Review of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) by Monica C — 15 Nov 2018

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is a fresh, iconic film that brought a new flavor to the Bollywood world in 1998. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukeri, this film begins with Rahul, a recent widower, who has an eight-year-old daughter Anjali. Throughout her life, Anjali has read a letter from her late mother Tina each year, and this year her mother's letter reveals that her parents were involved in a love triangle with a woman also named Anjali. The film flashes back to Rahul, Tina, and Anjali's college days, where Rahul ends up choosing Tina as a romantic partner despite his true love for Anjali. For the remainder of the film, Rahul's daughter pursues a plan to reunite Anjali and Rahul in the present.

This film is a turning point in Bollywood movies, greatly due to the modern aesthetics of the picture. The clothing is more casual, the music is more hip, and the sets are newer and more colorful than the films before its time; yet, the film does not forget to ground itself in the traditional Bollywood essence. As Rachel Dwyer and Divia Patel write, women in Western clothing like dresses and short skirts are seen as "modern," and are typically illustrated as "misguided young women enjoying the 'folly of youth,' who eventually revert to their traditional roles." At the college Rahul, Tina, and Anjali attend, many of the women freely wear short skirts, including one of the teachers, and, in the wedding scene, we see a fusion of modern clothing (i.e., Anjali's overalls) and more traditional clothing (i.e., Anjali's sari). In DDLJ, we do see Western clothing when the characters are travelling in Europe, but, the more "scandalous" clothing is selectively used to express sexuality (i.e., when Simran is singing about love). Kuch Kuch Hota Hai openly uses these liberal clothing choices to create a new aesthetic for Bollywood films, but it also strikes a balance between introducing new, fun elements without forgetting about its traditional roots. Some of the modern elements, like the jokes or the design of the camp, are a little cheesy, but that is what makes the film enjoyable to watch.