I have only recently realized that in fact I don't really like Yash Chopra's movies. These were really the first Bollywood films I have seen so I just thought - that's Bollywood, it's OK. However, later I thought - hang on a second, how come other movies are so much better than these? Most of Yash Chopra's movies were fine, you can't really see any significant flaws in them but they just lack something. I don't know what it is, it's just that somehow they don't make the right use of their potential.However, I did like "Kabhie Kabhie" quite a lot. Out of all the movies by Yash Chopra that I have watched, this is the best one. Actually, at first I thought it was really crap but I changed my mind about it.At first I thought the story was just ridiculous. Now I think it's actually quite good. A fresh look at the question of whether past is really past and if we are allowed to forget it or not. What I liked in the movie was that the characters weren't at all perfect - they had a lot of weaknesses. Especially Big B.'s character, of course. And Vicky, played by Rishi, who really annoyed me at first, but now I think it was a pretty interesting character. So was Pinky. Sweety is terribly spoiled and this begs the question how come that such cultured people could raise such an ill-mannered and silly girl. However, apart from Sweety all the other characters are pretty convincing. The happy ending comes somehow too quickly, like in 'Silsila'. I think that people normally need more time to sort out their problems, but basically I liked the message in this movie.My favourite character was definitely Vijay, played by Shashi Kapoor, who surprisingly turns out to be the most mature character of all and makes Amitabh finally understand his mistake. Basically, I think Shashi and Rakhee rock in this movie. Rakhee may seem too perfect to some people but I also liked her for that reason, Pooja is really a very likable character. Neetu Singh was also very good, I mean: making a person named Pinky a complex character - that is really amazing.

The summary sums it up all. Imagine a star cast comprising Amitabh Bachchan, Waheeda Rehman, Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor, all larger than life stars, behaving like mock puppets. The film, made on a big big budget, is designed to be a love story !! What we see is people wearing the garb intellectualism and supposedly representing the cream of society behaving his indolent imbeciles, display neither maturity nor calm, or even pretence of intellectualism. An example: Amitbah Bachchan loves and loses Raakhee to Shashi Kapoor, writes poetry in her memory, runs a mine (do not know how, he is never shown to work) , lives in style fit for emperors, and shouts and screams when he learns his wife Waheeda too had a broken love affair. So much for his poetic demeanor. The only silver lining is the dulcet and placid use of raga Pahadi by Khayyam in the background. Sahir's lyrics / poetry in this film is grossly overrated.

OK - this film is worth seeing because indeed, the poetry and music is superb. But puhleez! the acting is below par or perhaps it's due to the weak script. The story has potential, but its execution is lacking.I did appreciate, and still do, a good love story, and this it has, but it's an immature story never properly realised on the screen; perhaps the re-make will finally fulfull this potential.I know a number of Indians that adore this film - perhaps, my not liking it is my exposure to other foreign films and India's limitations on imported cinema in that time period and thus, their exposure to 'higher-quality' cinema. I do know that even a lot of the sappy love stories done now in Bollywood I really like... but this... sorry!The individual song, "Kabhi Kabhie" is wonderful esp. the remix done by Bally Sagoo - search the net for it - his mix is excellent.

Kabhi Kabhie is what I'd like to call a complete movie- it has all the fine elements. Good story, great dialogues, great direction- and great acting. Amitabh Bachan, Raakhee, Shashi and Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman and Neetu Singh gave a convincing and touching performance. I enjoyed Mukesh's songs. The poetry was simply breathtaking! The scene between Amitabh and Raakhee meeting 20 years later was very touching. It was a very beautiful love story, woven through several generations, and it felt as though it was a journey through several emotions and moments of recollection, remorse, repentance, etc. There was an atmosphere of unspoken love and care in the story. Many untold things took physical shape and meaning only in the hearts of the audience. It was great! All-in-all a 9/10 movie!