Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

I had never watched a Bollywood movie before Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, so it was really interesting to see. Before watching it, I was a bit intimidated by the movie’s long runtime. However afterwards, it didn’t feel nearly as long as it actually was. You get sucked into the film with the mesmerizing love triangle storyline, as well as the catchy song and dance numbers. At times the numbers did run a little long, but nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed them. 

I loved the relationship between Rahul and his daughter Anjali. They were really sweet, and it was just nice to watch a positive father-daughter relationship. Young Anjali in general was really entertaining for me, she was just so cute and funny. I also liked the color and costumes in the film, they were so bright and vibrant. 

One thing I didn’t really like was how they portrayed older Anjali, and how people reacted to her. In the beginning when they’re in college, she likes to dress more as a tomboy. It was just what she was comfortable in, and was more true to herself and style. Yet she feels the only way to get Rahul’s attention is to dress up in a bright pink skirt and wear makeup. When she arrives at school, everyone laughs at her saying she looks ridiculous. Then when we meet Anjali again years later she now dresses in saris, with makeup, and her hair grown-out long. Now suddenly she's seen as beautiful, when really she was, right from the very beginning. This gives the impression that she can’t be pretty or loved unless she dresses in a stereotypical female way, when that’s just not true. 

The film was quite corny, with the character’s over the top emotions and reactions. There really is a sort of “love-hate relationship with its gaudy emotional excesses” (Novak 53). While things were very exaggerated and often cringey, I couldn’t seem to look away. There’s no doubt, it was incredibly entertaining.