Why success of Kai Po Che is so special

2012 was a really good year for Hindi films when quite a few content-focused films without any big/well-known stars made a major mark not only with film critics but also at the Box Office. 2013 also looks promising for Hindi films, but Kai Po Che's success is particularly special in many ways. While receiving almost unanimous acclaim with the audience, even though Kai Po Che had a decent opening at the Box Office, the film has managed to sustain very well throughout the first week while the second week has also opened on a good note. It is rare that a film studio/producer backs a relatively big budget film without a major star and also market it with all their might. UTV has been at the forefront of backing unconventional film projects however they were always either small-mid budget films or had a popular star while in case of Kai Po Che, it has a fairly good budget but without the presence of a big star. Whatever the actual budget of the film(reportedly around 30 crores including print/publicity costs) the producers didnt seem to compromise on production standards and it is quite a demanding film in terms of scale and scope.

There is always a temptation of getting a big star to act in a film as it increases the commercial viability of the film while also making the task of marketing it much easier as it brings public and media attention in the currect scenario where a film doesnt get enough screen space if it doesnt manage enough buzz and a good opening. Being backed by UTV, directed by Abhishek Kapoor whose last film was a major commercial success and based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat whose last two novel's adaptations had some of the Hindi film industry's biggest stars associated with them, it wouldn't have been difficult for them to get a major star working in the film however the decision to go ahead with relative newcomer/unknown actors to bring in freshness while not deviating attention to a renowned star in a film with real-relatable and unapologetically 'imperfect' main leads is commendable.

Chetan Bhagat, Thank You!: A Kai Po Che Review

Much has been written about how Kai Po Che is a brilliant adaptation of a 'mediocre' book. An absolutely avid film buff Avinash Verma differs on the latter. Read on for what is definitely one of the most insightful takes that you would read on the film and the book.

Its 1.30 am, almost three hours since I came out of the theatre but I m not able to forget  Rajkumar Yadav’s crying face at the sight of the debris of an upcoming  mall which would have secured his and his two friend’s future and Sushant Singh Rajput’s smile with the sun shining behind his head giving him an angelic halo. Will come to this soon but before that, let’s talk about the most defining moment of the film.

The riots are going to break out any moment. Ishan (Sushant Singh Rajput), the angriest and the gutsiest character of the gang calls up Govind (Raj Kumar Yadav), the weakest and the most fattu of the three, and asks him – “Yaar thoda darr sa lag raha hai, tu aa sakta hai kya?”, to which Govind replies, without blinking  an eyelid or thinking twice, “10 minute de mujhe.”

This scene sums up the movie, You DONT think when it comes to save your friend’s lives. You just don’t, there is no reason, no fear, no rationale. You know that you have to do it, no matter what the consequences are, no matter if it’s right or wrong, no matter how much harm it would bring your way, no matter what others would think of it. You do it because you have to, every part in your body tells you not to, but you know you have to and you go ahead and do it. And that’s what Friendship is, the most precious bond that one can ever share with another human being.