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Karan johar's kabhi alvida naa kehna was one of Bollywood’s most daring takes on modern relationships. Starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, the film tackled infidelity head-on, portraying its lead characters in deeply flawed, morally grey shades, a bold move that was both ground-breaking and risky. While it sparked widespread debate, the film faced significant backlash upon release. Audiences and critics were divided, and commercially, it fell short of the expectations usually associated with a Shah Rukh Khan starrer.
Now, nearly two decades later, Rani Mukerji, fresh off her first National Award win, has spoken candidly about the film in a conversation with ANI. Reflecting on why it didn’t land with viewers at the time, she said: “Maybe India wasn’t ready for it. But it’s always nice to be part of films that are way ahead of its time. Because in history when people talk about films, at least they’ll remember our films as those films that actually spoke aloud to the nation, spoke to an audience who was yet not ready to face the truth. And through such films there were a lot of changes.”
She further pointed out how the story made audiences uneasy by mirroring real-life situations too closely: “Yeah, it was happening (infidelity) and it made people uncomfortable because it made them see their own truth in their lives. And it’s always difficult to reflect upon your own truth, you know? And then when it happens in front of you on a celluloid, it kind of you know, gives you a little jolt.”
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This isn’t the first time Rani Mukerji has addressed the film’s cultural impact. At a film festival in Goa two years ago, she had remarked on how Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna stirred deep personal introspection among viewers: “I think what happened with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna was that, after the film (was released), there were a lot of divorces. There were a lot of people going to the theatre and watching the film in extreme discomfort. And I think that is the feedback Karan got for his film, and I think it opened eyes for a lot of people and they took the decision of being happy.”
On the professional front, Rani Mukerji is currently preparing for Mardaani 3, set to release early next year. Reports also suggest that she may reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in his upcoming project King, marking their first on-screen collaboration in years.
