Kai Po Che ! Bollywood Film

Interetsingly , In 2007 I returned form the trip to Rajasthan, India and saw a very liked film “Eklavya” shot in Rajasthan, at DeviGath, the place  I just visited. That made my first blog on film at this blog  http://tjshah.blogspot.com/2007/03/eklavya-royal-guardhindi-film.html

Seems the same history is repeating. I just came back form the trip of Gujarat. Again I am seeing a very likable film in USA shot in the place I just visited.  I still have not posted most of the pictures of this trip to Gujarat.   The subset of the albums are posted. The public albums can be seen at http://picasaweb.google.com/TusharInGujarat.
More albums and the associated blog entries will follow at this site,
http://tusharinGujarat.blogspot.com.    In the film , I felt as I  know  every brick in the every building and   some of them I  just  visited, specially  seeinng the spirit of the Kite-flying in Ahmedabad,  places like heritage walk ,  Jumma Masjid, Sarekhej no Rojo  and even trip to Div, Saurastra.   I also had  trip to Saurastra  with three firends  and  so felt  the experiene of the  stars in the  movie  somehwhat personal . 

Other  item common to  Eklavya and  "Kai po Che" is the message  to the  Indian  literature  and culture   about the  importance of   "सत गुरु ". Find a good teacher and life would be made .


 Independent of  my personal association with the locations in Gujart,  attachmnet to  the  recent  natural  disaster of  earthwauke   on 1/26/2001 and man-made disaster on Feb 27 2002,   close  repeat of  the paths of my rcnet, I  like the film a lot.  I feel   I have already seen one of the best  Hindi film of the year.

Kai Po Che is the Gujrati line meaning ‘I Have Cut’ which comes out in a kite flying festival when one knocks down the opponent’s kite. It is used as a cry of victory in kite-flying contests.

I expected the movie to be some kind of cliché about friendship that have seen in many Bollywood dramas which includes flirting, dancing and mimic around during college hours but its about three adult pals and their struggle in life whose friendship is tested on a big scale..

At the most I expected KPC to be another clone or at least a shade of such drama like Rang De Basanti, DCH(Dil CHahta Hai,) 3 Idiots and ZNMD (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,) specially when the superstars of these movies like Amir Khan, Hritk Rosham Arshad Warsi praised the film.

KPC is none of the above. It is not a copy cat of these films, It is a remarkable depictions of three friends the backdrop the strains of the roller coaster of life. No Bollywood dance, silly comedies, no real villain. Even the character of uncle politician. who is a political leader in a right-wing Hindu party.

The 2002 communal riot is a big part of the story but the film makers smartly avoided any reference to Narendra Modi or other controversy which may block the screen of the movie in Gujarat officially or by de-facto riots as was the case for several such very good movies.  I have  read in media that  the director Abhishek Kapoor  did a  smart trick of portraying the  film as Modi's propaganda by  suggesting  that  the 2002  riot  was an act of  local  BJP leader ( and of Gujarat BJP leadership).  However Abhishek Kapoor  has profusely  rejected  such charge  through the  twitter.


The plot is new and creative. Three friends are in their first business venture of having a sports shop with coaching facilities All three have different personalities, interests, ambitions and vulnerabilities. None of the three are big stars but good actors and I think that goes in favor of the movie . I think some new stars are born. I specialy liked the new actoor  Sushabt Singh Rajput ( Ishan) and the  character of the actress  Amrita Puri and the romance.  I  do not see  the  film is  about the 2002 sectarian violence.  It is nice story on  friendship, life  and also  missing importance of sports, specially during the    growing up  in  building the character of   individual and  nation .  Physical education is   very important and we  as society  ignored  it as part of the basic education.