15 Years Of Koi… Mil Gaya: 5 Reasons Why The Film Opened New Doors For Cinema In India

Science fiction for a long-long time could never fully establish itself as a genre in India for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was either white or black! It either unashamedly catered to a section of audience in the name of ‘kids’ cinema or went completely overboard trying to achieve something that was never going to go down well with the masses.

It was only until 2003, this notion was put to pieces by none other than Rakesh Roshan who had the vision of introducing something new, something fresh but keeping the cinematic sensibilities in mind. Koi Mil Gaya took us through that experience that not only introduced us to something we hadn’t seen on screen in the utmost believable style, but also made sure it didn’t falter on its entertainment value. Combining all challenging aspects of experimental cinema, Koi Mil Gaya straightaway registered itself as one of the most loved films in the last decade.

As the film now turns 14, let’s analyze what made this cinematic experiment strike the right chord:

The Alien Theme

The core theme of the film having an alien befriending a mentally challenged boy and changing his course of life was something that had its challenges from within. Having your hero as a mentally challenged young boy who’s often beaten up in the realm of life was the making of a failing idea in perspective. To have an alien beside him was even more weird! However, it was that idea with its strength that audiences back at the time not only welcomed it, but also gave themselves a space to test it.

Packaged With Perfect Cinematic Sensibilities

To have an innovative idea by your side is one thing, having the ability to craft it in an appropriate cinematic space is other. The treatment that Rakesh Roshan infused in his project was something balanced. While Koi Mil Gaya is known for having established India in the zone of constructive sci-fi cinema, most people watch it for what it offered in the fun space. The film had a dying father, a caring mom, an underdog protagonist, a supporting love, some evil human forces and a fight back! The complete package then brought itself out with a film that was absolutely perfect to go along with Indian audiences.

Direction

Rakesh Roshan has always been known to be a craftsman who at many junctions of his directorial journey shed out extraordinary work. Having attempted different films on reincarnation, twin brotherhood and other such stuff, having him direct India’s first alien film was perfect. India needed an innovative film that did not make a compromise on its entertainment quotient and Roshan’s treatment was a perfect fit.

Hrithik is known to have brought out his best under his direction, hence the fabulous performance of his could also be attributed to Rakesh Roshan to an extent.

Performances

While the film moved well with all its actors in the fray like Preity Zinta, Rekha, Mukesh Rishi, Rajat Bedi, Prem Chopra and all the kids, the film was ultimately carried on the shoulders of Hrithik Roshan. To have been able to play Rohit Mehra in one of the most challenging roles of his life, he worked as hard as he could. As a mentally challenged young boy who hasn’t psychologically aged, he was right in the feel of the character. While he earns enough of our sympathies with his emotional pitch, he mostly puts a smile on our faces and occasionally makes us burst into laughter. The attachment he projects with ‘Jaadu’ the alien is extremely amicable and makes us feel for him as much as we feel for the alien. If it hadn’t been for his magically gripping performance, Koi Mil Gaya wouldn’t have shaped the way we see it today!

Leading Its Way To A Successful Franchise

Koi… Mil Gaya not only became a cult in its own realm but also made way for a series that showed immense pride for the industry. India’s first alien film gave way to India’s first superhero film that made way for another blockbuster a couple of years back.

No matter how far we advance ourselves into the sci-fi space and churn out visually path breaking movies, Koi… Mil Gaya would always take pride in the fact that it truly defined what Indian cinema could achieve. It widely opened the doors for filmmakers who wanted to experiment and quashed the notion that mainstream entertainment cannot be served through such experiments.