16 Years of Kal Ho Naa Ho: A memorable love triangle

Its appropriate that Nikkhil Advanis Kal Ho Naa Ho came out in 2003 when the language of cinema began to change and transform towards style and scale Farhan Akhtars Dil Chahta Hai became an immediate trendsetter and aspiring filmmakers wanted to narrate similar stories about friendship and love Three weeks before Rajkummar Hirani made his directorial debut with Munna Bhai MBBS Advani made his in what remains one of his most accomplished films yet2003 also happens to be the right time for the existence of Kal Ho Naa Ho due to the relevance of its leads Shah Rukh Khan was the infallible charmer both on and off the celluloid Preity Zintas dimples dominated the marquee and Saif Ali Khan rediscovered his aura post the Dil Chahta Hai cult Its impossible for the story of Aman Naina and Rohit to exist with the same actors in 2019We can surely imagine the retelling of the same narrative with a newer bunch of actors Ranbir Kapoor seems to be the best bet to portray the role of Aman the mysterious protagonist who magically arrives in the lives of an emotionally broken family and transforms Naina into a chirpy soul Ranveer Singh could be Rohit whose existence at first seems to be merely for comic relief but turns dramatic when he realises hes in love with the same girl he always mocked for her lack of appealAnd Deepika Padukone is the only actress who could be Naina and it has to do a lot with her drastic similarities to the Naina she essayed in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani And after seeing her in Tamasha as Tara there are only few like her who can make pain and anguish palpable But this casting coup would take time to turn into a reality or might not Lets go back to the whimsical world Advani created in New York 16 years agoKal Ho Naa Ho could be gazed with a critical lens in todays changing times when the portrayal of romance has to be dealt with caution and care the 6 Din Ladki In gag would elicit as much criticism as laugher having said that it also remains a formidable take on love and passion largely due to the performances and direction This is what the film will be remembered for1 The Heartbreaking ConfessionIn one of the films most important and moving scenes Aman reads out the blank pages of Rohits diary to soothe a furious Naina His pretense fails as we sense this is his heart talking to the woman he passionately loves His tears reflect the heartbreaking reality that his illness will never allow him to embrace her for a lifetime The speech ends with this line Ill love you till death and even after death Who but Shah Rukh Khan could have made this believable2 The Jolting RealityWe are told about Amans illness at the interval point but Naina and Rohit discover this horror right towards the end Aman never wanted Naina to know his brutal truth but fate and Hindi cinema tropes would have never allowed that They both meet in emotionally broken states and hug each other one last time Naina may be getting married to Rohit but somewhere deep down you wanted this to be the films end and that too a happy one3 The Last EncounterAman is about to wave goodbye very soon and Naina comes to see him He cracks a joke she smiles and then goes out to weep uncontrollably You sitting in the cinemas despite knowing the intention of emotional manipulation cannot help but weep with and for her too Aman tells Rohit Naina will be his in all his next births and again you cannot help but agree4 The Title SongAll the songs of Kal Ho Naa Ho are refreshing even today but its the title song that continues to resonate with the Millennial Sonu Nigams vocals ShankarEhsaanLoys music and Javed Akhtars lyrics turned this melody into an anthem for all the broken hearts The magic was further fueled by its leading mans magnetic charisma that pierced straight into the heart This is one track from the bygone days that is best left untouched for a remix5 The MisunderstandingKal Ho Naa Ho was one of the earlier Bollywood films to portray homosexuality albeit in a comical tone Rohits domestic help Kanta Ben misunderstands his friendship with Aman as love due to her multiple encounters with their accidental physical intimacy It was an uproarious gag thats even remembered today for how hilariously it was staged and performed6 The Jilted LoverNot Aman Rohit was the actual jilted lover of this romantic triangle Aman and Naina were madly in love with each other and Rohit was just a friend His was the case of what we today recognise as onesided love Had it not been for Amans terminal illness Naina and Rohit were one Twain that would have never metDespite being filmed majorly in New York the films heart was very much Indian The film ended with a montage of Rohit Naina and Jiyah their daughter walking towards their home as Naina still continues to weep while talking about Aman The innocence in the scene and the performance is seldom seen today If this film had to exist in 2019 Naina would be busy posting Amans pictures on social media and counting how many likes and comments she got Thank god it came in 2003Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates