Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi Review {2/5} & Review Rating
Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd.'s KUCH KHATTI KUCH MEETHI, edited-directed by Rahul Rawail, is a switching-places saga of twins.
Tina (Kajol) is a hothead. She is a rebel, but not without a cause. The palatial mansion in which she lives, also houses her alcoholic father Raj Khanna (Rishi Kapoor) whose drunken state leaves him with no time for her. To top it is a scheming aunt (Mita Vaishist) who, with her son Teddy (Mayur) and lover (Pramod Moutho), a doctor, forms the prime cause of the Khanna family's doom.
The evil aunt's sugarcoated attempts at creating misery continue and one fine day Tina leaves her home and flies across the seven seas. Who does she meet there but her sweet and demure twin sister Sweety (Kajol again) and their mother Archana (Rati Agnihotri), whose existence she was oblivious of.
Tina and Sweety resolve to take matters in their contrasting hands. The East may never meet the West, but their parents definitely will. And then begins a roller coaster ride filled with plots and plans, laughter and tears, fun and facades, regrets and reunions.
The remaking of classics, always a risky proposition, is under scrutiny more than ever. But KUCH KHATTI KUCH MEETHI is slick and sentimental. And most importantly, the film scores in that main department � the cast.
KUCH KHATTI KUCH MEETHI is a mix of several films � the Neetu Singh starrer DO KALIYAAN, Disney's THE PARENT TRAP (made in 1961 earlier and 1998 later), the Hema Malini starrer SEETA AUR GEETA and the Sree Devi flick CHALBAAZ.
The stage is set at the very outset. The twins are separated at birth � one grows up in the father's palatial home in India, the other in Glasgow under the caring eye of her mother. The story gains momentum when the two girls finally realise their blood ties and set out on their grand master plan to reunite their estranged parents.
The sequences thereafter keep the viewer engrossed, but the pace drops when, soon after the misunderstandings are cleared, Sunil Shetty weaves a yarn about his parents. The sequences that follow, Sunil impersonating a Gujarati, throws a spanner in an otherwise smooth narrative. However, the drama picks up again towards the climax when the parents � Rishi and Rati � iron out their differences.
Director Rahul Rawail has handled the subject with honesty. Despite the fact that the plot is not innovative, the story still has a lot of heart and it is sure to attract its target audience of families.
However, KUCH KHATTI KUCH MEETHI has its share of weaknesses too, the most obvious one being that the drama gets juvenile towards the second half. Also, the film has been unduly stretched in the latter half and how one wishes Rahul Rawail, who's credited for editing the film too, should've edited the film objectively.
The scripting is not foolproof either. The monumental selfishness of separating twin sisters from each other and never letting them know about the other's existence is hard to swallow. Maybe that was alright in the 1960s, but it seems unrealistic today. Also, the romance between Kajol and Sunil Shetty is not stirring enough and seems half-baked. Ditto for the Pooja Batra track, which seems unreal.
Anu Malik's music is quite pleasant. The film has two lilting numbers � 'Tumko Sirf Tumko' and 'Kuch Kuch Khatti Kuch Kuch Meethi' � and the picturisation of the latter is indeed laudable. Cinematography is praiseworthy.
The bulk of the film rests upon the proficient shoulders of Kajol, who seamlessly plays the two roles and infuses life in the characters. She is great fun to watch as the brat mainly. However, she ought to take care of her weight since she looks plump in several sequences. Sunil Shetty gets no scope to exhibit his talent in an enterprise that is dominated by Kajol.
Rishi Kapoor enacts his portions with admirable ease. Rati Agnihotri is a pleasure to watch. Despite staying away from arc lights for more than a decade, the actress is at ease in front of the camera and looks gorgeous too. Mita Vashisht, as the scheming aunt, is appropriate. Pooja Batra is just about okay. Pramod Moutho is tolerable.
On the whole, KUCH KHATTI KUCH MEETHI is a welcome change from the usual bang, bang, shoot'em up flicks produced in the recent times. The film has its share of flaws, but the fact cannot be ruled out that it is a feel-good film. The film has a genuine buoyancy that leaves a viewer happy.
