Movie Review : Ki & KA

My Rating

Movie Name : Ki & Ka
Directed by : R. Balki
Produced by : R. Balki, R K Damani, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Sunil Lulla
Written by : R. Balki
Cast : Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor

Plot : Kia(Kareena Kapoor) has an aim to become a successful business woman and also wishes other women to work instead of managing the households and just becoming the support system of her husband. On her flight to Delhi back from Chandigarh, she meets Kabir(Arjun Kapoor). The two get along very nicely and start meeting quite often. Kia discovers Kabir wants to be a house - "wife" like his mother and does not want to get caught in the race of progress by becoming of business man. Kia also discovers that Kabir is the son of a highly successful building constructor(Rajit Kapoor) but does not want to inherit his immense wealth.
Kia and Kabir gradually fall in love and decide to marry where Kabir would handle the household stuff while Kia would be the bread - earner. They convince their parents for this marriage and get married in a court. Their married life goes on well and Kia gets a tremendous boost in her work and is promoted to higher positions. Meanwhile, the landlord of their house decides to sell the house due to financial problems and Kabir not wanting to move out decides to buy it. To make up the money required, he becomes a gym coach for some ladies which he knows. Soon, they are successful in buying the house.
On an interview of Kia(for her highly successful career), she mentions about her husband's roles in the house and the interviewer is impressed by this. She takes an interview of Kabir also in which he explains that it does no matter whether ki(girl) takes up the role of ka(boy) and ka takes up the role of ki. People are impressed by this interview and Kabir is called for many more interviews and speeches on Gender equality. Kabir gets hooked up in these interviews and speeches and is so not able to manage his house properly. Kia gets a little jealous of all this and tells him to stop this show of the publicity of their life. Kabir agrees to this. Kia then goes to the USA for her work where Kabir does not accompany her. In a college reunion, one of Kabir's friend asks him to give an interview which he reluctantly agrees. Jaya Bachchan who sees this interview on TV, asks Amitabh Bachchchan to call him as she wanted to meet him in person. Kabir pays them a visit and Jaya Bachchan gives a gift for Kia. Meanwhile when Kabir was out, Kia's mother(Swaroop Sampat) suffers from low blood pressure and collapses. She is taken to the hospital and upon receiving this news Kia hastens back to India.
Upon knowing that Kabir was gone for an interview she hurls her with abuses and suspects him of being a cheat. She tells him that he used her for his own profit to earn fame without working and he was as it is going to get money from his father. In all this Kabir does not say anything to her and returns back to their home. He starts packing his bag to leave for Chandigarh. Kia sees the gift given by Jaya Bachchan in which was a letter which said that to be a man not working but handling the house is a brave choice but to be a wife of such a man is a harder choice. The letter said that Kabir was indeed lucky to have Kia as his wife. Kia's mother also tells her that she was jealous of Kabir's fame and one who earns in the family is bound to be jealous when the other starts receiving fame. Kia understands her mistake and apologizes Kabir on the flight to Chandigarh. In the end, Kabir's father decides to make Kia the CEO of his company and all ends happily.:)
*Plot is copied from Wikipedia*

My take on the movie:
A very fresh concept, big stars, revolutionary director, this movie had everything which needed to make a good recipe, but the food just didn't taste as everyone expected it to be. In today's world, in many cases, both of the spouses are working and manages their respective responsibility at work and home perfectly. Yes, I would agree on a point that, we are not yet as progressive to accept a woman working and husband being the stay-at-home-husband than accepting wife as a housewife, but definitely not every parent expect their daughter or daughter in law will not be the pillar of their son-in-law or son. The fact it's a mutual expectation for both bride and groom that they will be there to support each other during thick and thins.

What didn't go well with me in this movie is,

• Kabir claims, he doesn't live on his father's money, but he used to live in the same house as his father. Then what was the source of his income and from where he could afford the whiskey (cheap) and flight tickets for comfort his friend?
• Kabir tries to convince Kia about his sexual straightness by saying he doesn't like pink, interested in women and loves whiskey. My question to Mr. Balki here if a 'man' doesn't like whiskey and like pink color, does it make him less masculine? Also, while trying to prove 'Shtreeling Puling samething', somewhere you have insulted the feeling of the other genders?
• If Kabir is a househusband and Kia is working women, why is it necessary for both of them to introduce Kabir as 'Wife', why can't they use the term 'a househusband'?
• Giving 50% discount to the men in saffola oil is one of the most stupid business ideas I have ever heard. Because, irrespective of being a househusband, working husband of a housewife or working husband of a working wife, it's not so rare for men to go out for grocery shopping, in fact, in rural areas it is the man of the house who does all these things.
• What was the so special responsibility Kabir was taking for which there has to be a dedicated a househusband?
• Someone who can beat rowdies is masculine and he turns a sophisticated girl on.
• Why Kabir has to wear Mangalsutra? I mean what is the taboo of wearing it if one is not interested? It's should not be projected as a mandate for housewives to wear mangalsutra.

Thumbs Up:

• Though the movie couldn't live up to the expectation, but the concept is definitely worth making a good movie.
• Kareena has done a splendid job with the role of Kia and set designer is fabulous.
• Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan are phenomenal in the sort role they have played.

Thumbs Down:

• Apart from all the points I already mentioned, songs are just pathetic.
• The movie seemed too much dragged to me. This movie should not have taken more than 1 hour of time so show what it has shown.
• I would not give R. Balki a credit for this unique concept, as the same concept has been aired as a daily soap called Mrs. Tendulkar and which did better justice than Ki&Ka

Verdict : Not worth watching in a multiplex. Wait for the movie to telecast on television.