Kandukondain Kandukondain (I Have Found It, I Have Found It) is one of my all time favorite Tamil films. This adaptation of Sense & Sensibility came out in 2000, and has an amazing cast: Ajith, Tabu, Aishwarya Rai, Mammootty and Abbas. The music by A. R. Rahman is just amazing. When I was listening to one of the songs, I thought, I just want to watch this whole movie again, and I invited Alisa to watch this film and discuss it with me. She loved it so much, that she watched it three times in one week! I also rewatched the 1995 Emma Thompson Ang Lee Sense & Sensibility so I would have that fresh in my mind for comparison. Alisa and I agreed that while the Emma Thompson film is held up as the gold standard adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, Kandukondain Kandukondain improves on it in several ways. I had such a good time discussing this wonderful film with Alisa Rivera (@BollywoodNewbie).
I realized that Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is actually the first film directed by Karan Johar that I have seen on the big screen. Sure, I’ve seen Johar/Dharma productions, like Kapoor and Sons, on the big screen in the two plus years that I’ve been watching Indian cinema, but this is the first totally Karan Johar film.
I went to the first day, first show, at my local theater and they were NOT prepared for the Diwali crowds. The theater was pretty full, and there was a long line at the ticket window. Interestingly, I was not the only non-Desi there. There were two women who were fans of Aish from Bride & Prejudice, but didn’t even know what the title of the film meant or who SRK is. (!!!)
This will be as spoiler free a review as I can make it. We know the film is about unrequited love. If you think about it, many of Karan Johar’s films are about unrequited love, be it from a lover or a parent.
Anushka and Ranbir meet when they are both fighting with their boyfriend/girlfriend. They kiss and Ranbir sweetly hugs her, and Anushka pulls away. “What kind of kiss was that? Save those kinds of hugs for your family!” There is no sexual chemistry from her side, but they are soul mates in every other way. They both love old 80’s films, quote dialogue to each other and sing old song lyrics to each other. I caught some of the filmi references (like them doing the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai finger to the noise bit), but there were many I didn’t catch. (Can’t wait for Margaret to do a full summary on Don’t Call It Bollywood where she can instruct me on all the ones I missed!)
We knew about the Shahrukh Khan cameo as Aish’s ex, but there are some other fun ones. Alia Bhatt and Lisa Haydon! Fawad Khan’s role has been cut down so much that it’s not much more than an extended cameo.
I wish the songs in the film had had subtitles, because I felt like I was missing meanings from the lyrics now that I was seeing them in the film itself. Anushka is his friend, his best best best friend, but we can see that Ranbir wants more. He declares himself after she returns to her former love, but it’s too late.
Then he has the passionate relationship with Aish, and I loved her as this mature seductress! She and Ranbir had great chemistry, and the cameo with SRK was a delight. Shahrukh and Aish just give off that old lovers vibe and it was perfection for this film.
There is a twist in the final 15 minutes or so of the film that I mentally said to myself, “Oh, Karan, really, you’re going there?” But damn it. Karan made me cry! It was predictable, but he played my emotions like a violin and the tears were running down my face.
The music as we know, is just sublime in this film. The title track and the way Ranbir perform it is so amazing. Really his performance through the film is excellent. But I was most impressed with Anushka. She just gets better and better with each film.
Anushka criticizes Ranbir’s singing in the film (he wants to be a singer) and says he can’t really sing with emotion until he’s experienced heartbreak. And that, I think, is ultimately the message of the film. Great art, be it film, music or poetry, comes from heartbreak and pain.
Pardesi Reviews 