Priyadarshan's Kyon Ki is a major disppointment. Said to be based on his highly regarded Thalavattam (1986) starring the great Mohanlal in one of his most well-remembered performances, the film is also a mishmash of Deep Jweley Jai (1959), its Hindi remake - Khamoshi (1969) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). The screenplay as usual is the root of most of the problems of the film. It is strange that till today enough emphasis is just not given to the scripting of our films. Strange, since a script can make or break a film before it goes on the shooting floors itself. (of course assuming that the film went into prodcution with a complete and bound script!)

The film sees Anand (Salman Khan) admitted to the mental hospital. He has lost his mental balance following the death of his fiance Maya (Rimii) which he brought about inadvertantly. Dr. Sunil (Jackie Shroff) takes great interest in his case as Anand's family had helped him financially to complete his education and he has always considered Anand as a younger brother. The hospital is run in a no-nonsense, inflexible manner by Dr. Khuranna (Om Puri) whose daughter Tanvi (Kareena Kapoor) is also a doctor there. Sunil convinces Tanvi to pretend to be in love with Anand to cure him. She cures him and falls in love with him in the process and he too with her. But Khurrana will have none of this. He reduces Anand to a vegetable. Sunil unable to see Anand like this kills him. Tanvi on finding out about this loses her mental balance and takes Anand's place in the hospital as a patient...

Kyon Ki is a tedious and laborious film which fails to touch or move the viewer. The film is totally superficial just skimming the surface and totally devoid of any moments, barring an odd endearing one or two such as when Anand brings Tanvi bangles to replace the ones he had broken. The flashback track of Anand romancing Maya is not handled well at all and seems to go on and on with Anand's methods of wooing Maya not very interesting. In fact in the original this track was told through a single song. Clearly the expansion has not helped. Further, the track of Tanvi's treatment of Anand and then them falling in love is also most unconvincing and yes, again curiously, uninvolving. A couple of scenes, a song to cure Anand (it was that easy!!!) and viola - Love. C'mon...Just after all seems well and the major conflict is resolved in the film - Anand's treatment (at least that is what one thought the film was all about) comes the last extended bit (yawn!) with Om Puri turning the villanious father to thwart the lovers - again handled most unconvincingly and ultimately proving to be an unwanted twist in the tale just for the sake of wanting one there so...rather then working it out in the screenplay. Again this track was handled so much better in the original and Mohanlal's death was tragic...Not so here.

The performances are shockingly and uniformly disappointing. The role of the mentally disturbed Anand is clearly too complex and beyond Salman Khan's capabilities. The kindest comment one can make on his performance is he tries hard...The girls have nothing much to do in the film and are merely adequate, nothing more. Though it must be said thet Rimii comes off better and does impart a breath of fresh air into the film. Jackie Shroff and surprisingly even Om Puri offer extremely insipid interpretations of their roles. Asrani scores in his supporting role as one of the patients.

Music too on the whole is just about so-so - Kyon Ki Itna Pyaar being the one you remember the most - but partly because it is also repeated twice in the film. The other songs are just about adequate,dull and intrusive and nothing to write home about as far as their picturization is concerned either. And oh yes, there is a song with the mental patients too...The original version just had three songs . Here there are six...why???

Technically the film is worth a mention for Sabu Cyril's stylish art direction.

All in all a misfire from director Priyadarshan.