Kai Po Che; one of the most beautiful and meaningful films I have ever scene.
2013’s Kai Po Che has already been a hit in India and no doubt in other countries too. Every aspect in this film is devoured upon; the story, actors, location, dialogue, visuals, the list is endless. Director: Abhishek Kapoor truly captures everything a film should be about and stunningly perpetuates a wonderful story on the big screen.
Based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel; ‘The Three Mistkaes of my Life’, Kai Po Che summarises the key meaning of true friendship, unconditional love and tremendous ambition. The film begins with an opening sequence of Omi (Amit Sadh) releasing from Prison, whilst his friend Govind (Raj Kumar Yadav) waits by his car. Thus this fades into text stating ten years earlier, where the story begins. Kai Po Che focuses on three friends: Omi, Govind and Ishaan’s strive to accomplish their goal; opening their own Cricket training academy filled with pure talent. Though, with financial struggles and eruptions of religion conflict, their journey becomes difficult.
Every moment of happiness, sadness, celebration, struggle is heard, absorbed and appreciated. We are truly taken on this unforgettable, heart-touching journey, which really tells us a momentous tale. The story of friendship is valued upon and captured in its most real form. The immediacy of India’s victory is propelled, engaging the audience truly within the celebration.
One of India’s best city’s; Ahmedabad is vividly captured in a way never seen before. The colours are absolutely gratifying, so exquisite, filled with energy and warmth the eyes have ever experienced. Credit definitely goes to cinematographer ‘Anay Goswami’ whom visually produces unforgettable visuals. The shots which confidently experiment with depth of field, panning and several close ups, extremely help us visualize the atmosphere. Shots of the sunset, busyness of Ahmedabad and genuine people, are incredibly captured, giving us a warm ambience and friendly feeling. The visuals provide an escape, where our mind feels so calm and satisfied with the beauty of it. In particular the Kiting festival, defining the essence of colours. Each kite is absorbed, striking and unique, convincing the audience to jump right in and join them.
Kai Po Che portrays a good balance of the election conflict within India, especially the ongoing race/religion issues in small villages. Campaigns bombarding the neighbourhood with posters, marches and speeches are evident. The rival between the Indian election vs the Muslims are approached in a genuine, informative way. Thus, where we are not forced to choose a side, but are figuratively shown both sides of the story. Its all politics when it comes to Omi’s mama, portraying the selfish and cunning side of ideology. The memorable scene where the Indian campaign was avenging the Muslims, is mesmorising. Power, anger, conflict and hatred, all integrated within the film. The fire burning and moments of slow motion definitely adds to the eeriness, leaving us with goosebumps.
With extremely brilliant actors, the story is pushed to a high standard and satisfies all our expectations. Starring Sushant Singh Rajput, who plays Ishaan, one of the most powerful characters till date. His stoic, brave and angry persona is so real and beautifully played out. The dream he has and courage he follows is ecstatically evident.
Ishaan’s aggressiveness and retaliativebehavior is skillfully acted out, creating such a real sequence. We subtly see sparks of his soft side, which makes him more likable. The passion and dedication he has for cricket is stunning, not too showy but real. Ishaan’s ultimate belief is portrayed through the young cricket star ‘Ali’ who is gifted with scoring unlimited ‘sixes’ repetitively. The way he pushes Ali and encourages him to play ‘off-side’ pays off with an unforgettable ending.
Govind’s character compliments Ishaan due to their lack of similarities. Maths tutor Govi truly makes you smile whenever on screen. His respectful and gentle persona is reinforced by his simple romance with Ishaan’s sister ‘Vidya’. His caring and hardworking personality exaggerates his dedication of wanting the shop. His strive for success is transparent in his eyes, where we can see how much his dream means to him.
Last but least, Omi’s character is somewhat different to Omi and Ishaan. There are moments of dopiness and comedy, which he pulls from the three. He has this ‘go-with-the-flow’ behavior and usually follows Ishaan around. Though, his mama’s key focus on politics and negative influence reiterates Omi’s focus, leading to regrets.
With relentless amounts of mesmerizing scenes, one of my favourite scene is when Omi and Ishaan are scared during the campaign war. Both vigorously shaking and sweating trying to figure out what to do is profoundly acted out. Their upbeat tense and fast pacing, places the audience in an intense position where we anticipate the next scene, even though it maybe something bad.
Deepa Bhatia smoothly edits the film, creating a moving pace. The scene where the three friends jump into the blue ocean is a stunning sequence. So compelling and eruptive, where each droplet is absorbed.
All these inspiring moments are compelled with beautiful idyllic music. Instrumental pieces and gentle, slow songs by Amit Trivedi literally anchors the connotations and denotations of the scene, setting the mood and pace. The music moves the dialogue, in perfect moments and places. With no item number song or sudden dance flash mobs, the story is given that space to expand and continue without unnecessary pauses.
Overall, Kai Po Che is one of my favourite Bollywood Films of 2013. It satisfied all my expectations with its heart-warming, emotional and inspirational journey. The story filled with such exquisite meaning is helped by the relatable characters, which deliver emotionally connecting performances and deserve all the awards coming their way. The path of struggle, and true essence of ‘brother-hood’ is ultimately resolved, allowing the audience to comprehend their relationship. The cast and crew both deserve credit, each aspect should be applauded with no faults from the film. A film that captures such emotion, leaving you full of tears in the end is the definition of a successful film. The involvement of the audience, where we are joined in with their strive for success, forms a bond. All scenes are predominantly vowed and unforgettable; from the cold war, shaking earthquake, to simply the three friends hugging. It’s an amazing experience, relatable and meaningful – A must watch.
My rating: 10/10
Written by: Meera Darji
Meera's Blog 