Kai Po Che – the movie

When Pavitra Rishta started, it was just another TV serial for me. The stars were new, and as like any new drama serial, I was hooked for the initial months not just because of the story, but because of the chemistry between the lead actors. I have noticed that all the hero-heroines of serials by Ekta Kapoor have been a great pair and most of them has got on-screen jodi awards.

So when Kai Po Che was released with my favourite actor, Sushant Singh Rajput in the main role, I just dreamt of watching him for two hours. His smile is so attractive, and the blunt, careless look adds to the charm. Though I have read all the books by Chetan Bhagat except for Revolution 2020, I disliked this one most. The riots and the tragedies was not what I expected from his stories. Especially after the Five Point Someone. His books had that “Happily ever after” cliche which lured readers like me to read many more.

It was a surprise, when my otherwise reluctant husband wanted to watch a movie in theater for weekend relaxation, and it was the perfect weekend. There were in-laws visiting us this month, which made babysitting N not a task. And then there was this film.

The first and last disadvantage of watching a movie, after you read the book, is you start comparing the movie with the original book. Not sure about others, but I tend to get lost recollecting the scenes depicted in the movie with how it was portrayed in the book, what I felt when the read the book etc and completely forgets to enjoy the movie. Firstly, there is no surprise. You know the complete story.  What else to be engrossed with. But Kai Po Che caught me there with the super twist at the end.

The songs were not that great and catchy, but it blended with the Gujarati environment they depicted. Actually there was no time for a complete song. I liked that aspect that they tried to cram everything from the story into the movie rather than cutting it short, or taking away parts of the story. You feel like you really re-read the book once again when you watch it. Again, nothing superb or pleasure-to-view kind of scenes in photography, but they have captured the feel of the Gujarati environment beautifully. As if you are transported to Gujarat for a while.

No one was newcomers, and hence the acting was good. But I thought Govind (Raj Kumar Yadav) had more scenes and had more talking rather than Ishaan for whom I came to watch the film. It looks dark at the end to portray the riots, but I felt it was too dark to understand what was happening clearly. It does give the real feel, but as a film viewer, it becomes difficult.

I had thought there would be some twist to the conversations in the love story, so as to make it suitable for all audience, but I forgot that these days movies are very much revealing than earlier days. No film without a kiss, and without the ‘inevitable’. I had found it funny to read it in the book, the way the love story was revealed, amidst all the serious things happening around, but they kept it in the movie too.

I would rate it at 3.5 out of 5. I would reduce the rating since I felt it lacked good songs or  background score enough to linger the images in our mind, and also I did not like the ending, the final twist.

It would have been the 4th mistake but it surely made the film enjoyable rather than being ruthless as in the original.