Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, directed by Karan Johar, was released on August 11, 2006. The romantic drama starring Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Amitabh Bachchan has completed 20 years. Set mainly in New York, the film explored marriage, infidelity and relationships. Now, as the film has clocked 20 years, Karan Johar shared a lengthy Instagram post recalling the backlash as well as the love the film received when it released. Recalling the ‘polarising reviews’, he shared that while some called it his best work, many called it ‘anti sanskaari’. He admitted there were some flaws in the film, but said its heart was in the right place.
Karan Johar’s Post as Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Turns 20
Karan Johar recalled attending a paid preview of the film the night before its release, where he quietly watched it with the audience. He sat behind a middle-aged couple. “At one point in the film, Dev and Maya enter the elevator of a hotel and what proceeds is the two characters succumbing to their love and desire. At that point Lady Saree looked at Sir Kurta in shock and dropped her popcorn. He turned back and said (in Gujarati), ‘Dream sequence che’. When Sir Kurta realised it wasn’t a dream sequence he looked at his wife angrily (who was now relishing her popcorn much more) and insinuated an immediate exit. They left the cinema and my heart sank,” wrote KJo.
Karan said he left the screening with mixed feelings and was soon approached by a woman with her crying daughter. She recognised him and angrily questioned why his film, which she expected to be a happy family entertainer, dealt with divorce and troubled relationships. Johar said he quickly moved away after seeing more angry faces.
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“The film released to hugely polarising reviews and audience feedback. From being called brave, my best work to anti ‘sanskaari’ values and immense hate, I heard it all. I met a woman at an airport lounge a few weeks later (at this point I was ready to be assaulted at any given point of time), she said, ‘I loved your film but I lied to my husband and told him I hated it’. I was semi relieved and asked why. She said, ‘If I told him I loved it he would have asked me what I liked about it, so it was safe to lie’”, recalled Karan.
Karan Johar Admits The Film Had Flaws
He also admitted that the film had its own share of flaws, but believes its heart was in the right place. “I don’t deny the flaws of the film… It was over bloated in scale and had opulent (and some unnecessary) songs to pander to my understanding of the mainstream, but I always felt it had its heart in the right place. I knew it was touching a raw nerve, a fact of life we as a society like to brush under our value based carpets… a reality we don’t want thrown at us by our beloved movie stars and icons. The film did not endorse infidelity (that was never ever my intention) but it did show that stepping out of the boundary of marriage to seek love or desire can destroy your very foundation and family”, he wrote.
Lastly, he said that the film was meant to make people think and relate to its characters, even if they loved or hated it. He added that many people who could not relate to it 20 years ago now understand it better.
“We want life to give us black and white solutions to all our relationship traumas…BUT, can we look at it with a grey lens? Maybe then we will understand ourselves better…just maybe… I am ever so grateful to the incredible cast and crew family of our film… I’ll will always be indebted to them for their passion and compassion #20YearsOfKANK”, he concluded.