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Kal Ho Naa Ho

January 01, 1970

Kal Ho Naa Ho (transl. There may be no tomorrow, pronounced [kəl ɦoː naː ɦoː]), also abbreviated as KHNH, is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Nikhil Advani in his directorial debut with a story written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta, with Sushma Seth, Reema Lagoo, Lillete Dubey, and Delnaaz Irani in supporting roles. In the film, Naina Catherine Kapur (Zinta) and Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan) fall in love, but a secret prevents him from reciprocating his feelings and results in a plan to set Naina up with her best friend, Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan).

Kal Ho Naa Ho
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNikhil Advani
Written byNiranjan Iyengar (dialogues)
Screenplay byKaran Johar
Story byKaran Johar
Produced byYash Johar
Starring
Narrated byPreity Zinta
CinematographyAnil Mehta
Edited bySanjay Sankla
Music byShankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Production
company
Distributed byYash Raj Films (overseas)
Release date
  • 28 November 2003 (2003-11-28)
Running time
187 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹220–300 million[2][3]
Box office₹860.9 million[4]

Collaborating with Johar, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy composed the soundtrack and score. Anil Mehta, Manish Malhotra, and Sharmishta Roy were the cinematographer, costume designer and art director, respectively. Principal photography took place in Toronto, New York City, and Mumbai from January to October 2003. The soundtrack was released on 27 September 2003 to positive reviews; the title song, "It's The Time To Disco", "Kuch To Hua Hai", and "Pretty Woman" were particularly well-received.

Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 28 November 2003 with the promotional tagline, "A Story of a Lifetime ... In a Heartbeat". The film received positive critical feedback and was commercially successful; it grossed ₹860.9 million (US$18.8 million), and was the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. The film explores non-resident Indians, inter-caste marriage, and homosexuality through innuendo and homosocial bonding. It won two National Film Awards, eight Filmfare Awards, thirteen International Indian Film Academy Awards, six Producers Guild Film Awards, three Screen Awards, and two Zee Cine Awards in 2004.

Plot edit

Naina Catherine Kapur is a pessimistic, uptight Punjabi American MBA student who lives in New York City with her widowed mother Jennifer, a Punjabi Christian, disabled brother Shiv, adopted sister Jia and paternal grandmother Lajjo, a Punjabi Sikh. Jennifer runs an unsuccessful café with her neighbour, Jaswinder "Jazz" Kapoor. Lajjo is hostile to Jennifer and Jia as she believes that Jia's adoption led her son (Jennifer's husband and Naina's father) to commit suicide.

Naina has two best friends: her classmate, Rohit Patel, a Gujarati American, and Jaspreet "Sweetu" Kapoor, Jazz's sister. Her life is dull and overshadowed by the loss of her father until Aman Mathur and his mother move in next door with his uncle, Pritam Chaddha. Aman's cheerfulness gradually wins over Naina's family and he slowly starts to solve their problems. He suggests that they change the café to an Indian restaurant and its success alleviates their financial burdens. Aman encourages Naina to be happy and to live life to the fullest; she ends up falling in love with him.

Rohit also falls in love with Naina and asks Aman's help in expressing his feelings. Naina tells Rohit there is something she must say to him, leading him to think that she reciprocates his feelings. Naina reveals she is in love with Aman instead. Shaken, Rohit calls Aman to tell him what has happened. Naina goes to Aman's house and is shocked to see a wedding photograph of Aman and his wife, Priya. Heartbroken, she leaves.

Aman's mother confronts him about what has happened. He says he loves Naina but has decided to hide it because he is dying from a heart condition. He is not actually married. Priya is his childhood friend and doctor. Aman vows to bring Naina and Rohit together before he dies. He believes that Rohit will be able to provide for her better than he can. He hatches a plan to transform Naina and Rohit's bond, and gradually their friendship blossoms into love. Naina discovers his plan and chides Aman for trying to ruin her friendship with Rohit. Aman takes out Rohit's diary and confesses his feelings for Naina, saying they are Rohit's. Naina forgives Aman and Rohit.

Rohit proposes to Naina, and she accepts. Lajjo and Jennifer have a serious fight regarding Jia, who calls on Aman for help. Aman had previously discovered the truth about Jia's parents and despite Jennifer's objections, he reveals to Lajjo that her son had an extramarital affair and fathered Jia. When Jia's biological mother refused to accept her, Jennifer adopted her. Unable to deal with the guilt, Jennifer's husband committed suicide. An emotional Lajjo realises her mistakes and reconciles with Jennifer and Jia. Naina gains closure after learning the truth about her father's death.

During Naina and Rohit's engagement, Aman has a heart attack. Only his mother knows he has been admitted to the hospital. Naina encounters Priya at a jewellery store, whom she recognises as Aman's wife. She introduces herself and her husband, Abhay, who reveals the truth about Aman. Shocked, Naina realises that Aman has sacrificed his love for her and leaves the mall in an emotional frenzy. Priya calls up Aman and informs him about what happened. Aman leaves the hospital and meets a frustrated Rohit, who asks why he and not Aman should marry Naina. Aman urges Rohit to marry Naina as a sign of respect for his dying wish to see Naina happy. Aman meets Naina, and they embrace while he tries to persuade her that he does not love her. Rohit and Naina's wedding, which Aman attends, takes place soon afterwards.

Sometime after the wedding, Aman is on his deathbed and says goodbye to everyone. He is left alone with Rohit after Naina leaves the room in tears. Aman makes him promise that, although Naina is with Rohit in this lifetime, he will get her in the next.

Twenty years later, a middle-aged Naina tells a grown-up Jia how Aman affected every aspect of their lives. They are joined by her daughter Rhea and Rohit, who tells Naina that he loves her as they embrace.

Cast edit

Special appearances

Uncredited appearances

Production edit

Development edit

It's about smiling and being happy today because no one has seen tomorrow. That's what I believe. Live for today because you never know what's in store tomorrow.

 – Johar, on the film's title[14]

Unhappy with the polarising response to his 2001 production, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., Karan Johar decided to make what he called "a cool film" with "a different energy" from his previous projects. He began working on the script for a film that would later be titled Kal Ho Naa Ho.[14][15] Before the filming started, it was initially entitled Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, but Johar later changed it to Kal Ho Naa Ho (naming it after the song "Aisa Milan Kal Ho Naa Ho" from the 1997 film Hameshaa).[12] He used the former title Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna for his 2006 unnamed film.[16]

Around the same time, Nikhil Advani, who had served as an assistant director for Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996),[17] Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998),[14] Mohabbatein (2000),[14] and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...,[14] had planned to direct a spy thriller set in Kashmir featuring Shah Rukh Khan.[18] Advani sent an initial draft to Johar and his father, Yash Johar. They felt it was controversial and did not want Advani to choose such a risky subject for his debut film. Johar described Kal Ho Naa Ho's script to Advani who agreed to direct the film if he could make it his way.[18] Johar agreed since he preferred not to direct the film to avoid repeating previous mistakes.[19][20] He later regretted the decision and thought about taking over from Advani but refrained from doing so out of courtesy.[21] Advani said that Johar "underestimated himself" thinking he could not "do justice to it."[22] In an interview with Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com, Advani described Kal Ho Naa Ho as "the story of a family which is bogged down with a lot of problems"; one man enters their lives "and solves all their problems and makes them realise how their problems are not as big as they are perceived to be."[18]

Cast and crew edit

 
 
 
 
Clockwise from upper left: Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan played Jennifer, Aman, Naina and Rohit, respectively.

Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta were cast in the lead roles in December 2002.[23][24] The first name of Shah Rukh Khan's character, Aman, was a departure from his previous collaborations with Johar where his first name in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... was Rahul.[25][26] Salman Khan, who is not related to Shah Rukh or Saif, and Kareena Kapoor were initially offered the roles of Rohit and Naina. Salman declined the offer because he did not wish to "play second fiddle",[27] and Kapoor refused the role because of a salary dispute with Johar.[28] Saif and Zinta subsequently agreed to be part of the project.[18]

Neetu Singh was approached for the role of Naina's mother, Jennifer, but she declined. It was then offered to Bachchan, who was initially reluctant to take on the role.[29] After Advani told her he would make the film in the style of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar, both of whom were Bachchan's favourite directors, she changed her mind immediately, accepting the part.[24] Kajol and Rani Mukerji made special appearances in the song "Maahi Ve".[30] Vogue India fashion director Anaita Shroff Adajania made a cameo appearance as Geeta Parekh, Naina and Rohit's fellow MBA candidate.[13][16] Farida Jalal was originally offered the role of Jennifer's mother-in-law, Lajwanti, but she declined as she did not want to appear as Bachchan's onscreen mother-in-law, having recently starred with her in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., wherein she played a character similar to Bachchan's age. Thereafter, Sushma Seth, who had played Bachchan's mother in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., was cast in the role.[31]

Kal Ho Naa Ho was the last film produced by Yash Johar before his death on 26 June 2004.[32][5] While Karan wrote the story and screenplay, the dialogue was written by Niranjan Iyengar. Anil Mehta and Sanjay Sankla were signed as cinematographer and editor, respectively;[5] Mehta also appeared briefly as Naina's father (Jennifer's husband) at the beginning of the film.[13] Sharmishta Roy was the film's production designer. Farah Khan choreographed the song scenes and appeared as a customer in Jennifer's café.[5][13] Actor Arjun Kapoor was an assistant director of the film.[33]

Costume design edit

The film's costumes were designed by Manish Malhotra.[34] Zinta said in an interview with Subhash K. Jha that she preferred "a very 'preppy' look", similar to Ali MacGraw's in Love Story (1970), and wore glasses to indicate Naina's initially serious nature.[35][36] Johar wanted Bachchan to wear jeans, believing that "it would be nice" for the audience "to see her in something unusual" and "break new ground" giving her a "fresh" look. Bachchan accepted without hesitation telling Johar, "If you are making it, I'll do it".[37] Zinta designed and sewed the clothes for Gia's dolls in the film.[16]

Pre-production edit

Johar and Advani were fascinated with New York City and wanted to set Kal Ho Naa Ho there.[18][38] Johar went to New York City while he worked on the film's script and stayed at least one-and-a-half months[a] studying the people, their culture, how they commute and the lifestyle of Americans and the non-resident Indians (NRI) there.[37][38] He "sat in Central Park, stared at people, wrote the film, came back to Mumbai, narrated it to everybody, selected the cast."[38]

The city appealed to Advani, since he believed it mirrored Naina's personality. He summarised the similarity between the two: "You can be surrounded by millions of people right in the middle of Grand Central Station. And you can be extremely lonely." He had never been to New York City before, and used the films of Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron to learn about life there.[18] Like Johar, Advani analysed everything about the city:

When I went to scout for locations, I lived there for a month. I tried to imbibe everything there was in NY. I would just go and stand on the streets for an hour, observe people talking, make mental notes about how they walk, talk, how they don't look people in the eye. They are constantly on the move. I find that incredible.[18]

Principal photography edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho was made on a budget of ₹220 million (about US$4,818,211 in 2003)[b] or ₹300 million (about US$6,570,302 in 2003).[2][3][b] Principal photography began on 20 January 2003 in Mumbai.[18][22] Shah Rukh Khan became ill after four days of shooting and told Johar he would be unable to continue with the project, but Advani asked Johar to wait until the actor recovered.[22] Khan's illness lasted for six months.[22][39] Scenes with Saif Ali Khan and Zinta, including the song, "Kuch To Hua Hai", were shot in Toronto over an eight-day period in March–April 2003.[13][39][40] Johar said in an interview with Subhash K. Jha that he tried to complete the film in Toronto thinking it would be a good substitute for New York City and avoid budget problems. He came to believe the idea was unoriginal and would not work out.[14]

The 80-person production unit then moved to New York City for additional filming in July 2003, when Shah Rukh Khan joined them.[22][41] Advani and Mehta wanted to capture the city's change of seasons from winter to summer to highlight the transformation of Naina's personality,[18][20] but were unable to do so due to Shah Rukh Khan's illness. As a result, they filmed the sequences set in New York City during the summer.[20][39]

Shooting in New York City began on 15 July,[40] covering areas in and around the five boroughs and on Long Island. The street where Aman and Naina live was filmed in Brooklyn, where the unit camped for two weeks in local houses.[18] A body double was used for Zinta's jogging scene during the film's opening credits since she had injured herself while shooting it.[13] The Northeast blackout of 2003 forced the unit to cancel some filming.[12][18][37] The shooting schedule in New York City lasted for fifty-two days.[37] The final scenes, which included some songs, were filmed at the Filmistan Studios in Mumbai over about fifty days beginning in August 2003.[37][42][43] Shooting ended in October 2003, "Maahi Ve" being the last scene filmed.[43] According to Shah Rukh Khan, Kal Ho Naa Ho was made in sync sound as there were many indoor sequences in the film. He noted that sync sound "improved" his performance "considerably" describing it as "one of the biggest blessings for an actor."[44]

Johar had planned the film's climax differently, but Yash Johar persuaded him that Aman should die. Given Shah Rukh Khan's screen persona, he believed Aman's death would have a bigger impact on the audience.[45] In September 2015, Shah Rukh Khan revealed that Johar "made a special edit" of the film for his children as a favour to him; in this version, the film ends before his character dies.[46]

Thematic analysis edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho continued the trend set by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) in which Indian family values are always upheld, regardless of the country of residence.[47] Social and cultural analysis professor Gayatri Gopinath (author of Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures) noted how the film asserts "the essential Indianness" of its characters, and the entry of Aman Mathur gives them a sense of pride in their identity as Indians. This is seen when Aman helps overcome Jennifer Kapur's financial constraints by turning her café into an Indian restaurant and replacing the American flag with the Indian tricolour.[48] In Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Politics of Global Reception and Awards, Maria Ridda compares the film with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because both films depict the internalisation of Western ideologies into Indian culture. Ridda agrees with Gopinath on the impact of Aman's transformation of Jennifer's café. She notes that all of Jennifer's friends and family work together on the renovation and it reinforces "a 'pan-Indian' sense of belonging."[49]

In an extensive comparative analysis of Kal Ho Naa Ho with Siddharth Anand's 2005 film, Salaam Namaste, Cleveland State University School of Communication assistant professor Anup Kumar believes the films are similar representing "as an archetype" the "'unity in diversity'" of the characters. In Salaam Namaste, the characters are from across India—one is from Bangladesh. Kumar notes that the characters' last names "signify ethnicity and caste." In Kal Ho Naa Ho, Jennifer and Lajjo are a Christian and Punjabi Sikh, respectively; Rohit is a Gujarati. According to Kumar, Rohit and Naina's marriage symbolises the unity of the people of Punjab and Gujarat.[50] Both films emphasise different aspects of marriage. In Salaam Namaste, central characters Nick and Ambar's (Saif Ali Khan and Zinta) professional careers come first and they are fearful of commitment. Conversely, in Kal Ho Naa Ho the tradition of love-cum-arranged marriage is encouraged.[51]

Many critics noted Aman's resemblance to Rajesh Khanna's character, Anand Saigal, in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Anand (1971). In both films, the protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness but believes in living life to the fullest.[52][53][54] Despite accepting Aman and Anand's similar personalities, Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day felt that the film had more in common with Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut, Dil Chahta Hai (2001), "in its look and lingos".[52] Film journalists and critic, Komal Nahta, in his review of Kal Ho Naa Ho for Outlook,[55] Ram Kamal Mukherjee of Stardust,[56] Jitesh Pillai of The Times of India, and Paresh C. Palicha of The Hindu all agreed that the film is thematically similar to Anand.[57][58] Each felt it shared common aspects with other films starring Khanna: 1970s Safar, where terminal illness is also a central motif,[55][57][58] and Bawarchi (1972), in which the protagonist mends relationships between families and friends.[56][58] Pillai also compared Shah Rukh Khan's death to Tom Hanks' in the 1993 legal drama, Philadelphia.[57]

Some reviewers and scholars believe that Kal Ho Naa Ho has indirect homosexual themes. Manjula Sen of The Telegraph and Mimansa Shekhar of The Indian Express feel there is homosexual innuendo, particularly in scenes where Rohit's servant Kantaben finds Rohit and Aman in what she thinks are compromising situations, leading her to believe they are a couple.[59][60] Dina Holtzman writes in her book, Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation, and Diaspora, that Aman's death was similar to the death of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan's character in the 1975 film, Sholay). According to Holtzman, their deaths broke the bond between the two male leads and were necessary to establish a normative heterosexual relationship between Rohit and Naina in Kal Ho Naa Ho, and Veeru and Basanti in Sholay.[61]

Music edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho
Soundtrack album by
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Released15 September 2003
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length38:10
LanguageHindi
LabelSony Music India
ProducerShankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy chronology
Kuch Naa Kaho
(2003) 		Kal Ho Naa Ho
(2003) 		Rudraksh
(2004)

Johar ended his association with the composing duo Jatin–Lalit after they stated publicly they were dissatisfied with his decision to use other music directors for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham....[62] The soundtrack for Kal Ho Naa Ho was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy[c] in their first collaboration with Johar,[64] with lyrics by Javed Akhtar.[65]

Unlike in many previous Bollywood films,[66] Johar complied with international copyright laws and obtained permission to rework Roy Orbison's 1964 song "Oh, Pretty Woman" for the film; the revised song was entitled "Pretty Woman".[13] The music for the title song, "Kal Ho Naa Ho", was composed by Loy Mendonsa, while he and Advani were at a German Bakery in Pune. Advani wanted a song thematically similar to Celine Dion's 1997 recording of "My Heart Will Go On", which he was humming at the time. When he heard it, Mendonsa came up with the tune and recorded it on his phone. After Shankar Mahadevan and Ehsaan Noorani listened to it, the trio composed the song.[22]

The soundtrack was released on 15 September 2003 under the Sony Music India label.[67][68] The audio launch ceremony was held two days later at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai.[67] The album had positive reviews and the title song, "It's the Time To Disco", "Kuch To Hua Hai" and "Pretty Woman" became popular.[69] A Bollywood Hungama critic called it "a fabulous amalgamation of Indian melodies and contemporary sound."[70] Another reviewer on the same website felt that, apart from "Kal Ho Naa Ho" and "Kuch To Hua Hai", the rest of the songs were in the "'average' to 'very average' category".[71] Vipin Nair of Film Companion ranked the soundtrack 66th on his list of "100 Bollywood Albums". Nair noted that although the album "had a fairly diverse set of songs", he chose the title song as his favourite and called it "among the most moving songs produced since the start of the century".[72] It was one of the highest-selling album of the year in India, with sales of over 2.3 million copies.[73] The title track was referenced in 2015 by the German Embassy in India, which produced an eight-minute video entitled Lebe Jetzt ("Live now" in German). The video features German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner, his wife Elisse and former Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid in the roles played by Shah Rukh Khan, Zinta and Saif Ali Khan respectively.[74]

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Kal Ho Naa Ho"Sonu Nigam5:21
2."Maahi Ve"Sujata Bhattacharya, Sadhana Sargam, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan6:06
3."It's the Time To Disco"KK, Loy Mendonsa, Shaan, Vasundhara Das5:33
4."Kuch To Hua Hai"Alka Yagnik, Shaan5:19
5."Kal Ho Naa Ho" (Sad)Alka Yagnik, Richa Sharma, Sonu Nigam5:35
6."Pretty Woman"Ravi Khote, Shankar Mahadevan5:53
7."Heartbeat" (Instrumental) —4:23

Release edit

 
Saif Ali Khan, Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan (l-r) at an event for the film in 2003

Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 28 November 2003,[75] and promoted with the tagline, "A Story of a Lifetime ... In a Heartbeat".[67][76] Its international distribution rights were acquired by Yash Raj Films.[76] The film won the Prix Du Public award when it was screened at the 2004 Valenciennes Film Festival.[77] It was also shown at the Marrakech International Film Festival in 2005.[78]

Costumes worn by Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Zinta were auctioned in December 2003 by Fame Adlabs in Mumbai.[79] The film's script was added to the Margaret Herrick Library, the main repository of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, later that month.[80][81]

Reception edit

Critical response edit

India edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho received positive reviews from critics, with the direction, story, screenplay, music, cinematography and performances gaining the most attention.[82] Film critic and author Anupama Chopra praised Advani's direction, noting in her India Today review that he "emerges as a distinctive voice". Although she appreciated its technical aspects, she criticised the film's first half and its sub-plots.[83] Mayank Shekhar called Kal Ho Naa Ho "a carefully constructed compendium of moments" which helped the audience "to feel lighter and to lighten up", concluding that "it works and is worth your entertainment bucks."[52] Komal Nahta praised the film's direction, screenplay and lead performances—particularly Shah Rukh Khan, calling his character Aman "one of the best roles of his career."[55] Ram Kamal Mukherjee described Zinta's performance as "astounding", saying that she "skillfully handled the hues of the complex character" and "walked through the character with elan." Mukherjee called Advani's and Johar's treatment of the story "unique", admiring the film's technical aspects and its treatment of homosexuality "with a dash of [humour], and thankfully by not degrading its social connection."[56]

Jitesh Pillai described Johar's screenplay as "endearing", writing that it "pinwheels with abandon from the bachelor with a heart of gold to the obdurate female lead." Pillai also praised the performances of Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, particularly their on-screen relationship and comic timing. He called Shah Rukh Khan "wonderful", describing him as "the soul" of the film and writing that Ali Khan's "joie de vivre makes it one of the most delectable performances seen in recent times."[57] Rama Sharma of The Tribune thought that Shah Rukh Khan "infuses enough spark and affection", but was "overcharged" at times. He praised Mehta's cinematography for capturing nuances and "heightening the emotion."[53]

In The Hindu, Paresh C. Palicha praised Iyengar's "witty and crispy" dialogue but criticised the characters' Indian accents.[58] Another Hindu critic, Ziya Us Salam, agreed with Nahta that the film belonged to Shah Rukh Khan. Although Shah Rukh Khan "does the same thing over and over again", he performs his role "with such panache that all you can do is sit back and wait for that master artiste to unfold his magic again."[84] A third review in The Hindu by Chitra Mahesh called Kal Ho Naa Ho "a smartly-made film" and praised Saif Ali Khan's performance, saying that "he has proved yet again what a wonderfully natural actor he is." However, she wrote that Shah Rukh Khan "tries too hard to impress".[85]

Rohini Iyer of Rediff.com praised Kal Ho Naa Ho's "fresh" storytelling and "spicy humour", saying that Zinta "captures the spirit" of her character. She concluded her review by saying that the film "will carry you with its exuberance."[54] According to Archana Vohra of NDTV, Advani "seems to have come up with an innovative way to present a done-to-death plot" and added: "Irrespective of the frills, fancy clothes and well-dressed stars, the film does strike a chord". Vohra, finding Bachchan "extremely well cast" as Jennifer and Saif Ali Khan's screen presence "electrifying", criticised Shah Rukh Khan for "playing the same kind of roles" as he did in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., but he "isn't too bad. Just needs to go easy on the histrionics."[86]

Overseas edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho received a rating of 70 percent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on ten reviews, with an average rating of 7.25 out of 10.[87] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, has given the film a score of 54 based on four reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[88]

In a positive review, Dave Kehr of The New York Times described Kal Ho Naa Ho as "a vigorous Bollywood blend of romantic comedy and family melodrama" and "a rich meal that may best be reserved for stomachs accustomed to such bountiful fare."[89] Writing for Variety, Derek Elley called the film a "slam-dunk" effort from Johar, with "a lightness of touch that sets it apart from the previous hits." Elley praised Saif Ali Khan and Zinta, noting that they "more than hold" their own "against a huge cast".[90] Manish Gajjar of the BBC found the script "fresh and appealing", and that Advani proves "he has the natural ability to handle both the lighter and serious moments in the film." Gajjar termed Kal Ho Naa Ho a "well-crafted product".[91]

David Parkinson of Radio Times wrote that the film "retains a distinctive Bollywood flavour", despite being inspired by "Hollywood romantic comedies". Parkinson criticised its length. He noted: "The pace slackens as plot demands take precedence over set pieces".[92] Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News wrote, "Bollywood musicals, those big, loud, colorful extravaganzas from India, are an acquired taste and much of Kal Ho Naa Ho doesn't translate easily"; despite this mixed review, Bernard noted that the lead cast's characters "grow on you."[93]

Box office edit

Kal Ho Naa Ho was successful at the box office,[94] particularly overseas due to its New York City setting.[95][96] Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 400 screens across India and grossed ₹21.7 million (US$475,000 in 2003)[b] on its opening day, the year's fourth-highest first-day earnings.[97][98] It earned ₹67.1 million (US$1.47 million in 2003)[b] by the end of its opening weekend, breaking Koi... Mil Gaya's record for the year's best opening weekend for Hindi films in India.[99] At the end of its first week, the film collected ₹124.5 million (US$2.7 million in 2003).[100][b] Kal Ho Naa Ho earned ₹581.8 million (US$12.7 million in 2003)[b] in India and became the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2003 in India, behind Koi... Mil Gaya.[102]

Abroad, Kal Ho Naa Ho was released in 37 theatres in the United Kingdom.[103] The film debuted in sixth place and grossed ₹29.41 million (about US$644,000 in 2003)[b] over its first weekend, exceeded only by Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham....[103] In the United States, where it premiered on 52 screens,[103] it earned ₹34.62 million (US$758,000 in 2003)[b] by the end of its four-day first weekend.[104] By the end of its first week, the film had grossed ₹84.64 million ($1.8 million in 2003),[b] the year's highest overseas first-week gross for an Indian film.[105] In the first month after its release, Kal Ho Naa Ho collected about ₹180 million (US$3.9 million in 2003) in the UK and US,[95] grossing in the UK top ten.[106] It earned ₹279.1 million (US$6.1 million in 2003)[b] overseas, becoming the year's highest-grossing Indian film world wide.[107][b] Box Office India estimated the film's total collections to be ₹860.9 million (US$18.8 million in 2003), making it 2003's most profitable Indian film.[4][b]

Awards and nominations edit

Main article: List of accolades received by Kal Ho Naa Ho

At the 51st National Film Awards, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy received the award for Best Music Direction and Sonu Nigam received the Best Male Playback Singer award.[108] Kal Ho Naa Ho received eleven nominations at the 49th Filmfare Awards, and won eight—the most for any film that year, including: Best Actress (Zinta), Best Supporting Actor (Saif Ali Khan) and Best Supporting Actress (Bachchan).[109] The film won thirteen of its sixteen nominations at the 5th IIFA Awards, including: Best Film, Best Actress (Zinta), Best Supporting Actor (Saif Ali Khan) and Best Supporting Actress (Bachchan).[110][111]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ While Johar told Lata Khubchandani of Rediff.com in 2003 that he stayed in New York City for one-and-a-half months,[37] he contradicted himself in his 2017 autobiography An Unsuitable Boy, where he wrote that he stayed there for three months.[38]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The average exchange rate in 2003 was 45.66 Indian rupees (₹) per 1 US dollar (US$).[101]
  3. ^ Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy is a trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa.[63]

References edit

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External links edit

January 01, 1970
transl, there, tomorrow, pronounced, kəl, ɦoː, naː, ɦoː, also, abbreviated, khnh, 2003, indian, hindi, language, romantic, drama, film, directed, nikhil, advani, directorial, debut, with, story, written, karan, johar, with, dialogue, niranjan, iyengar, produce. Kal Ho Naa Ho transl There may be no tomorrow pronounced kel ɦoː naː ɦoː also abbreviated as KHNH is a 2003 Indian Hindi language romantic drama film directed by Nikhil Advani in his directorial debut with a story written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar and produced by Yash Johar The film stars Jaya Bachchan Shah Rukh Khan Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta with Sushma Seth Reema Lagoo Lillete Dubey and Delnaaz Irani in supporting roles In the film Naina Catherine Kapur Zinta and Aman Mathur Shah Rukh Khan fall in love but a secret prevents him from reciprocating his feelings and results in a plan to set Naina up with her best friend Rohit Patel Saif Ali Khan Kal Ho Naa HoTheatrical release posterDirected byNikhil AdvaniWritten byNiranjan Iyengar dialogues Screenplay byKaran JoharStory byKaran JoharProduced byYash JoharStarringJaya BachchanShah Rukh KhanSaif Ali KhanPreity ZintaNarrated byPreity ZintaCinematographyAnil MehtaEdited bySanjay SanklaMusic byShankar Ehsaan LoyProductioncompanyDharma ProductionsDistributed byYash Raj Films overseas Release date28 November 2003 2003 11 28 Running time187 minutes 1 CountryIndiaLanguageHindiBudget 220 300 million 2 3 Box office 860 9 million 4 Collaborating with Johar Shankar Ehsaan Loy composed the soundtrack and score Anil Mehta Manish Malhotra and Sharmishta Roy were the cinematographer costume designer and art director respectively Principal photography took place in Toronto New York City and Mumbai from January to October 2003 The soundtrack was released on 27 September 2003 to positive reviews the title song It s The Time To Disco Kuch To Hua Hai and Pretty Woman were particularly well received Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 28 November 2003 with the promotional tagline A Story of a Lifetime In a Heartbeat The film received positive critical feedback and was commercially successful it grossed 860 9 million US 18 8 million and was the highest grossing Indian film of the year The film explores non resident Indians inter caste marriage and homosexuality through innuendo and homosocial bonding It won two National Film Awards eight Filmfare Awards thirteen International Indian Film Academy Awards six Producers Guild Film Awards three Screen Awards and two Zee Cine Awards in 2004 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Cast and crew 3 3 Costume design 3 4 Pre production 3 5 Principal photography 4 Thematic analysis 5 Music 6 Release 7 Reception 7 1 Critical response 7 1 1 India 7 1 2 Overseas 7 2 Box office 8 Awards and nominations 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 External linksPlot editNaina Catherine Kapur is a pessimistic uptight Punjabi American MBA student who lives in New York City with her widowed mother Jennifer a Punjabi Christian disabled brother Shiv adopted sister Jia and paternal grandmother Lajjo a Punjabi Sikh Jennifer runs an unsuccessful cafe with her neighbour Jaswinder Jazz Kapoor Lajjo is hostile to Jennifer and Jia as she believes that Jia s adoption led her son Jennifer s husband and Naina s father to commit suicide Naina has two best friends her classmate Rohit Patel a Gujarati American and Jaspreet Sweetu Kapoor Jazz s sister Her life is dull and overshadowed by the loss of her father until Aman Mathur and his mother move in next door with his uncle Pritam Chaddha Aman s cheerfulness gradually wins over Naina s family and he slowly starts to solve their problems He suggests that they change the cafe to an Indian restaurant and its success alleviates their financial burdens Aman encourages Naina to be happy and to live life to the fullest she ends up falling in love with him Rohit also falls in love with Naina and asks Aman s help in expressing his feelings Naina tells Rohit there is something she must say to him leading him to think that she reciprocates his feelings Naina reveals she is in love with Aman instead Shaken Rohit calls Aman to tell him what has happened Naina goes to Aman s house and is shocked to see a wedding photograph of Aman and his wife Priya Heartbroken she leaves Aman s mother confronts him about what has happened He says he loves Naina but has decided to hide it because he is dying from a heart condition He is not actually married Priya is his childhood friend and doctor Aman vows to bring Naina and Rohit together before he dies He believes that Rohit will be able to provide for her better than he can He hatches a plan to transform Naina and Rohit s bond and gradually their friendship blossoms into love Naina discovers his plan and chides Aman for trying to ruin her friendship with Rohit Aman takes out Rohit s diary and confesses his feelings for Naina saying they are Rohit s Naina forgives Aman and Rohit Rohit proposes to Naina and she accepts Lajjo and Jennifer have a serious fight regarding Jia who calls on Aman for help Aman had previously discovered the truth about Jia s parents and despite Jennifer s objections he reveals to Lajjo that her son had an extramarital affair and fathered Jia When Jia s biological mother refused to accept her Jennifer adopted her Unable to deal with the guilt Jennifer s husband committed suicide An emotional Lajjo realises her mistakes and reconciles with Jennifer and Jia Naina gains closure after learning the truth about her father s death During Naina and Rohit s engagement Aman has a heart attack Only his mother knows he has been admitted to the hospital Naina encounters Priya at a jewellery store whom she recognises as Aman s wife She introduces herself and her husband Abhay who reveals the truth about Aman Shocked Naina realises that Aman has sacrificed his love for her and leaves the mall in an emotional frenzy Priya calls up Aman and informs him about what happened Aman leaves the hospital and meets a frustrated Rohit who asks why he and not Aman should marry Naina Aman urges Rohit to marry Naina as a sign of respect for his dying wish to see Naina happy Aman meets Naina and they embrace while he tries to persuade her that he does not love her Rohit and Naina s wedding which Aman attends takes place soon afterwards Sometime after the wedding Aman is on his deathbed and says goodbye to everyone He is left alone with Rohit after Naina leaves the room in tears Aman makes him promise that although Naina is with Rohit in this lifetime he will get her in the next Twenty years later a middle aged Naina tells a grown up Jia how Aman affected every aspect of their lives They are joined by her daughter Rhea and Rohit who tells Naina that he loves her as they embrace Cast editJaya Bachchan as Jennifer Jenny Kapur 5 Shah Rukh Khan as Aman Mathur 5 Saif Ali Khan as Rohit Patel 5 Preity Zinta as Naina Catherine Kapur 5 Sushma Seth as Lajwanti Lajjo Kapur 5 Reema Lagoo as Namrata Mathur 5 Lillete Dubey as Jaswinder Jazz Kapoor 6 Delnaaz Paul as Jaspreet Sweetu Kapoor 7 Shoma Anand as Kammo 8 Kamini Khanna as Vimmo 8 Ketki Dave as Sarlaben Patel 8 Sulbha Arya as Kantaben 5 Athit Naik as Shiv Kapur 9 Jhanak Shukla as Jia Kapur 8 Simone Singh as Camilla 6 Satish Shah as Karsanbhai Patel 8 Rajpal Yadav as Guru 5 Dara Singh as Pritam Chaddha 10 Special appearances Sanjay Kapoor as Abhay Malhotra 5 Kajol as a dancer in the song Maahi Ve 5 Rani Mukerji as a dancer in the song Maahi Ve 5 Sonali Bendre as Dr Priya Malhotra 8 Dheepesh Bhatt as Frankie Ramdayal 11 Anaita Shroff Adajania as Geeta Parekh 8 Uncredited appearances Anil Mehta as Rajnath Kapur 12 Farah Khan and Karan Johar as customers in Jenny s restaurant 12 13 Uday Chopra as a narrator who says Day 6 5 Production editDevelopment edit It s about smiling and being happy today because no one has seen tomorrow That s what I believe Live for today because you never know what s in store tomorrow Johar on the film s title 14 Unhappy with the polarising response to his 2001 production Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Karan Johar decided to make what he called a cool film with a different energy from his previous projects He began working on the script for a film that would later be titled Kal Ho Naa Ho 14 15 Before the filming started it was initially entitled Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna but Johar later changed it to Kal Ho Naa Ho naming it after the song Aisa Milan Kal Ho Naa Ho from the 1997 film Hameshaa 12 He used the former title Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna for his 2006 unnamed film 16 Around the same time Nikhil Advani who had served as an assistant director for Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin 1996 17 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai 1998 14 Mohabbatein 2000 14 and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 14 had planned to direct a spy thriller set in Kashmir featuring Shah Rukh Khan 18 Advani sent an initial draft to Johar and his father Yash Johar They felt it was controversial and did not want Advani to choose such a risky subject for his debut film Johar described Kal Ho Naa Ho s script to Advani who agreed to direct the film if he could make it his way 18 Johar agreed since he preferred not to direct the film to avoid repeating previous mistakes 19 20 He later regretted the decision and thought about taking over from Advani but refrained from doing so out of courtesy 21 Advani said that Johar underestimated himself thinking he could not do justice to it 22 In an interview with Sukanya Verma of Rediff com Advani described Kal Ho Naa Ho as the story of a family which is bogged down with a lot of problems one man enters their lives and solves all their problems and makes them realise how their problems are not as big as they are perceived to be 18 Cast and crew edit nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Clockwise from upper left Jaya Bachchan Shah Rukh Khan Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan played Jennifer Aman Naina and Rohit respectively Jaya Bachchan Shah Rukh Khan Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta were cast in the lead roles in December 2002 23 24 The first name of Shah Rukh Khan s character Aman was a departure from his previous collaborations with Johar where his first name in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was Rahul 25 26 Salman Khan who is not related to Shah Rukh or Saif and Kareena Kapoor were initially offered the roles of Rohit and Naina Salman declined the offer because he did not wish to play second fiddle 27 and Kapoor refused the role because of a salary dispute with Johar 28 Saif and Zinta subsequently agreed to be part of the project 18 Neetu Singh was approached for the role of Naina s mother Jennifer but she declined It was then offered to Bachchan who was initially reluctant to take on the role 29 After Advani told her he would make the film in the style of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Gulzar both of whom were Bachchan s favourite directors she changed her mind immediately accepting the part 24 Kajol and Rani Mukerji made special appearances in the song Maahi Ve 30 Vogue India fashion director Anaita Shroff Adajania made a cameo appearance as Geeta Parekh Naina and Rohit s fellow MBA candidate 13 16 Farida Jalal was originally offered the role of Jennifer s mother in law Lajwanti but she declined as she did not want to appear as Bachchan s onscreen mother in law having recently starred with her in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham wherein she played a character similar to Bachchan s age Thereafter Sushma Seth who had played Bachchan s mother in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was cast in the role 31 Kal Ho Naa Ho was the last film produced by Yash Johar before his death on 26 June 2004 32 5 While Karan wrote the story and screenplay the dialogue was written by Niranjan Iyengar Anil Mehta and Sanjay Sankla were signed as cinematographer and editor respectively 5 Mehta also appeared briefly as Naina s father Jennifer s husband at the beginning of the film 13 Sharmishta Roy was the film s production designer Farah Khan choreographed the song scenes and appeared as a customer in Jennifer s cafe 5 13 Actor Arjun Kapoor was an assistant director of the film 33 Costume design edit The film s costumes were designed by Manish Malhotra 34 Zinta said in an interview with Subhash K Jha that she preferred a very preppy look similar to Ali MacGraw s in Love Story 1970 and wore glasses to indicate Naina s initially serious nature 35 36 Johar wanted Bachchan to wear jeans believing that it would be nice for the audience to see her in something unusual and break new ground giving her a fresh look Bachchan accepted without hesitation telling Johar If you are making it I ll do it 37 Zinta designed and sewed the clothes for Gia s dolls in the film 16 Pre production edit Johar and Advani were fascinated with New York City and wanted to set Kal Ho Naa Ho there 18 38 Johar went to New York City while he worked on the film s script and stayed at least one and a half months a studying the people their culture how they commute and the lifestyle of Americans and the non resident Indians NRI there 37 38 He sat in Central Park stared at people wrote the film came back to Mumbai narrated it to everybody selected the cast 38 The city appealed to Advani since he believed it mirrored Naina s personality He summarised the similarity between the two You can be surrounded by millions of people right in the middle of Grand Central Station And you can be extremely lonely He had never been to New York City before and used the films of Woody Allen Martin Scorsese Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron to learn about life there 18 Like Johar Advani analysed everything about the city When I went to scout for locations I lived there for a month I tried to imbibe everything there was in NY I would just go and stand on the streets for an hour observe people talking make mental notes about how they walk talk how they don t look people in the eye They are constantly on the move I find that incredible 18 Principal photography edit Kal Ho Naa Ho was made on a budget of 220 million about US 4 818 211 in 2003 b or 300 million about US 6 570 302 in 2003 2 3 b Principal photography began on 20 January 2003 in Mumbai 18 22 Shah Rukh Khan became ill after four days of shooting and told Johar he would be unable to continue with the project but Advani asked Johar to wait until the actor recovered 22 Khan s illness lasted for six months 22 39 Scenes with Saif Ali Khan and Zinta including the song Kuch To Hua Hai were shot in Toronto over an eight day period in March April 2003 13 39 40 Johar said in an interview with Subhash K Jha that he tried to complete the film in Toronto thinking it would be a good substitute for New York City and avoid budget problems He came to believe the idea was unoriginal and would not work out 14 The 80 person production unit then moved to New York City for additional filming in July 2003 when Shah Rukh Khan joined them 22 41 Advani and Mehta wanted to capture the city s change of seasons from winter to summer to highlight the transformation of Naina s personality 18 20 but were unable to do so due to Shah Rukh Khan s illness As a result they filmed the sequences set in New York City during the summer 20 39 Shooting in New York City began on 15 July 40 covering areas in and around the five boroughs and on Long Island The street where Aman and Naina live was filmed in Brooklyn where the unit camped for two weeks in local houses 18 A body double was used for Zinta s jogging scene during the film s opening credits since she had injured herself while shooting it 13 The Northeast blackout of 2003 forced the unit to cancel some filming 12 18 37 The shooting schedule in New York City lasted for fifty two days 37 The final scenes which included some songs were filmed at the Filmistan Studios in Mumbai over about fifty days beginning in August 2003 37 42 43 Shooting ended in October 2003 Maahi Ve being the last scene filmed 43 According to Shah Rukh Khan Kal Ho Naa Ho was made in sync sound as there were many indoor sequences in the film He noted that sync sound improved his performance considerably describing it as one of the biggest blessings for an actor 44 Johar had planned the film s climax differently but Yash Johar persuaded him that Aman should die Given Shah Rukh Khan s screen persona he believed Aman s death would have a bigger impact on the audience 45 In September 2015 Shah Rukh Khan revealed that Johar made a special edit of the film for his children as a favour to him in this version the film ends before his character dies 46 Thematic analysis editKal Ho Naa Ho continued the trend set by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge 1995 in which Indian family values are always upheld regardless of the country of residence 47 Social and cultural analysis professor Gayatri Gopinath author of Impossible Desires Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures noted how the film asserts the essential Indianness of its characters and the entry of Aman Mathur gives them a sense of pride in their identity as Indians This is seen when Aman helps overcome Jennifer Kapur s financial constraints by turning her cafe into an Indian restaurant and replacing the American flag with the Indian tricolour 48 In Postliberalization Indian Novels in English Politics of Global Reception and Awards Maria Ridda compares the film with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because both films depict the internalisation of Western ideologies into Indian culture Ridda agrees with Gopinath on the impact of Aman s transformation of Jennifer s cafe She notes that all of Jennifer s friends and family work together on the renovation and it reinforces a pan Indian sense of belonging 49 In an extensive comparative analysis of Kal Ho Naa Ho with Siddharth Anand s 2005 film Salaam Namaste Cleveland State University School of Communication assistant professor Anup Kumar believes the films are similar representing as an archetype the unity in diversity of the characters In Salaam Namaste the characters are from across India one is from Bangladesh Kumar notes that the characters last names signify ethnicity and caste In Kal Ho Naa Ho Jennifer and Lajjo are a Christian and Punjabi Sikh respectively Rohit is a Gujarati According to Kumar Rohit and Naina s marriage symbolises the unity of the people of Punjab and Gujarat 50 Both films emphasise different aspects of marriage In Salaam Namaste central characters Nick and Ambar s Saif Ali Khan and Zinta professional careers come first and they are fearful of commitment Conversely in Kal Ho Naa Ho the tradition of love cum arranged marriage is encouraged 51 Many critics noted Aman s resemblance to Rajesh Khanna s character Anand Saigal in Hrishikesh Mukherjee s Anand 1971 In both films the protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness but believes in living life to the fullest 52 53 54 Despite accepting Aman and Anand s similar personalities Mayank Shekhar of Mid Day felt that the film had more in common with Farhan Akhtar s directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai 2001 in its look and lingos 52 Film journalists and critic Komal Nahta in his review of Kal Ho Naa Ho for Outlook 55 Ram Kamal Mukherjee of Stardust 56 Jitesh Pillai of The Times of India and Paresh C Palicha of The Hindu all agreed that the film is thematically similar to Anand 57 58 Each felt it shared common aspects with other films starring Khanna 1970s Safar where terminal illness is also a central motif 55 57 58 and Bawarchi 1972 in which the protagonist mends relationships between families and friends 56 58 Pillai also compared Shah Rukh Khan s death to Tom Hanks in the 1993 legal drama Philadelphia 57 Some reviewers and scholars believe that Kal Ho Naa Ho has indirect homosexual themes Manjula Sen of The Telegraph and Mimansa Shekhar of The Indian Express feel there is homosexual innuendo particularly in scenes where Rohit s servant Kantaben finds Rohit and Aman in what she thinks are compromising situations leading her to believe they are a couple 59 60 Dina Holtzman writes in her book Bollywood and Globalization Indian Popular Cinema Nation and Diaspora that Aman s death was similar to the death of Jai Amitabh Bachchan s character in the 1975 film Sholay According to Holtzman their deaths broke the bond between the two male leads and were necessary to establish a normative heterosexual relationship between Rohit and Naina in Kal Ho Naa Ho and Veeru and Basanti in Sholay 61 Music editKal Ho Naa HoSoundtrack album by Shankar Ehsaan LoyReleased15 September 2003GenreFeature film soundtrackLength38 10LanguageHindiLabelSony Music IndiaProducerShankar Ehsaan LoyShankar Ehsaan Loy chronologyKuch Naa Kaho 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003 Rudraksh 2004 Johar ended his association with the composing duo Jatin Lalit after they stated publicly they were dissatisfied with his decision to use other music directors for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 62 The soundtrack for Kal Ho Naa Ho was composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy c in their first collaboration with Johar 64 with lyrics by Javed Akhtar 65 Unlike in many previous Bollywood films 66 Johar complied with international copyright laws and obtained permission to rework Roy Orbison s 1964 song Oh Pretty Woman for the film the revised song was entitled Pretty Woman 13 The music for the title song Kal Ho Naa Ho was composed by Loy Mendonsa while he and Advani were at a German Bakery in Pune Advani wanted a song thematically similar to Celine Dion s 1997 recording of My Heart Will Go On which he was humming at the time When he heard it Mendonsa came up with the tune and recorded it on his phone After Shankar Mahadevan and Ehsaan Noorani listened to it the trio composed the song 22 The soundtrack was released on 15 September 2003 under the Sony Music India label 67 68 The audio launch ceremony was held two days later at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai 67 The album had positive reviews and the title song It s the Time To Disco Kuch To Hua Hai and Pretty Woman became popular 69 A Bollywood Hungama critic called it a fabulous amalgamation of Indian melodies and contemporary sound 70 Another reviewer on the same website felt that apart from Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kuch To Hua Hai the rest of the songs were in the average to very average category 71 Vipin Nair of Film Companion ranked the soundtrack 66th on his list of 100 Bollywood Albums Nair noted that although the album had a fairly diverse set of songs he chose the title song as his favourite and called it among the most moving songs produced since the start of the century 72 It was one of the highest selling album of the year in India with sales of over 2 3 million copies 73 The title track was referenced in 2015 by the German Embassy in India which produced an eight minute video entitled Lebe Jetzt Live now in German The video features German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner his wife Elisse and former Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid in the roles played by Shah Rukh Khan Zinta and Saif Ali Khan respectively 74 No TitleArtist s Length1 Kal Ho Naa Ho Sonu Nigam5 212 Maahi Ve Sujata Bhattacharya Sadhana Sargam Shankar Mahadevan Sonu Nigam Udit Narayan6 063 It s the Time To Disco KK Loy Mendonsa Shaan Vasundhara Das5 334 Kuch To Hua Hai Alka Yagnik Shaan5 195 Kal Ho Naa Ho Sad Alka Yagnik Richa Sharma Sonu Nigam5 356 Pretty Woman Ravi Khote Shankar Mahadevan5 537 Heartbeat Instrumental 4 23Release edit nbsp Saif Ali Khan Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan l r at an event for the film in 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 28 November 2003 75 and promoted with the tagline A Story of a Lifetime In a Heartbeat 67 76 Its international distribution rights were acquired by Yash Raj Films 76 The film won the Prix Du Public award when it was screened at the 2004 Valenciennes Film Festival 77 It was also shown at the Marrakech International Film Festival in 2005 78 Costumes worn by Shah Rukh Khan Saif Ali Khan and Zinta were auctioned in December 2003 by Fame Adlabs in Mumbai 79 The film s script was added to the Margaret Herrick Library the main repository of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later that month 80 81 Reception editCritical response edit India edit Kal Ho Naa Ho received positive reviews from critics with the direction story screenplay music cinematography and performances gaining the most attention 82 Film critic and author Anupama Chopra praised Advani s direction noting in her India Today review that he emerges as a distinctive voice Although she appreciated its technical aspects she criticised the film s first half and its sub plots 83 Mayank Shekhar called Kal Ho Naa Ho a carefully constructed compendium of moments which helped the audience to feel lighter and to lighten up concluding that it works and is worth your entertainment bucks 52 Komal Nahta praised the film s direction screenplay and lead performances particularly Shah Rukh Khan calling his character Aman one of the best roles of his career 55 Ram Kamal Mukherjee described Zinta s performance as astounding saying that she skillfully handled the hues of the complex character and walked through the character with elan Mukherjee called Advani s and Johar s treatment of the story unique admiring the film s technical aspects and its treatment of homosexuality with a dash of humour and thankfully by not degrading its social connection 56 Jitesh Pillai described Johar s screenplay as endearing writing that it pinwheels with abandon from the bachelor with a heart of gold to the obdurate female lead Pillai also praised the performances of Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan particularly their on screen relationship and comic timing He called Shah Rukh Khan wonderful describing him as the soul of the film and writing that Ali Khan s joie de vivre makes it one of the most delectable performances seen in recent times 57 Rama Sharma of The Tribune thought that Shah Rukh Khan infuses enough spark and affection but was overcharged at times He praised Mehta s cinematography for capturing nuances and heightening the emotion 53 In The Hindu Paresh C Palicha praised Iyengar s witty and crispy dialogue but criticised the characters Indian accents 58 Another Hindu critic Ziya Us Salam agreed with Nahta that the film belonged to Shah Rukh Khan Although Shah Rukh Khan does the same thing over and over again he performs his role with such panache that all you can do is sit back and wait for that master artiste to unfold his magic again 84 A third review in The Hindu by Chitra Mahesh called Kal Ho Naa Ho a smartly made film and praised Saif Ali Khan s performance saying that he has proved yet again what a wonderfully natural actor he is However she wrote that Shah Rukh Khan tries too hard to impress 85 Rohini Iyer of Rediff com praised Kal Ho Naa Ho s fresh storytelling and spicy humour saying that Zinta captures the spirit of her character She concluded her review by saying that the film will carry you with its exuberance 54 According to Archana Vohra of NDTV Advani seems to have come up with an innovative way to present a done to death plot and added Irrespective of the frills fancy clothes and well dressed stars the film does strike a chord Vohra finding Bachchan extremely well cast as Jennifer and Saif Ali Khan s screen presence electrifying criticised Shah Rukh Khan for playing the same kind of roles as he did in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham but he isn t too bad Just needs to go easy on the histrionics 86 Overseas edit Kal Ho Naa Ho received a rating of 70 percent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on ten reviews with an average rating of 7 25 out of 10 87 Metacritic which uses a weighted average has given the film a score of 54 based on four reviews indicating mixed or average reviews 88 In a positive review Dave Kehr of The New York Times described Kal Ho Naa Ho as a vigorous Bollywood blend of romantic comedy and family melodrama and a rich meal that may best be reserved for stomachs accustomed to such bountiful fare 89 Writing for Variety Derek Elley called the film a slam dunk effort from Johar with a lightness of touch that sets it apart from the previous hits Elley praised Saif Ali Khan and Zinta noting that they more than hold their own against a huge cast 90 Manish Gajjar of the BBC found the script fresh and appealing and that Advani proves he has the natural ability to handle both the lighter and serious moments in the film Gajjar termed Kal Ho Naa Ho a well crafted product 91 David Parkinson of Radio Times wrote that the film retains a distinctive Bollywood flavour despite being inspired by Hollywood romantic comedies Parkinson criticised its length He noted The pace slackens as plot demands take precedence over set pieces 92 Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News wrote Bollywood musicals those big loud colorful extravaganzas from India are an acquired taste and much of Kal Ho Naa Ho doesn t translate easily despite this mixed review Bernard noted that the lead cast s characters grow on you 93 Box office edit Kal Ho Naa Ho was successful at the box office 94 particularly overseas due to its New York City setting 95 96 Kal Ho Naa Ho was released on 400 screens across India and grossed 21 7 million US 475 000 in 2003 b on its opening day the year s fourth highest first day earnings 97 98 It earned 67 1 million US 1 47 million in 2003 b by the end of its opening weekend breaking Koi Mil Gaya s record for the year s best opening weekend for Hindi films in India 99 At the end of its first week the film collected 124 5 million US 2 7 million in 2003 100 b Kal Ho Naa Ho earned 581 8 million US 12 7 million in 2003 b in India and became the second highest grossing Indian film of 2003 in India behind Koi Mil Gaya 102 Abroad Kal Ho Naa Ho was released in 37 theatres in the United Kingdom 103 The film debuted in sixth place and grossed 29 41 million about US 644 000 in 2003 b over its first weekend exceeded only by Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 103 In the United States where it premiered on 52 screens 103 it earned 34 62 million US 758 000 in 2003 b by the end of its four day first weekend 104 By the end of its first week the film had grossed 84 64 million 1 8 million in 2003 b the year s highest overseas first week gross for an Indian film 105 In the first month after its release Kal Ho Naa Ho collected about 180 million US 3 9 million in 2003 in the UK and US 95 grossing in the UK top ten 106 It earned 279 1 million US 6 1 million in 2003 b overseas becoming the year s highest grossing Indian film world wide 107 b Box Office India estimated the film s total collections to be 860 9 million US 18 8 million in 2003 making it 2003 s most profitable Indian film 4 b Awards and nominations editMain article List of accolades received by Kal Ho Naa Ho At the 51st National Film Awards Shankar Ehsaan Loy received the award for Best Music Direction and Sonu Nigam received the Best Male Playback Singer award 108 Kal Ho Naa Ho received eleven nominations at the 49th Filmfare Awards and won eight the most for any film that year including Best Actress Zinta Best Supporting Actor Saif Ali Khan and Best Supporting Actress Bachchan 109 The film won thirteen of its sixteen nominations at the 5th IIFA Awards including Best Film Best Actress Zinta Best Supporting Actor Saif Ali Khan and Best Supporting Actress Bachchan 110 111 See also edit nbsp Bollywood portal List of films set in New York City List of highest grossing Indian filmsNotes edit While Johar told Lata Khubchandani of Rediff com in 2003 that he stayed in New York City for one and a half months 37 he contradicted himself in his 2017 autobiography An Unsuitable Boy where he wrote that he stayed there for three months 38 a b c d e f g h i j k l The average exchange rate in 2003 was 45 66 Indian rupees per 1 US dollar US 101 Shankar Ehsaan Loy is a trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa 63 References edit Kal Ho Naa Ho British Board of Film Classification Archived from the original on 1 February 2022 Retrieved 1 February 2022 a b Bamzai Kaveere 22 December 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho breaks conventional Bollywood formulas box office records overseas India Today Archived from the original on 17 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Retrieved 27 December 2017 Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai were Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar s best they could never make better films Farida Jalal The Indian Express 16 August 2023 Archived from the original on 11 September 2023 Retrieved 11 September 2023 14 Years of Kal Ho Naa Ho Karan Johar Calls It A Memory Both Heartbreaking And Yet Full Of Heart Mumbai Mirror 28 November 2017 Archived from the original on 28 December 2017 Retrieved 28 December 2017 Upadhyay Karishma 9 May 2012 A son rises The Telegraph Archived from the original on 28 December 2017 Retrieved 28 December 2017 Verma Sukanya 24 November 2003 SRK Saif amp Preity say cheers to life Slide 6 Rediff com Archived from the original on 27 December 2017 Retrieved 27 December 2017 Jha Subhash K 26 November 2003 Exclusive Preity goes from peppy to preppie Sify Archived from the original on 28 December 2017 Retrieved 28 December 2017 Verma Sukanya 24 November 2003 SRK Saif amp Preity say cheers to life 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The Times of India 23 December 2003 Archived from the original on 24 January 2018 Retrieved 24 January 2018 Sen Raja 30 August 2007 Chak De s script goes to Oscar library Rediff com Archived from the original on 24 January 2018 Retrieved 24 January 2018 14 years of Kal Ho Naa Ho Dialogues that will always be etched in our hearts Zee News 28 November 2017 Archived from the original on 15 January 2018 Retrieved 15 January 2018 Chopra Anupama 8 December 2003 Beyond formula India Today Archived from the original on 2 January 2018 Retrieved 2 January 2018 Salam Ziya Us 1 December 2003 Fall in love now Kal Ho Naa Ho The Hindu Archived from the original on 2 January 2018 Retrieved 2 January 2018 Mahesh Chitra 5 December 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho The Hindu Archived from the original on 2 January 2018 Retrieved 2 January 2018 Vohra Archana 5 December 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho NDTV Archived from the original on 5 December 2003 Retrieved 1 September 2011 Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on 9 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2019 Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003 Metacritic Archived from the original on 7 January 2018 Retrieved 7 January 2018 Kehr Dave 27 November 2003 Film Review Romance Comedy Bathos All Blended by Bollywood The New York Times Archived from the original on 2 January 2018 Retrieved 26 August 2011 Elley Derek 10 December 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho Variety Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Gajjar Manish Kal Ho Naa Ho BBC Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Parkinson David Kal Ho Naa Ho Radio Times Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Bernard Jami 28 November 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho Daily News Archived from the original on 27 December 2005 Retrieved 26 August 2011 Gupta Shubhra 15 December 2003 The formula that works Business Line Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 a b Bhattacharya Chandrima S 26 December 2003 Picture perfect for locale amp lucre The Telegraph Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Pais Arthur J 1 December 2003 Kal Ho Naa Ho grosses 1 mn in US Rediff com Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Kal Ho Naa Ho Box Office India Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 Retrieved 22 July 2015 Top India First Day 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 4 January 2018 Retrieved 4 January 2018 Top India First Weekend 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 5 January 2018 Retrieved 5 January 2018 Top India First Week 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 5 January 2018 Retrieved 5 January 2018 Rupee vs dollar From 1990 to 2012 Rediff com 18 May 2012 Archived from the original on 21 March 2015 Retrieved 31 March 2016 Top India Grossers 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 a b c Pais Arthur J 3 December 2003 KHNH makes waves in UK too Rediff com Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Weekend Box Office November 28 30 2003 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Top Overseas First Weekend 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Kal Ho Naa Ho United Kingdom Ireland and Malta Weekend Box Office Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 Top Overseas Grossers 2003 Box Office India Archived from the original on 6 January 2018 Retrieved 6 January 2018 51st National Film Awards 2004 PDF Directorate of Film Festivals Archived PDF from the original on 7 January 2018 Retrieved 7 January 2018 Filmfare Nominees and Winners PDF Filmfare pp 116 119 Archived PDF from the original on 19 October 2015 Retrieved 7 January 2018 Kay Jeremy 2 April 2004 Kal Ho Naa Ho leads IIFA nominees Screen Daily Archived from the original on 7 January 2018 Retrieved 7 January 2018 IIFA Through the Years IIFA 2004 Singapore International Indian Film Academy Archived from the original on 7 January 2018 Retrieved 7 January 2018 Bibliography editAusaja S M M 2009 Bollywood in Posters Noida Om Books International ISBN 978 81 87108 55 9 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 Gopinath Gayatri 2005 Impossible Desires Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures Durham North Carolina Duke University Press ISBN 978 0 8223 8653 7 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 Holtzman Dina 2011 Between Yaars The Queering of Dosti in Contemporary Bollywood Films In Mehta Rini Bhattacharya Pandharipande Rajeshwari eds Bollywood and Globalization Indian Popular Cinema Nation and Diaspora London Anthem Press ISBN 978 0 85728 782 3 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 Johar Karan Saxena Poonam 2017 An Unsuitable Boy Gurgaon Penguin Random House ISBN 978 0 670 08753 2 Kumar Anup 2013 Bollywood and the Diaspora The Flip Side Of Globalization and Cultural Hybridity In Kal Ho Naa Ho and Salaam Namaste In Medina Rivera Antonio Wilberschied Lee eds Constructing Identities The Interaction of National Gender and Racial Borders Cambridge Cambridge Scholars Publishing ISBN 978 1 4438 5092 6 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 Ridda Maria 2014 Inside The Temple of Modern Desire Recollecting and Relocating Bombay In Viswamohan Aysha Iqbal ed Postliberalization Indian Novels in English Politics of Global Reception and Awards London Anthem Press ISBN 978 1 78308 334 3 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 Varia Kush 2012 Bollywood Gods Glamour and Gossip New York City Columbia University Press ISBN 978 1 906660 15 4 Archived from the original on 7 April 2023 Retrieved 16 August 2019 External links editOfficial Website Kal Ho Naa Ho at IMDb nbsp Kal Ho Naa Ho at Box Office Mojo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kal Ho Naa Ho amp 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