Aiming for the Stars

Think, Karan Johar says, of "a Hollywood release starring Sean Connery, Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio." And then add Audrey Hepburn, Julia Roberts and Kate Hudson. That's what the 29-year-old director aimed for with Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham (Sometimes There's Joy, Sometimes Sorrow), which features three generations of India's brightest movie stars in one of Bollywood's most expensive productions ever. In an industry that churns out some 500 films a year, few motion pictures have attracted as much positive prerelease buzz. "This is our Harry Potter," says Amit Khanna, president of the All India Film Producers Council.

A good part of Kabhie Khushi's $10 million budget went to pay for the leads: Amitabh Bachchan, who lit up the screens in the '70s and '80s; Shah Rukh Khan, who pulled in the audiences in the '90s; and current heartthrob Hrithik Roshan. Each is paired with an equally stellar actress: Bachchan with his real-life wife, Jaya, whose impish charm once made her the girl Indian men would have loved to take home to mom; Khan with Kajol Mukherjee, whose girl-next-door persona spawned some of the biggest hits of the past decade; and Roshan with Kareena Kapoor, screen goddess of the MTV generation.

It's a pity Johar didn't spend some spare change on a decent scriptwriter: he wrote the movie himself, and evidently in a hurry because Kabhie Khushi is a tired old tale devoid of surprises. A rich couple (the Bachchans) have two sons and a little secret: the older (Khan) is adopted. This is not a problem for anybody until the boy falls for an unsuitable girl (Mukherjee). The boy's father, who has already arranged a bride, instantly accuses his much-loved son of lacking in filial duty. Cue to a clash between generations, forcing the adopted son to leave home. After some unnecessarily prolonged hand wringing, the younger son (Roshan) forges a predictable reconciliation. Interspersed is the usual fare of song and dance, shot in London and, strangely, Egypt. The movie is a big hit among overseas Indians, particularly in the U.S. and England. That's because Johar has imbued his film with an Indian-ness—family morning prayers, submission to irrational patriarchs—that's no longer the reality back home. "It is all about the value of family," explains the director, whose debut movie, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, was a runaway success.

But with so much acting talent to play with, Johar could—should—have been more ambitious. The director, however, is unapologetic about making too much of the mundane. "What I have done," explains Johar, "is put small things on a big canvas." As a result, Kabhie Khushi relies entirely on the wattage of its stars to try to keep the audience interested for almost three hours. The actors do their best—but those "small things" seem even tinier on that big canvas.