Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…(2001)

Submitted by Evan B

Pooper:
Rohan convinces Rahul to visit home, and Yash finally apologizes for disowning Rahul. The family reunites, Yash blesses Rahul’s marriage, and Rohan marries Pooja.

Long Ending:
Rohan (Kavesh Majmudar as a kid, Hrithik Roshan as an adult) returns home from boarding school. He finds that his parents, stern father Yashvardhan “Yash” (Amitabh Bachchan) and emotional mother Nandini (Jaya Bachchan), are depressed and have grown distant from each other. He also finds no sign of his older brother Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan). Rohan talks with his grandmothers and they fill Rohan in on his family’s secret history and what transpired while he was away at boarding school all these years.

Rahul was adopted by Yash and Nandini as a child (which Rohan never knew) and brought great joy in the family’s life. Nandini was supposedly infertile, but much ended up giving birth to Rohan many years later. Rahul was a great role model and very close to his new (and overweight) brother. Rahul was also a good son, faithfully following Yash’s edicts such as attending boarding school and then earning an MBA in London afterwards. After graduating, Rahul returned home to India and Yash prepared to put Rahul in charge of his very successful company. The family had it all, possessing great wealth and love. Yash then began arranging a marriage for Rahul with one of the daughters of their family friends. Meanwhile, Rohan is sent to boarding school.

However, Rahul meets a young woman named Anjali (Kajol) and Anjali’s little sister Pooja (Malvika Raaj as a kid, Kareena Kapoor as an adult). They are nieces of Rohan’s nanny, and Pooja was a former classmate of Rohan’s. Despite knowing that he is not allowed to date below his caste/social class, Rahul pursues Anjali and the two eventually fall in love. While Nandini supports her son, Yash forbids the relationship. At first, Rahul consents to break up with Anjali. When he goes to do so however, he finds that Anjali and Pooja’s father has passed away (with their mother having died young many years before). Seeing their pain, Rahul realizes he cannot abandon them and he formally proposes to Anjali. Enraged, Yash criticizes Rahul for his disobedience. Yash brands Rahul an orphan again and disowns him. Nandini tearfully bids good bye to her pride and joy as Rahul prepares to leave India with Anjali, Pooja, and the girls’ aunt. Before they leave, Rahul visits Rohan at school. Though Rahul does not tell Rohan what happened, he gives his brother sage advice (including to respect their parents) and a big embrace.

Now that Rohan knows the story of his family’s sadness, he vows to reunite them. Rohan learns from Anjali’s former neighbors that they all moved to London. So Rohan enrolls in a Master’s program there (with his dad’s blessing) so that he can secretly search for his brother. He happens to enroll at the same university that Pooja is attending. Pooja also lives with Rahul, Anjali and her aunt. She has grown into a sexy fashionista who is the social queen of the college. She becomes attracted to Rohan when he arrives and begins pursuing him. Rohan recognizes Pooja and returns her flirtations before revealing who he is. Pooja agrees to help him reunite his family, and the pair concoct a plan.

Pooja convinces Anjali and Rahul to let Rohan move into their house as a guest, with Rohan using an alias and claiming his pre-arranged housing fell through. Nobody recognizes Rohan due to the fact that he’s now a young adult and also very fit. Rohan is also surprised to learn that he is an uncle, as Anjali and Rahul have a son named Krish. Pooja and Rohan engage in various schemes to remind Anjali and Rahul how much they miss India (and Rahul how much he misses his parents). Along the way, Pooja and Rohan also fall in love. Eventually, Rohan reveals his identity to Rahul, proving who he is by repeating the advice that Rahul gave him when they last saw each other. The brothers tearfully embrace. But though Rahul admits he’s missed them, he refuses to return home due to the hurt Yash caused in making Rahul an orphan once again. Since he can’t change Rahul’s mind, Rohan convinces his parents to come to London under false pretenses. Once they arrive, Rohan and Pooja arrange for Yash, Nandini, Rahul and Anjali to bump into each other at a mall. Although Nandini in particular is thrilled by the reunion, Yash and Rahul can’t even speak to each other. While at a stalemate at how to proceed, the family gets the news that Yash’s mother passed away (and that her last wish was that Rahul be allowed to attend her funeral). Rahul and his family agree to return, and Yash allows Rahul to take part in the funeral rites. However, Yash still refuses to acknowledge Rahul as his son.

Nandini, unwilling to stay silent any longer, criticizes Yash for the pain he’s caused. She decides she will bless Rahul’s marriage herself. Nandini, Rahul, and Anjali later enter a room for the blessing and are surprised to find Yash already there and weeping. To everyone’s amazement, Yash admits that he was wrong, that he’s missed Rahul all these years, and acknowledges him as his son forevermore. Rahul also apologizes for not trying to return to India and change his father’s mind, and accepts the apology. With that done, the family reunites and Yash joins Nandini in blessing the marriage and formally recognizing Anjali as a member of their family. Rahul and his family then return to live in India. The film ends with everyone celebrating at the wedding between Pooja and Rohan, and a photographer taking a photo of the reunited and happy family.