Completing two decades this year, Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is easily one of Bollywood’s most popular love stories. However, looking back as a ‘woke adult’, most of us can see how the movie hasn’t aged well.
ALSO READ: 10 reasons why SRK, Kajol’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was actually a comedy
Issues about Anjali’s ‘femininity’ in the two halves of the film, Rahul’s Polo Sport T-shirts, that fantastic moment when girl sings Om Jai Jagadish Hare to prove her sanskaar game is on point. Seriously? Well, we all lapped it up in ’98, so no point complaining now.
However, with the ongoing pride month, Buzzfeed writer Imaan Sheikh chose to look at her favourite film through the ‘rainbow lens’ and made it seem like a hell lot more progressive film than the original. See for yourself:
Anjali Sharma was a popular, grade-A student at St. Xavier’s college.
She liked playing basketball, dancing, and girls.Yeah Anjali was gay. pic.twitter.com/fFAgK2EeWL
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
She was also in the closet. She couldn’t come out. She feared her family would be devastated and her friends would distance themselves from her.
She was, after all, in a country that criminalized people like her. pic.twitter.com/MTRG8bRHTb
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
When a group of exchange students arrived at St. Xavier’s, the college administration put its best students in charge of showing the them around. Anjali was paired with Tina. pic.twitter.com/iIqsasNYSy
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Tina Malhotra was from London. Quiet, little, cute, and mysterious.
Kind of like a goth, if a goth wore bright colours and flowers. pic.twitter.com/GbuQdBwTKl— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
She was also the most beautiful girl Anjali had ever seen. This was the first time she was feeling things she hadn’t felt before. pic.twitter.com/DroaxlYSPo
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Introducing her to other students, giving her the college sweatshirt, familiarizing her with the institution’s rules – Anjali always managed to find an excuse to talk to Tina. pic.twitter.com/nVZlDsvbaD
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Over the months, Anjali noticed how much attention Tina got from men. She was probably straight…right? She seemed straight.
They were friends, but it was complicated. How do you just ask someone who they like? This was new. pic.twitter.com/yxz3YLZ5ra
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Tina didn’t care about the boys though. All that caught her eye was Anjali.
But it’s not easy getting messages across when you’re a femme. Anjali’s best friend was a man. Did she LIKE like him? Maybe she was just a tomboy & Tina’s gaydar was wrong the whole time? Doubts galore pic.twitter.com/2YWWH5RMsp
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
One day, as Tina & Anjali watched the game, they realized they were sitting too close. Knees touching. Eyes locked. Heart rate up. Sharing a brief moment of wordless admission. The kind that’s usually followed by a kiss.
It was, like most good moments, cut short by a straight man pic.twitter.com/SjhCueow10— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
While nothing was said, a lot was felt. pic.twitter.com/gfxlaOc0kO
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
But things seldom go how they should.
The semester was coming to an end. Everyone was to go home, but Tina would not return.She was going to leave for London for good. pic.twitter.com/wC6sr5Gzbf
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
The time to say goodbye came all too fast. pic.twitter.com/DSCoPrQcZQ
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Anjali gave Tina her chunari.
Tina now had more than memories to keep – a part of Anjali. pic.twitter.com/fKclVfyMhF— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Years went by.
In Mumbai, little girl read a letter from her mother who died soon after childbirth.
“I settled into marrying a man. Society pressured me into living an inauthentic life. Don’t let them stop you from loving who you love & being yourself,” read the final paragraph. pic.twitter.com/vrOeYYJ5bq— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
It also included a picture of her mother’s first love, whom she was named after.
Two gifts were passed on with the 12-page letter; the promise of a parent’s unconditional acceptance, and a dotted red chunari. pic.twitter.com/GM2q7qvYlx
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Little Anjali recognized that face. It was the face of a dance teacher whose classes some of Anjali’s classmates went to every summer. She was always in their photos.
Summer was here, and this year, the dance teacher was going to have a new student. pic.twitter.com/306G9aibY9
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
She arrived at the dance camp to finally meet her mother’s first love. Her namesake. pic.twitter.com/N1mfadGp7C
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
“Why’s your name Anjali?” the girl asked her new teacher.
“Maybe my parents loved the name. And why is your name Anjali?”
“Maybe because my mom loved you.” pic.twitter.com/5sPN5w3rZ5— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
As the two bonded, Anjali revealed more about her life to her teacher.
“My mom, she told me to always be true to myself. Live life on my own terms, and put my happiness before anyone else’s. She’s with god now. I miss her.” pic.twitter.com/j6XnxhAF6c
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Left restless by the child’s odd responses, Anjali decided to take a look at the photo in the picture frame the girl hugged to sleep every night.
There she was. Her first love.
Many had come and gone after Tina, but the loss was fresh and devastating. pic.twitter.com/qIBtEurm4p— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
The day of the wedding, she found the kind of courage she hadn’t experienced before. She didn’t know where it was coming from
Anjali told her fiance she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t love him like a wife loves her husband, and going ahead with this would be unfair to both of them pic.twitter.com/8xWpYWBPm8
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
As she walked out of the marriage hall, a previously unknown sense of relief came over her. She wasn’t suddenly living her truth, but she was definitely a step closer to doing so.
A step further from entrapping herself in an unfulfilled life. pic.twitter.com/xekZUrsKjP
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
…With the help of an uninvited old friend, who reached out anyway. pic.twitter.com/agmlNM045R
— Imaan Sheikh _ (@sheikhimaan) June 10, 2018
Imaan Sheikh is someone who made a name for herself via the ‘honest summary’ format of some popular Bollywood films from the 90s and the 00s. She’s responsible for gems (or gememes?) like this:
Now, if only today’s mainstream cinema was as intelligent and inclusive in their approach towards gay love stories. Including you, Karan Johar.
