Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Devanagari: ??? ?????? ? ????, Nastaliq: ???? ?????? ?? ????, English: (Never Say Good Bye) is a film directed by Karan Johar and produced under the Dharma Productions banner. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan and Kirron Kher in pivotal roles. Arjun Rampal and Saira Mohan have cameo roles in the film. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was released on August 11, 2006. To date, it is considered one of the boldest and most groundbreaking films in the history of Bollywood cinema, due to its exploration of themes that were never touched on before in mainstream Indian films. According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) originally gave the film an R rating because of language and some sexual content. It was re-rated PG-13 on appeal.

The film was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The script of the film was invited to be included in the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or more commonly known as the Oscars.

Production

The film's score and soundtrack has been composed by the musical trio, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is set in New York City, while many of the scenes are filled nearby in East Hartford and New Haven in Connecticut. The Grand Central Station scenes were actually filmed at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. It was filmed over a 90 day shooting period in the USA and a few scenes were shot on 4 large sets in Mumbai's studios.

Like previous Karan Johar movies (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna has a four-word title that starts with 'K'. The screenplay was co-written with Shibani Bathija.

Kajol was initially offered the role of Maya Talwar. When she refused, the role was passed on to Rani Mukerji who was supposed to play Preity Zinta's part. Ritesh Deshmukh originally had a guest appearance in this film, but his scene was cut during the editing process.

Synopsis

Dev Saran (Shahrukh Khan), a formerly successful, now injured soccer player, is unhappily married to Rhea (Preity Zinta), who has a high-flying job with a fashion magazine. They have a son named Arjun. Reserved schoolteacher Maya (Rani Mukerji) is about to marry her childhood friend Rishi Talwar (Abhishek Bachchan). Samarjit a.k.a "Sexy Sam" (Amitabh Bachchan) is Rishi's dad, and Kamaljit (Kirron Kher) plays the peppy mom to Dev.

Dev happens to meet Maya before her wedding and despite being strangers, they connect instantly. It could be that the two are unhappy with their partners, it could be that Dev was only too happy to talk of his uncomfortable marriage or it could be that Maya just could not love Rishi and so, found Dev attractive. Whatever the case, the connection between the two remains a glowing spark that re-ignites when they meet four years later.

During those four years, Maya has married Rishi and Dev has been hit by a car, the accident leaves him crippled and ends his football career. So when Maya meets Dev the next time, he is bitter - his failed career and failing marriage are festering wounds to which his wife Rhea's professional success is salt. In the Talwar home, things are no better - Maya still does not feel any love for Rishi and feels guilty for her inability to have children.

Dev and Maya realize that their situations are similar and decide to help each other repair their breaking marriages. Things don't work quite as expected however, and they become more and more drawn to each other. At the same time, Rishi and Rhea are working to keep their marriages afloat and are willing to see hope in even the smallest, most innocuous signs from their partners. However, their efforts are insignificant in the face of Maya and Dev's intense unhappiness in their marriages and their growing love for each other.

Dev and Maya give in to a dreamy, coffee-drenched romance and realize they have fallen in love. However, when Dev is about to give flowers to Maya, he sees Rhea and gives them to her so she doesn't see Maya. He saves one rose for Maya. She takes the rose home and Rishi sees it and Maya gives it to him. Rhea and Rishi now think that their partners really love them and are happy. But after an incident at the ballet that makes Dev intensely jealous, they realize they now feel like they are cheating on each other with their own spouses. This realization brings them to a dramatic point of no return and they sleep together. Shortly afterward, they are caught in an embrace outside the train station by Sam and Kamaljeet.

Sam, having lived the good life for a long, long time ultimately has to bear the punishment of all his excesses - he has a fatal heart attack and as he lies on his death bed, he gives Maya some unconventional advice: he tells her to leave his son Rishi since neither of them are happy in their marriage.

Things come to a head and Dev and Maya decide to leave each other and return to their partners. But this re-union will not be without honesty, so they come clean and confess their extra-marital affair. Rishi and Rhea decide that enough is enough and end their marriages - this doesn't mean that Maya and Dev come together however. They only speak to each other on the phone, and lie to each other, saying that all is well in their marriages.

Three years later, Rishi goes to meet Maya and invites her to his wedding. There Rhea sees Maya for the first time in three years and realizes that she and Rishi weren't together as she thought. The news that Dev is still alone, combined with some prodding from Rishi and Rhea convinces Maya to run after Dev. Dev is about to catch a train to Canada when he sees Maya. He hides from her because he has told Maya earlier that he was happy with Rhea and he thinks that she is happily married to Rishi. However, Maya finds him in his seat a few seconds before his train leaves the station. He uses the emergency brakes to get out to meet her. Realising how alone the two have been, Dev proposes to Maya and she accepts.

Cast

, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee (l-r)]]

• Amitabh Bachchan ... Samarjit Singh Talwar a.k.a "Sexy Sam"
• Shahrukh Khan ... Dev Saran
• Rani Mukerji ... Maya Talwar
• Preity Zinta ... Rhea Saran
• Abhishek Bachchan ... Rishi Talwar
• Kirron Kher ... Kamaljeet Saran
• Ahsaas Channa ... Arjun Saran (Dev and Rhea's son)
• Arjun Rampal ... Jay (Guest Appearance)
• Saira Mohan ... Catherine Cooper (Guest Appearance)
• Kajol ... Special Appearance during song "Rock N Roll Soniye"
• John Abraham ... Special Appearance during song "Where's The Party Tonight?"
• Karan Johar ... Special Appearance (train passenger in last sequence)

Characters

• Samarjit Singh Talwar (Sexy Sam) - A vivacious man who likes sexy women, having fun, embarrassing his son Rishi, and women. Samarjit is portrayed as the stereotypical businessman, a man who built a sizeable empire at the expense of his relationship with his late wife. Although fun-loving and adventurous, he is a true romantic, and uses his wisdom to help his son and daughter-in-law.

• Dev Saran - Handicapped, he starts looking at everything with a negative mindset and finds himself unable to enjoy the smallest pleasures given by life. With a feeling of loneliness and disappointment all around him, Dev lashes out at any given opportunity including his wife. But Maya's entry in his life brings along a calming effect.

• Maya Talwar - Maya's inability to have children and her guilt over this strains her relationship with her husband. Doubting the very essence of the relationship they share, the love they feel for each other and the life they want to live from here on, Maya finds herself on the crossroads when she meets Dev.

• Rhea Saran - Rhea is smart, successful and caring. She may not be the usual housewife that is generally accepted for a woman belonging to her social circle but that is hardly a worrying thought for her as she believes that everything counts in an individual's life, with love and luxuries holding equal importance.

• Rishi Talwar - Rishi too loves Maya enormously and it's she and she alone who is of utmost importance to him. But a difficult situation comes his way when he realizes about Maya's handicap. Frustrated and depressed, he has his violent fits that further draw Maya away from him.

• Kamaljeet Saran - A mix of traditional values and a progressive mindset, she may seem unfazed by the situation at her home but puts her foot down when things go to the extreme.She is Dev's mother and Rhea's mother-in-law.

Crew

• Producer: Dharma Productions
• Director:: Karan Johar
• Story: Karan Johar
• Screenplay: Karan Johar & Shibani Bathija
• Dialogues: Niranjan Iyengar
• Cinematography: Anil Mehta
• Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
• Music: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani & Loy Mendonsa
• Choreography: Farah Khan
• Editing: Sanjay Sankla
• Sound Recording: Stephen Gomes
• Production Design: Sharmishta Roy
• Costume Design: Manish Malhotra
• Make up and Styling: Mickey Contractor for MAC

Music

The music of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was launched in the United Kingdom on June 12 2006 and was officially released in India on June 16 2006 along with a grand music launch at the IIFA Awards function in Dubai.

Response

Box Office

The movie emerged to be the biggest worldwide grosser in the history of European cinema beating Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham's five year old record. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna opened in at least 1,200 screens worldwide.

In the United States it was the leading grosser for a Indian film in its history beating out previous leader Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham making over a million dollars in just one week. In the United Kingdom, drawing £750,000 over the weekend and releasing at number 'one' on the UK Top 10, EDI (a UK-based tracking agency) has officially declared Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Hindi cinema's biggest opener. Back home, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, with a multi-star cast, has seen a record opening at many places in the country, and the film has made Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million) in the first week itself. Film-goers' interest in India, however, rapidly waned after the first week. The film's business started to fall alarmingly from the second week in India, but it was very successful overseas. The film turned out to be a HIT in India, and turned out to be a HUGE hit over-seas.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna has collected $3,275,444 USD in United States (as of 25 September 2006) while in UK it netted over $8,000,000 which is the bigest grosser ever. In the US, one big help was due to the fact that the film debuted in 64 theatres, unusually high for a Bollywood film in the US, in cities including not only traditional Bollywood markets, but Miami, Tampa, and Raleigh as well. It was the biggest debut for a limited release film in the US in 2006.

Awards

The list below shows the awards and nominations Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna received. The awards won are highlighted in bold:

See also

• List of highest-grossing Bollywood films
• List of films set in New York City

References

External links

• Official Website: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna

2006 filmsHindi-language filmsIndian filmsFilms over three hours longFamily filmsDrama films

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