Live, love, because ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’: The day we got this message beautifully

There are very few films which are written straight from the heart. And in the year 2003, one such movie came, which taught us how to live and appreciate every moment of our life. No points for guessing, it was filmmaker Nikkhil Advani’s dream directorial debut, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’. And it was today on November 28, that this film had hit the screens.

‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ beautifully conveyed the message of making the most of day in hand, and living like there is no tomorrow. The film featured an ensemble starcast with actors Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Jaya Bachchan and others. It was Karan Johar’s third film as a writer where the dialogues were written by Niranjan Iyengar. Indeed, the script was heart-touching and carried some beautiful moments. When it comes to performances, all three lead stars, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan, were brilliant in their respective parts, and their chemistry was brilliant. The greatest asset of ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ was and always will be, its cast. However, the soul of the movie will forever be its music, which was beautiful.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, fresh from their ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ had bagged a mainstream project, and made full use of it. The album went on to rule the charts, with the title song ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ becoming one of the most popular Hindi film songs of all time. And the title track is what, will forever be close to our heart. The lyrics of the song were penned by Javed Akhtar, with the melodious voice of Sonu Nigam behind the mic. As destiny would have it, Sonu was destined to sing the song, even though he was busy at the time. However, instead of opting for some other singer, producer Karan Johar decided to wait for a month before Sonu came back and recorded the song for the movie. (Also Read: WOW! Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla to reunite on the big screen after 10 years)

Till today, the title song is a part of many playlists, whether of the 90’s generation, or even the ones after that, such was the impact.

Not just the audience, it holds a special place in the hearts of the actors as well. Recently, when Shah Rukh Khan graced the couch of ‘Koffee With Karan’, he was asked by the host, for a special segment, as to what would he like his biography to be called. Baadshah smiled, and said, “Kal Ho Naa Ho.” Well, such is the magic of the movie, and such is the place that this movie holds in the heart of SRK.

‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ will forever be cherished, for the songs, for the acts, and for everything that touched our hearts.

Amod Pandit

Quiet, resonant, and creative, he can be seen immersed in his own world, and puts in his heart and soul into the one passion that he has, Bollywood. His line for survival? Feel happy to be a part of it.