventually warms to the cocky-but-charming lad as well.
As luck would have it, the glamorous Tina Malhotra (Rani Mukerji) fits that description perfectly and has just returned from Oxford University to stay with her father, the principal, and finish her studies at St. Tiring of his constant flirting with short-skirted, air-headed girls in class, Anjali urges Rahul to seek out a lady with both beauty and brains. ‘Super-cool stud’ Rahul Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan) and hyperactive tomboy Anjali Sharma (Kajol) are best friends at St. Stephen Horne examines the DVD release from Yash Raj Films of one of Hindi cinema’s most enjoyable and colourful musicals starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji in DVD Times’ first Bollywood review.