It is a daunting task for a filmmaker to make a role reversal Film without avoiding a bunch of clichés that are deeply rooted in our society. What could be those traps? Jealousy is the world’s favourite subplot that can be played out in any film on role reversal.
R. Balki, one of the most celebrated filmmakers of India, comes up with a funny, heartfelt and vibrant film. Balki fills Ki And Ka with considerable amount of quirkiness and warmth that is touching and earnest in its conviction.
Analysis
‘Ki And Ka’ starts off with an oddly shot sequence involving Kareena Kapoor, playing the role of Kia. I found it a bit contrived. In contrast, the following sequences of the first act were innovatively bizarre with an inherent eccentricity sprinkled in every frame to make the experience richly rewarding upon reflection.
The episodic meetings of Kia and Kabir were gently heartwarming. I loved the way they were divided into little chunks with humour and grace lying at the heart of every meeting.
Balki has reaffirmed his penchant for idiosyncratic storytelling with Ki And Ka. There's abundance of love and quarrels to be found in Balki’s script, bringing out the persona of his lead characters.
Balki’s script may get meandering at some instances, but it’s just because he’s not following the straight line drawn by his predecessors for a path breaking role reversal rom-com. In the process of making a genre-defying film, Balki comes up with something sweeter, which is astute and thought-provoking.
Fortunately, Balki has remarkable performers to anchor this gleeful film. Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan appear in charming and well-thought cameos, but Swaroop Sampat stands at the glowing center of Ki And Ka. Sampat plays her role sublimely and wins our attention. Her short, but genuinely endearing act is the perfect anchor for a frostily funny and partially thoughtful film like this.
The two lead actors are just as good.
They accomplish a profound warmth through loving glances from their lively eyes; Kareena Kapoor, in particular, is marvellous. However, Arjun Kapoor’s transformative turn as a house maker is effortlessly charming in a restrained manner.
One can notice a lot of control in Arjun's postures, a depth in his eyes and a longing to be loved in his gestures. It's his best performance after Finding Fanny.
However, a fairly incongruous distraction is the jealousy that develops in Kia’s mind overnight. It made the third act go completely awry, making it a gentle disappointment. It came as a big blow to the saccharinity of Ki And Ka that aimed to redefine gender equality. However, I am happy that Balki neatly bundled everything towards the climax to give audiences a vibe of breezy romance.
Verdict
Ki And Ka is two hours as acquainted as that decade old woolly jumper, but is just as comforting and soothing. If anything, it's worth watching for Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and the feisty Swaroop Sampat.
Writer-director R. Balki mostly circumvents the obvious, but falls a prey to an uneven texture towards the climax. Overall, he delivers a sweetly sentimental and quirkily observant drama that tugs at the heartstrings without getting too sappy.