Bollywood is not known for producing movies with controversial issues in them. Most movies are dramas or action adventures. Which is why it is refreshing to see a movie like Kya Kehna about being pregnant out of wedlock.
SPOILERS
It is the story of a young high spirited college girl, Priya (Priety Zinta) who falls madly head over heels in love with bad boy Rahul (Saif Ali Khan). Rahul is the boy no parent wants as a son-in-law. He's handsome and rich, but he's also a flirt who changes girls more often than he changes clothes. He is instantly attracted to Priya's beauty, but I believe more attracted to her because he gets warned over and over again not to go near her by her brothers. Against her family's wishes Priya and Rahul get involved and eventually her parents agree to a marriage. Rahul however doesn't want to know anything about it and it is then that Priya sees Rahul's character. Things spiral out of control when Priya and her family find out that she is pregnant.
The story is very promising. Young girl throws tradition to the wind and stands up to society and her family to protect herself and her child. A very realistic storyline whose execution unfortunately lacks realism. It is the little things that ruin this movie. I can believe Priya's independant, high-spirited character. I can't believe her journey from childlike innocence to responsible maturity. I can believe Rahul's irresponsibility. I can't believe his over the top mother who just seems to disappear in the second half of the movie. I can believe Priya's stigmatisation by society. I can't believe Priya's stigmatisation by the WHOLE of society including all of her college friends of whom I'm sure at least some must have engaged in recreational activities out of wedlock and surely would feel sympathy for her situation. I can believe Priya's tenacity. I can't believe the sudden way in which rejection turns into acceptance.
On top of these unrealistic twists and turns and characters and stories, there are inconsistencies that just turn my stomach at times. Not because they are so horrible, but because they could have easily been amended. The most obvious one is appearance in particular Saif Ali Khan's hair which seems to be able to grow long in a day, be short the next and be long the day after. Furthermore, the way the director tries to portray (grown) girls as school girls in the boarding school scene is atrocious. You cannot give 20-somethings pigtails and a lesson in how to behave as a five-year-old and expect people to believe they are teens. And finally, the monologues at times are horrible, because they are too long and try too hard to make their point.
Over all, this movie tries to deal with a very controversial and contemporary issue which is very commendable. Unfortunately in my opinion it has failed. Not because it is so bad, but because it could have been so much more. This movie can easily be described as OVER THE TOP. Perhaps my views would be different if I hadn't been born and brought up in a western culture. Nonetheless I would not want this to keep you from watching Kya Kehna, because despite its faults it also has redeeming qualities. The strongest of which would be its ending. Predictability is for the first time thrown out of the window and replaced with brash boldness.
**/5 stars
SPOILERS
It is the story of a young high spirited college girl, Priya (Priety Zinta) who falls madly head over heels in love with bad boy Rahul (Saif Ali Khan). Rahul is the boy no parent wants as a son-in-law. He's handsome and rich, but he's also a flirt who changes girls more often than he changes clothes. He is instantly attracted to Priya's beauty, but I believe more attracted to her because he gets warned over and over again not to go near her by her brothers. Against her family's wishes Priya and Rahul get involved and eventually her parents agree to a marriage. Rahul however doesn't want to know anything about it and it is then that Priya sees Rahul's character. Things spiral out of control when Priya and her family find out that she is pregnant.
The story is very promising. Young girl throws tradition to the wind and stands up to society and her family to protect herself and her child. A very realistic storyline whose execution unfortunately lacks realism. It is the little things that ruin this movie. I can believe Priya's independant, high-spirited character. I can't believe her journey from childlike innocence to responsible maturity. I can believe Rahul's irresponsibility. I can't believe his over the top mother who just seems to disappear in the second half of the movie. I can believe Priya's stigmatisation by society. I can't believe Priya's stigmatisation by the WHOLE of society including all of her college friends of whom I'm sure at least some must have engaged in recreational activities out of wedlock and surely would feel sympathy for her situation. I can believe Priya's tenacity. I can't believe the sudden way in which rejection turns into acceptance.
On top of these unrealistic twists and turns and characters and stories, there are inconsistencies that just turn my stomach at times. Not because they are so horrible, but because they could have easily been amended. The most obvious one is appearance in particular Saif Ali Khan's hair which seems to be able to grow long in a day, be short the next and be long the day after. Furthermore, the way the director tries to portray (grown) girls as school girls in the boarding school scene is atrocious. You cannot give 20-somethings pigtails and a lesson in how to behave as a five-year-old and expect people to believe they are teens. And finally, the monologues at times are horrible, because they are too long and try too hard to make their point.
Over all, this movie tries to deal with a very controversial and contemporary issue which is very commendable. Unfortunately in my opinion it has failed. Not because it is so bad, but because it could have been so much more. This movie can easily be described as OVER THE TOP. Perhaps my views would be different if I hadn't been born and brought up in a western culture. Nonetheless I would not want this to keep you from watching Kya Kehna, because despite its faults it also has redeeming qualities. The strongest of which would be its ending. Predictability is for the first time thrown out of the window and replaced with brash boldness.
**/5 stars