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Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) More at IMDbPro »

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34 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
this is the reason why we love watching Hindi movies, 23 February 2006

Author: linkinem41 from United States

this is by far the best Hindi movie i've ever seen. OK maybe a BIt exaggerated but HECK!!! this movie made my DAY!! HECK it made My LIFE....so well thats that...

what wasn't in it to make it excellent? acting,dialogs,story,direction,song everything well managed. Never before have i seen SUCH Perfect placement of SONGS and background scores....Shankhar-Eshan-Loy have just created some of the best tunes ever.....every time the background theme started playing my heart started to melt....

This is a movie Bollywood had been long waiting for.... a perfect ROmantic movie with Comedy and Family values... Great ENough to entertain the entire family... Not just the American-Indians but also the Gujratis, Panjabis, Christian-Indians and all the Indian population and the Indian movie lovers.....

Kal ho na ho is a MASSIVE entertainer... i know its 3 hours long but still every minute of it is PUT to correct use.... this movie proves in every way that it is better for Hindi movies to stay Hindi with u know reasonable drama comedy songs dance and all that.I am not saying that Hindi movies should not make movies like Maqbool and other serious movies... I am just saying that Movies like KAl ho na ho, Dilwale Dulhaniya are the PRIDE of Indian cinema...So the industry should not forget that...

and the even more BETTER thing about this movie is that You can watch this movie like GAZZILION times... every time i see it i love it... its funny and superbly written... Karan Johar is more of a BETTER Writer...... his dialogs are so FUNNY....... like the reference to Preety as MAA-mother.... and the emotional scenes..........how well written.......no matter how FIlmy...there were tears in my eyes so thats the BIG thing.......

the leading lady PREETY ZINTA proves herself as a BETTER actress... this is a ROLE she was born for...She is JUST way toooooo BRILLIANT... no one could have been better......and i mean NO-One...Thanks GOD kareena Refused this film... Shah Rukh Khan is PRobably the SUPERSTAR of Indian Cinema...i bet there will be a Shah Rukh Khan day in India in the future.... and as for his Perfromace....... i guess he is being himself.... u know..people say he is being over the TOP...well he is..because his Character indeed is Over the Top so why not.... Shah RUkh is a KEY to this movie.... HE is absolutely Fantastic...i wont stand a word against him... now comes SAIF....... God for some years we did think his days in Bollywood was over.. NOW see how brilliant actor he has become......... he is just Magnificent...such a superb comedic timing...he is really talented this man... JAYA Bachan..... SHe is PERFECT..... she puts life and SOul to this character... she plays the IDIOL mother to such Perefection that i bet every viewer were going like "why don't i have such a understanding mother" in their heads..... and the rest of the cast is totally fabulous.... they are so good that i for times believe that this movie could have been totally different if one of them weren't their... like JIYA for instance....she made me cry... Dadi she made me angry... Sweetu and her SIS mad me laugh.........

all in all this is a Perfect Romantic Comedy for the WHOLE FAMILY(really hard to find in this generation)..........I wouldn't change a thing about this movie.... 10/10 I hope you feel the same....

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27 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
YAY! What a pleasure!, 15 April 2004

Author: frodolives from Wellington, NZ

Well, it is always a bit difficult in Western countries to get to see Bollywood movies with English subtitles, and though I have made a bit of an effort to spot them in the last few years I wouldn't call myself a Bollywood expert - and of course I've grown up with Western rather than Indian aesthetic standards ingrained. Although as a fan of Baroque Opera, I don't really have much difficulty with the basic premises of the Bollywood style!

Having said that, this was possibly the most interesting Bollywood movie I've seen to date - especially in its attempt to incorporate elements of Western pop culture, including several blatant references to American movies, from Grease and a spoofed James Bond to Brad Silberling's City of Angels, which evidently contributed a lot to the way Shahruk Khan's character is handled (including him starting to see things in black and white when he is near dying - that one goes back all the way to Wim Wenders!).

The soundtrack is stunning, and again it's great to see the way the New York setting gives opportunity to mix in some Western elements in an intelligent way. The dance and song numbers are a true joy, and it doesn't hurt that they are better integrated into the plot than in most Indian movies I've seen.

Shahruk Khan is nicely parodying himself - at least, I thought he was... maybe I'm wrong??? :-o - I also particularly enjoyed the running joke about Aman and Rohit being a homosexual couple - one could indeed ask oneself who is really in love with who here? And why exactly does Aman prefer to love vicariously rather than going for the girl himself? It's also perhaps significant that it is Rohit rather than Naina who stays with Aman to the last. I am sure the filmmakers are intelligent enough to be aware of these undercurrents, even if perhaps most audiences aren't!

In any case, watching this movie (with a very sympathetic audience at a foreign film showcase here in Wellington, people who actually laughed in most of the *right* places!) was a pure joy and it makes me happy to see how Indian cinema is finally beginning to be perceived as a legitimate part of international film culture even by Western audiences, rather than just an exotic oddity - something that Chinese and Japanese movies, for instance, have already achieved to a much greater degree!

And now I'm off to buy the soundtrack...

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22 out of 27 people found the following comment useful :-
Finest Movie of the Year., 30 November 2003

Author: UR60x

Believe me what i said above is really true. Kal Ho Naa Ho is really the finest movie of 2003 yet. Before watching this movie there was a thing in my mind that produced by Karan Johar and acted by Shahrukh Khan this movie will really going to rock. And the same thing happened. This movie is without any hole. A perfect direction by Nikhil Adavani. This movie is proof of Shahrukh's emotional acting and that he still rocks. One more thing that this movie is a bit funny too Saif Ali Khan looking great in this field as look in the 2001's movie of the year "Dil Chahta Hai" by large number of critics. However the music of the movie is not so good as Karan Johar's previous movies Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham but the story of the movie is great. A perfect family movie. I give it 10/10.

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18 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Warm, subtle and deeply moving., 22 March 2004

Author: gila_film from Medan, Indonesia

I just can believe that I had opportunity to enjoy this. Kal Ho Naa Ho (If Tomorrow Never Comes) is an energetic tale about love, love and LOVE! The plot somewhat predictable (and I better not to rehash it) but Nikil Adhvani as a director made it with a sense of love and that make this as a warm, subtle and deeply moving, a great entertainer indeed.

The chemistry between Shahrukh, Preity Zinta and Saif-Ali Khan is so strong. What a fun-tastic acting fiesta. The songs are ear-catchy and added a plus point, not a waste like many Bollywood's movies.

I know KHNH is a good movie when I first read the premise, but I don't realize that this is a very good movie. Just can't believe that this is Nikil Adhvani directorial debut. Okay, enough comment, just watch it and experience the wonderful journey of life and LOVE.

10/10

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22 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
Terrific, emotional film, 25 December 2003

Author: AishFan from Santa Clara, CA, US

Karan Johar has done it again. This movie is absolutely wonderful. It has it all--comedy, romance, and deep emotions. You have been warned: this is a tearjerker. Don't bother watching it if you hate sensitive films. Shahrukh, of course, is the show stealer. Nobody can ever replace this brilliant star who can transform perfectly into his character. Saif , the underestimated star, is great with comic timing as he was in Dil Chahta Hai, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, etc. Preity Zinta was good but wasn't as great as she was in Koi Mil Gaya. Jaya has a nice role. Songs are excellent and, in my opinion, the best soundtrack of the year. The portion of "6 din, ladki in" in the second half was a bit of a drag, however. The best part of this movie, though, is its theme. Carpe diem! People are so concerned with their futures that they forget to live the present. God only knows where we'll be tomorrow. Enjoy today before it's too late.

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15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Warm, fuzzy and completely lovable, 1 December 2003

Author: Deepshika from Boston

*Story*

Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta) lives in New York with her half-Punjabi, half-Catholic family. Her life is burdened with financial problems, bickering among family members, and memories of a dead father. She is a almost always grumpy and cynical, finding nothing to smile about. The only part of her life she likes is her friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan) who is a fellow student in an MBA program.

Into this drab life of Naina's comes a waft of fresh air in the guise of Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan). Aman, the eternal optimist is the anti-Naina. He invites himself into the homes and hearts of the residents of the cozy Indian neighborhood and eventually, into Naina's life as well. What they don't know is that Aman is harboring a painful secret.

The rest of the movie is about Aman, Naina and Rohit finding love, hope, happiness and ultimately the joy of living.

*Review*

The feeling I had as I left the theater can be best described as the feel of a woolly blanket on a chilly night. The woolly blanket in this case was around my heart. Kal Ho Naa Ho is by no means perfect. It has its share of illogical moments and cliched scenes. But while watching Indian films, one must get over such hurdles to appreciate them. Or like Naina, we'll be left criticizing everything in sight and forgetting to enjoy the moment. Also we must remember that although its important for the film industry to grow and evolve, its equally as important not to lose what is inherently our Indian identity which is apparent in the songs and the emotional quotient of hindi movies.

That said, for me Kal Ho Naa Ho will go down as one of my all time favorite movies. The performances were wonderful. Shah Rukh Khan gives another performance that will be remembered. He may not be the greatest actor who ever came out of Bombay, but he is one of the few who manages to create characters who seem so friendly and lovable, you would think of him as your own. No one else in the industry has this knack of creating an atmosphere of 'apnapan'. Preity Zinta as Naina is wonderful and a perfect choice for the role. I have no idea how Dharma productions even considered Kareena Kapoor for the role of Naina. Saif Ali Khan is also incredible. Rohit is very similar to Sameer in Dil Chahta Hai but with a lot more emotional depth. I don't care how many times Saif plays that character, I still love him for it and I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing it. Jaya Bachchan who plays Jenny, Naina's mother is incredible in this small role. This character is very real and you can really sympathize with her because of Mrs. Bachchan.

I was very disappointed with the music when it was first released. But the songs grew on me after watching them on screen. The title song is especially good as are Pretty Woman and Mahi Ve. Kuch To Hua hai is also much better on screen. Cinematography is wonderful, another aspect that makes this movie magical. Direction by Nikhil Advani is surprising to say the least. He did an excellent job bringing the story to life. And I will look forward to his next movie. It must have been hard for Karan Johar to give away his story, but Nikhil justified Karan's confidence in him and possibly made a better film than Karan might have. One of the many things I loved about the movie was that it was quite funny. Even during the dramatic moments, I was either laughing or smiling. The screenplay and the dialogues were excellent. Nikhil Advani must have a real talent for comic scenes because they were terrific.

And finally I'd like to commend Karan Johar for writing such a wonderful story with characters that are very down to earth and real. Even though I loved his previous films (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai & Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), Kal Ho Naa Ho is definitely my favorite. I hope we get to experience many more of his wonderful stories that are hopefully made with SRK :) because they are the dream team. If I ever meet Karan Johar, I will shake his hand and give him a hug for creating such a heart warming film.

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9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Best film!!, 29 November 2005

Author: Depp 4eva!

This is one of the best films ever made! I watched it a few days ago and i still have the movie running through my head. It is so amazing that it has a lasting impression.

Once again, Shah Rukh Khan steals the spotlight and does a magnificent performance as the beautiful and sweet Aman Mathur.

By the way, i was thinking "What a funny movie" until the end...it just gets sad. And me being a really sensitive person, wow...it just blows you away. Shah Rukh Khan's brilliant performance will stay with you forever.

I was up at 2.30 in the morning, tissues strewn all around me with tears just pouring down my face. The moment you try to stop crying, another scene comes on and you start again. Seriously, i'm really sensitive so no surprise but i reckon this film was the first film that actually made me cry that much. I just couldn't stop!! This is a must for everyone..including you sensitive people out there! Everyone must watch this film! It's just beautiful and it was actually an eye-opener for me! You've got to cherish whatever you have because who knows...tomorrow may never come.

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16 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Some loopholes, but overall a great film, a landmark in Bollywood history., 5 December 2003

Author: falak11mufc from England

Okay I will not give a summary of the film. Enough of that already. Straight to the point: Kal Ho Naa Ho is a fantastic film....definitely worth seeing, and worth seeing over again.

Shah Rukh Khan does a great job...as usual. I guess nobody else does emotional scenes AND comedy as well as he does. Saif Ali Khan is great. Again as usual, since he plays that role in many of his films, but he holds the story together....!! And Preity...well, it's her year. She rules Bollywood this year. After Koi mil gaya, she comes back in KHNH, with a much stronger role, probably her strongest role since Kya Kehna....and she excels in it. Yes, why was Kareena Kapoor even considered for this role??? Jaya Bacchan is also worth a mention. Nobody else could have played this role. She is fantastic!!! The special appearances make the film...well...special!!!Some of us would go see any film for 5 seconds of Kajol....especially next to Shah Rukh!!! And all credits to Karan Johar and Nikhil Advani. To Karan for coming up with the film, trusting Nikhil and making it happen, and to Nikhil for a first-class job in his first direction... And the music is wonderful...Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy definitely establishing themselves further in Bollywoodland. And Farah Khan plays her usual magic with the choreography, especially for the song Kuch to Hua Hai, which will keep you giggling in your seat...

Now the loopholes: Why do all Caucasian looking people in America speak Hindi (with an awful accent as well), especially when some of the Indians sometimes afford to speak English!!??!! Why could they not spend some more time and effort to make Shah Rukh mime his rap words well in the Pretty Woman song?? Why, when Saif and Preity find out about Shah Rukh, they both seem more worried about their love lives than their friend's....well...LIFE!!! Why did I leave the cinema feeling that if Shah Rukh was given a dialogue full of hope before then end of the film, I'd have felt better...coz surely that was the point of the film: hope. I felt that the last 20 minutes were not well-explored enough...and too sketchy. One second SRK and Preity love each other, and the next she's still getting married...Why are we not shown the process that goes in between. It would have been good, emotional, and more realistic...

But maybe I'm just moaning about details. Maybe I am being a bit of a Naina Catherine Kapoor....So, I'll end on this note rather...

Seen in the broader context of Indian Cinema, this film is a proper landmark....It's a perfect blend of the East and the West. After rather unsuccessful attempts at copying American Pie-style comedy in Indian films, SOMEBODY finally showed us what it takes to make a success of this kind: A modern comedy (hilarious jokes) with modern direction (cool style of story-telling, I thought) in a true Indian setting. Modern music, but perfectly blended with Indian melody and lyrics. This film will take Indian comedy to new heights. And takes the East-West blend to new heights. And it takes a great film to do that...

And it will leave u, not just proud of being Indian, but of being a Western Indian. Perfect blend....

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
if you have seen this movie outside India, you are an elected by God, 19 September 2005

Author: melsm from barcelon, spain

Watching Indian movies outside of India is something very impossible, everybody speaks about "the famous bollywood movies", but nobody want to release this jewels in Europe. I am so lucky I could see this supermasterpiece at the oriental cinema festival in Barcelon, I couldn't believe what I was watching. The script is stunning, the choreography crazy, the actors are superlative, the music is impressive, the plot turns you on...you can keep inside the characters as I never did. The sound is also impressive. It was like watching Mary Poppins when I was 6 yeras old, during 3 hours I lost the total terms of reality!!!! As the movie has never been exhibited in Spain and there is not copy on DVD we are so "lucky" We could find a pirate copy in a Pakistan supermarket in Barcelon, with perfect sound and image!!!! Well, I hope this message will amaze you to get this movie from....where?

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Awesome!!! You should Watch!!!, 30 March 2006

Author: nedtheone from India

For all those who want to know whether Kal Ho Naa Ho is a remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand, the answer is yes. And no.

Shah Rukh Khan's character (Aman) is largely inspired by Rajesh Khanna's happy-go-lucky charmer in Anand. But on the whole, Kal Ho Naa Ho is as different as they come.

The film kicks off with Manhattan resident Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta) narrating the story of her life over her daily morning jog.

Don't Miss!

The characters in Naina's life are introduced with the same energy that Naina puts into her jog. There is her mom Jennifer (Jaya Bachchan in jeans), who shares a love-hate relationship with her mother-in-law Sushma Seth (at her loudest Punjabi best).

Mommy runs a flop restaurant. Grandmother is a flop singer. Together they are chaos.

Enough reason for Naina to turn into a boring, bespectacled spinster type who takes life too seriously.

The only interesting person in Naina's life is buddy Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan). He is uncool with women but thinks he is cool. He is also a typical Gujarati, whose father (Satish Shah) runs a business called Dial A Dhokla.

Enter funny guy Aman, who turns out to be the proverbial angel in Naina's life. He is Dale Carnegie-Jim Carrey-Richard Gere-Deepak Chopra all rolled into one. He zooms into Naina's neighbourhood singing Pretty woman and woos everyone in sight, including uppity Naina.

Naina hates him at first sight, but can't help being overwhelmed by Aman's charm.

Even Rohit takes tips from Aman on how to be cool and influence people. Life is a song and dance till the interval.

And After that everything is mystery, lol what?

This is indeed a breathtaking movie! Go and watch instead of watching silly bollywood movies!

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