Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has been known as a timeless classic for years, starring Shahrukh Khan as Rahul, Rani Mukherjee as Tina and Kajol as Anjali. The film was Karan Johar’s debut in 1998 and gained incredible success and fame, as well as the idealization of a perfect romantic story. The film marked its 21st anniversary this week, and Karan Johar had a fresh perspective on the plot and characters, especially Rahul.
A spineless character
In an interview with Mid-Day, Karan Johar analyzed the ethical dilemmas and plot weakness of the film, as well as the lack of character strength. He said:
“Rahul does not stand for much, given that he plays the protagonist in the film, he is a deeply confused character who doesn’t know what he wants and, really, didn’t do much in the movie.”
Addressing Rahul’s behavioral patterns, Johar commented:
“Whatever happened to him was because there were people pushing him – his dead wife’s spirit, his eight-year-old daughter, and Anjali herself.”
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Saving face with charisma
He also added that Rahul’s character lacked a rationally articulate backstory as well, with his only admirable feature being his characteristic charm and magnetism. He further stated,
“What made him endearing was his charm, his large heart, and Shah Rukh’s personal charisma. There was no logic or backstory to the characters. You don’t know what Shahrukh or anyone else does for a living in the movie. And the eight letters – one for each birthday – made no sense, either.”
Johar also spoke of the writing process, mentioning how he was instinctively cautious of hurting the male character’s persona. Johar adds that the scene before Anjali’s wedding, where Rahul is seen taunting and provoking her, was not intended to be executed in that manner.
The original scene was meant to be more confrontational, where Anjali “tears into Rahul and calls him out. She [Anjali] says he doesn’t know how to stand up for himself”.
A different Rahul
Johar also addressed the communication gap between the characters, saying that if he remade the film today, he would write Rahul’s character as a much more confrontational one, giving him “a spine”.
He also added that there would be much more open and honest conversations between Rahul and Anjali’s characters. “Today, I’d keep it. Because now I understand, it’s what would make them more human. More real.” he stated.
“ I’d give him a spine and more EQ (emotional quotient). I’d also introduce more confrontation”. The director went on to say that in the present age, there would not be such a glaring disconnect between Rahul and Anjali. He [Rahul] will know that she [Anjali] likes him and he’d address that with her. If Tina were to die, he’d come to terms with his feelings for Anjali and go back to her, not sit moping.”
It is refreshing to see that the director has gone back on his film, and was able to dissect in with such candidness. Looking at his incredible success, it is clear to see that Karan Johar has definitely taken notes from his experiences, and continues to build and grow on them.
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