BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

ElenaJ10 Let me start by saying that I'm very surprised by all the negative reviews on the film, there were that many that I had almost decided not to give the film a chance. However, as I liked the plot and all the big Bollywood stars starring in it, I wanted to check for myself if the film was as bad as many people said and thank heavens I did, because I really liked it! Now I feel like I have to write a review and hope it will encourage others to watch it.The first half of the film was funny and many scenes and dialogues made me laugh. I don't even like Bollywood comedy, because I find that they overdo it and consequently just spoil the film and kill the jokes. This movie was a nice change from the ones I've seen. The second half had a more serious and dramatic tune, but it was very well put together.Additionally, I can imagine that the subjects of failing marriages, temptation outside of wedlock and the modern take of them wouldn't go down very well in the traditional Indian society. Despite these controversial topics, the movie managed to tackle them successfully and to give relationships a new importance and relevance. The film challenged social values without promoting selfishness and temporarily bodily desire and this is a very delicate balance to achieve. Hats off to the director! Perhaps, as time passes the film will find a place in today's society and have the positive reviews and recognition that it deserves.To sum it all up, mine is a big GO-WATCH IT RECOMMENDATION and judge for yourself. I't s one of those films that you either love or hate, but you won't find out until you watch it and I really believe that you've got to give it a try. For me it was a pleasant surprise on many levels: comedy, marriage and love.

Shuja Ilyas Well such a brave attempt, in Hindi cinema, i was not expecting this at all. Extra Marital Affairs have always been a taboo , SILSILA and movies like LAMHA were not easily digested by any south Asian viewer. Same goes with this classic KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA. Tauntung Dialogues, classy SCREENPLAY, brilliant acting, the best of SRK, emotions emotions and emotions. Kran Johar shows his class on such a sensitive topic, with lot of command. KANK is sure short a ALL TIME CLASSIC from BOLLYWOOD, a very deep rooted emotional movie, a very heavy doze so be careful and cautious, while handling it !!!! Numbers of viewers think this is crap, but in reality KANK is a MASTER PIECE, ON ITS OWN. SRK, ABHISHEK, RANI MUKHERJEE, PRETTY ZINTA all of them steels the show. Crunchy taunting dialogs, heart touching scenes, will bring tears in your eyes for sure.

Chrysanthepop Like an Expensive Melodramatic Indian Soap Opera In New York Karan Johar attempts to make a 'so-called mature' movie but the handling of the themes and the storytelling is very amateur. Many of the comedic sequences, especially the silly ones like 'black beast' (racist?) were cringe inducing. Much of the dialogues are the kind you would hear in soap operas. The characters are poorly written. Rhea is supposed to be a strong woman who loves her job and family and while her quality time with family is limited, her excuse to Dev is that she's 'forced' to be the 'man' of the family? This is not the kind of thing one would hear a strong independent woman say. Then there's Maya, who is also a strong character and yet she lets herself be treated so harshly by Dev. Sexy Sam is quite a pathetic caricature blend of a sleazy Casanova-type old hag (who only seems to sleep with white girls that are about 40 years younger than him) and the loving father who's there for his son and whatever. The last hour is so laughable because of the sheer awfulness in execution, acting and writing. Johar's direction lacks aim and focus while his script seriously lacks consistency. The overall soundtrack is far from memorable but two songs are quite beautiful: 'Tumhi Dekho Na' (artistically shot) and 'Mitwa'. Not surprisingly, the background score is heavily intrusive. Shahrukh Khan pretty much overacts in every single one of his scenes. Dev isn't supposed to be likable nor sympathetic but the way Khan plays him is frustrating to the viewer especially with his overdone expressions and measured tone of voice. In my opinion, this is perhaps Rani Mukherjee's worst performance to date. She fails to demonstrate the complexity and depth of Maya and could someone ask Rani or Johar why Maya keeps crying so much? Abhishek Bachchan tries to be funny and charming but he's not entirely convincing which, unintentionally, makes it easy to understand why Maya doesn't want him. Amitabh Bachchan is incredibly irritating as Sexy Sam (though he is not as bad as Khan) but otherwise he does a fine job in a number of sequences, especially the ones with Kiron Kher. Kher is quite superb as the grounded mother and Sam's confidant. Preity Zinta stands out as she delivers an impressively restrained performance with grace and élan. She easily steals the show from Bachchan, Khan and Mukherjee.It's interesting that Johar has attempted to tackle a mature contemporary theme and even though he failed, I think his intentions were sincere. Perhaps, this is a path Johar shouldn't tread yet.

Peter Young Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was supposed to be Karan Johar's most mature work. It's not, though it does work as a film, because it's decent entertainment. I really like the combination of comedy and drama, laughs and tears in one film - that's what actually used to define Hindi films. This is the story of two couples (Shahrukh and Preity; Abhishek and Rani), in two troubled, unsuccessful relationships. Soon, Shahrukh befriends Rani and Preity befriends Abhishek. But while Abhishek and Preity's friendship is a genuine relationship of good friendship, Shahrukh and Rani's is clearly more than that, which later on grows as expected.The film has its great share of loopholes. First, it is so exhaustingly long. Almost four hours. And considering two hours were just trashy jokes and loud songs, I would've deleted at least one hour of it. I also think that while the combination of comedy and drama was handled much better in Kal Ho Naa Ho, it was overdone here: the comedy was more of a parody, the drama was more of a Greek tragedy. While the comedy is generally funny, it is at times ridiculous. Amitabh Bachchan's affairs with young prostitutes and his pathetic behaviour are not funny at all and are actually very embarrassing. The "Black Peast" sequence should have been deleted. It was funny but unnecessary. Many scenes did not contribute to the film in any way. Towards the end of the quite enjoyable first half, the comedy ends. And there starts the drama. The couples start fighting and shouting and insulting each other intensively. The dialogues get quite cheap and cliché (though at times I did enjoy them). And then begins the so-called extramarital affair. Many ask, does Karan Johar really know what marriage is all about? My answer is a definite no. They also say the film's issue is too serious to be taken so inaptly. And my reply is: KANK is NOT AT ALL an issue-based film. It's according to me just another Bollywood entertainment flick involving relationships. Trying to look at it from any other perspective would mostly result in disappointment.The characters are easily describable: Khan's Dev is a frustrated and cynical man, his failure and his wife's success make him hate his life and everything around. Rani's Maya is a boring woman who finds life unfortunate mainly because she cannot conceive. Abhishek's Rishi is a wonderful human being and husband who loves his wife to death. Preity's Rhea is an independent and ambitious career woman, who deeply loves and cares for her husband and son, but has little time to express it. None is presented as bad, but then most of them lack real depth to convince. It's easier to sympathise with Abhishek and Preity's characters for various reasons, and maybe it's the acting which determines it all.Shahrukh Khan, in one of his most unpleasant performances, is irritating for the most part. He is a great actor, but this role is not for him as he fails to register its complexity and mostly overacts. In some scenes he is witty and funny as always here too, but his character is too exaggerated and underwritten to work. Rani does not really act, she mostly cries. I mean, she is a waterfall. I think she should learn that displaying grief is not all about tears. And there are far too many tears there. I wonder how much glycerin she used in this film. She does perform naturally in several other scenes, but it's not enough as her character's inner struggle is never brought out well and it is overall a weak act.Those who really do well and steal the show are the supporting actors, particularly Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan. Zinta is excellent as Rhea. Despite a relatively small role (which Johar must be slapped for), she comes across as a strong, serious career woman and is always credible and dignified. She convincingly displays Rhea's tough outside and soft inside, and her gestures and line delivery are spot on. You just wonder where she left her bubbly and perky tomboy. Abhishek is a revelation. His romantic and loving Rishi is such a lovely character, and he just does it so well. His dramatic scenes are difficult to play and he does not disappoint. Kirron Kher is spectacular in her role.The film's biggest problem is that it's most of the time unrealistic and hard to believe. And it's a big problem in today's Hindi cinema, when so many films are naturally made and narrated. For instance, the main characters in this film always bump into each other coincidentally in the streets of New York as if New York was as small as Chandni Chowk. Johar's dialogues are often cheesy, theatrical and overly emotional. People in New York 2006 don't speak like this. Maybe that's what people like about Bollywood though, which is known for its escapist and larger-than-life melodramas.The film however has several great and funny scenes: the hilarious scene where Shahrukh and Rani try to surprise their spouses; Shahrukh and Preity's intense argument; the crosswalk Sharukh-Rani-Preity scene; the photo scene; the dinner; the scene of Rani and Amitabh in the kitchen after he finds out everything - very moving; when Preity slaps Shahrukh; the Kirron Kher-Preity Zinta scene - one of my favourite; and the Rani-Preity confrontation at the wedding ceremony - superbly acted by Preity.KANK is visually pleasing, mostly entertaining, and only occasionally convincing. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's soundtrack is fantastic and the songs are beautifully pictured. "Where's The Party Tonight?" is catchy, "Tumhi Dekho Naa" is very romantic, "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" is sad and moving. The film's ending is overlong, could have been shortened, but then it also provides a great relief. KANK is not a great film, it is poorly executed, but it surely bears the stamp of Bollywood's unique style, colour and beauty, and that's why the mixed reactions.