Filmmaker Karan Johar has revisited the making and reception of his 2006 directorial Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK) as the film marks 20 years, recalling the sharply divided reactions it received upon release and acknowledging that the movie had its flaws.
In a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, Johar shared anecdotes from watching the film with audiences before and after its release, describing reactions that ranged from praise for its boldness to criticism over its portrayal of relationships and infidelity.
Recalling a paid preview held a night before the release, Johar said he quietly watched the film from behind a traditionally dressed middle-aged couple. He described their reaction to a scene involving Dev and Maya, played by Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, as the point at which they decided to leave the theatre.
Johar also recalled an encounter with a woman who had brought her daughter to watch the film expecting “a happy film with songs and dances and family values”. The woman, he said, confronted him after the screening because the film dealt with marital relationships and divorce in a way she had not expected from him.
The filmmaker said the film subsequently drew extremely polarised responses, with some calling it his best work and others criticising it as being against traditional “sanskaari” values.
He also recounted meeting a woman at an airport lounge who told him she had actually loved the film but had told her husband that she disliked it. She explained that admitting she liked it would have led to questions about what she found appealing in the story.
Looking back, Johar acknowledged shortcomings in the film, including its scale and soundtrack.
“I don’t deny the flaws of the film,” he wrote, describing it as “over bloated in scale” and admitting that some of its lavish songs were unnecessary and intended to cater to his understanding of mainstream cinema.
At the same time, Johar maintained that the film was attempting to examine a difficult reality surrounding marriage, love and desire rather than endorse infidelity.
He said Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was intended to explore the consequences of crossing the boundaries of marriage and how such choices could affect individuals, relationships and families.
Twenty years later, Johar said he continues to meet people who tell him they could not relate to the film when it released but understand it differently today.
He concluded by expressing gratitude to the film’s cast and crew for their “passion and compassion”, while suggesting that relationships cannot always be understood through simple black-and-white answers.