20 Years of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham: “I wanted to make Ramayana but in a modern milieu. The Lakshman character was actually Hrithik Roshan” – Karan Johar

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By Fenil Seta -

December 14, 2021 - 11:30 AM IST

One of the great films of Indian cinema, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, was released 20 years ago, on December 14, 2001. It was one of the last multi-starrers of our times and starred as many as six stars – Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. It was a casting coup pulled off by Karan Johar immediately after the release of his first directorial, the blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).

20 Years of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham: “I wanted to make Ramayana but in a modern milieu. The Lakshman character was actually Hrithik Roshan” – Karan Johar

In Karan Johar’s autobiography ‘An Unsuitable Boy’, the filmmaker revealed that after the super-success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the economic condition of his family improved drastically. While they were enjoying their newfound riches, Karan also started thinking of his next project. He had gone with his parents, Yash Johar and mother Hiroo Johar on the outskirts of London to check out the shoot of Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein (2000), which incidentally, also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. It was here that Karan narrated the idea of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to his parents.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is the story of a family that breaks apart after the elder son marries a girl against the choice of his father. How the younger brother reunites the family forms the crux of the film. In his memoir, Karan confessed the source of his inspiration for the film’s plot. He wrote, “I wanted to make Ramayana but in a modern milieu. One of the brothers is sent away, like being banished from the house. And the younger brother goes and gets his brother and Bhabhi back. The Lakshman character was actually Hrithik.”

While Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan played the part of the parents, Shah Rukh Khan essayed the role of the elder son and Kajol his wife. Hrithik, meanwhile, plays the younger brother's part and Kareena is Kajol’s sister and Hrithik’s love interest.

Coincidentally, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was not the only 2001 film that was inspired by Ramayana. In a Bollywood Hungama exclusive interview, Anil Sharma had revealed in June this year that his blockbuster Gadar – Ek Prem Katha, starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel, also took inspiration from the epic.

His period actioner told the story of a Muslim lady who marries a Sikh man immediately after the partition, thinking that his parents died while on the way to Pakistan. However, his family is very much alive and residing in Lahore and the lady’s father treacherously takes her to Pakistan and forces her to forget her husband and child and get married in her ‘home country’. How her husband, child and husband’s friend move heaven and earth to get her back forms the rest of the story.

Talking to Bollywood Hungama, Anil Sharma said, “We were inspired by Ramayana. Bhagwan Ram jo hai, woh Sita ko lene Lanka jaate hai aur Luv aur Kush kehte hai ki ‘meri maa ko wapis laaiye!’ I knew that this story would be loved by kids across the country. They won’t even realize and the film will touch their hearts. So you see, Gadar – Ek Prem Katha Ramayana ka hi dusra roop hai. Did you notice in the interval point, the antagonist (Amrish Puri) takes Ameesha Patel to Pakistan in an aeroplane, just like how Ravana kidnapped Sita in Pushpak Viman!”

That’s not all. Gadar – Ek Prem Katha consisted of the iconic hand pump scene. At this, Anil Sharma said, “Again, there’s a Ramayana connection to it. I thought that just the way Lord Hanuman lifted the mountain that had the Sanjeevani booti, Sunny Deol should lift this hand pump.”

What’s interesting is that both Gadar – Ek Prem Katha and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham emerged as two of the biggest hits of 2001. While Gadar – Ek Prem Katha collected a huge Rs. 76.88 crore, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham accumulated as much as Rs. 55.65 crore at the domestic box office. In short, the two blockbusters of 2001 that rewrote records were inspired by the same epic.

Also Read: 20 Years of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham - Karan Johar and Farah Khan recreate Bole Chudiyan; watch