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Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi
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'Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi' A Kajol-centric sweet 'n sour fare

By N K Deoshi
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Twin sisters, both mirror reflections of each other and yet so different in their mannerisms and persona.

One a bubbly chatterbox, pampered from her childhood spits fire and has a bone to pick up on mere trifles, while the other, very much an antithesis—a well behaved, soft spoken and cultured damsel. Separated at birth, the sisters oblivious of each other meet after 20 years, instantly acknowledge their common umbilical root and get down to reunite their feuding parents.

The

story sounds familiar. Indeed it is. Once more a Bollywood filmmaker draws inspiration from across the Atlantic. Rahul Rawail who has given action thrillers like Dacait, Arjun and Arjun Pandit of late, explores new vistas with the wrought Indianized version of the 1960s Hollywood classic The Parent Trap.

In the double role of twin sisters Kajol comes to fore as a mature actress and packs in a powerful performance. With the quicksilver delicacy she conveys myriad emotions and oscillates with remarkable ease from a garrulous sourpuss to a meek introvert. The film, being heroine-oriented gives her ample footage and keeps the other players on the margins.

The film’s hero, Sunil Shetty, for instance, hardly calls for a blind bit of notice. The perennial muscle flexor has of late mellowed down into playing lighthearted roles but one can still see him hamming it up at times. However, his characteristic dour expression and the way he mouths dialogues without batting an eyelid cripples his attempts to do comic capers.

Even Rishi Kapoor and Rati Agnihotri, who is breaking her long sabbatical from the big screen, does not make much impression as the feuding couple. Right from where the film takes off Rahul has shown them cross with each other and focussed on the clash of their bloated egos rather than dwelling a bit on their conjugal bliss. Their separation therefore hardly tugs any string at heart.

Raj Khanna (Rishi Kapoor) and his wife Archana (Rati Agnihotri), once a happily married couple, are now the feuding lot. Little do they know about the evil ploys of Raj’s evil stepsister Devyani (Mita Vashishth) who detests Archana and grafts a rift between the two. To the core a real witch who bites the hand that feeds Devyani bows and scrapes when in front of Raj but hatches heinous plots behind his back to gulp his bounty.

Grave misunderstandings tear Raj and Archana’s marriage asunder. They separate ways and along with them are separated their twin daughters Sweety and Tina. Archana finds herself a new life while Raj turns into a heavy drinker and a recluse who barricades himself from the outside world in his palatial house.

Years roll by. Raj’s daughter Sweety (Kajol) turns into a spoilt brat, an impudent girl who (owing to negligent upbringing) cares two hoots about others and goes bananas over mere trifles. Often the father daughter duo picks up quarrels with each other. Tired of her dipsomaniac father and the cunning aunt, Sweety leaves home and heads for London all by herself.

The prodigal daughter’s London errand turns out to be a blessing in disguise as she meets the man of her dreams Sameer (Sunil Shetty) and after a series of incidents comes face to face with her twin sister Tina (Kajol) who unlike herself is well behaved and cultured. The two bare their hearts to each other and soon become boon companions. Without any further ado they decide to reunite their parents and to this end swap places.

The baddies on the other hand are in the ascendant. The evil aunt along with her evil son Teddy (Mayur), her lover (Pramodh Muthu) and the hired temptress Savitri (Pooja Batra) has Raj on the barrel and almost come within the ace of lapping his swelling fortunes.

But the twins take the bit between their teeth and beat the baddies at their own game. Raj too alights on the intentions of his sister and realizes his mistakes. Thanks to the efforts of the twins the parents are reunited and everything ends well.

The film is more of a family drama than a love story. Kajol does carry the movie single handedly on her shoulders with the performance that at least deserves a mention. Particularly commendable is the agility with which she slips from one mood to another. Now she is exuberant, now temperamental, now vivacious and now in tears.

To put some zing in the story there is a raunchy number “Bandh Kamare Mein Pyar Karenge” which has Pooja Batra jiving and titillating the frigid Rishi on Anu Malik’s tune and Sameer’s bland words.

Besides, the film has many lighthearted moments though the comedy in it hardly invokes any laughter. The downpour of emotions in the end when Rishi slaps Rati and forbids her to leave does become a bit too much, but that much is permitted when you are watching a mushy family drama.

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