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With opening credits that mimic 'Star Wars,' the mother ship and musical-tone communication from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' and the abandoned alien of 'E. T.' , 'Koi...Mil Gaya' could have been easily been a mish-mash of past Hollywood sci-fi classics, but, ultimately, this film stands on its own merits. Grab your popcorn kids, here starts the fantastic journey.

Though this film heavily relied on the extraterrestrial to real the movie goer in, as I believe it is one of the first feature films of it's kind to hit Indian cinemas, it is much more than a simple sci-fi flick. At heart it is the story of one man's passage from child to man and the exceptional circumstances that surround him.


I have to admit that, after seeing a few more of his movies, Hrithik Roshan is quickly claiming a small portion of my heart. On screen you see Rohit, the mentally challenged adult in a rough man's world, and not Hrithik Roshan, the star. He is the impetus that propels the film to the realm of the extraordinary. Hrithik blows away all doubts, theories, criticisms and disbelief with an extraordinarily touching performance. He surprises you with his reserves of pathos, his gamut of emotion and his transition from weak boy to strong man. He is simply incredible, even in his voice modulations, his sloppy walk and his lopsided smile, and because of it Rohit connects with you immediately. His endearing innocence and the clean-hearted fun he indulges in has you in splits. But within seconds, he also brings a lump to your throat when the bullies pick on him. He plays the character without any inhibitions and succeeds in involving you in his life. It is a role of a lifetime and Hrithik enacts it with tremendous courage.


Enough of the gushing...let's not forget this really isn't a one man show. Preity Zinta, as Nisha, looked gorgeous, was especially bubby, and still managed to play her part with a lot of maturity. Nisha is a character who constantly needs to respond to Rohit as if he were a child, without mocking him. Zinta struck that balance to perfection. Though is it really possible for an actress's hair to grow two or three inches in the course of a story that covers only a few days (weeks at the most). Bollywood siren Rekha plays the other woman in Rohit’s life, his mother. A strong chemistry between the legendary actress and Hrithik prove for some very moving moments between mother and son. The kids and Johnny Lever were supplemental and contributed to the 'funny factor', but not to much else for me.


Rajesh Roshan comes up with another winning score. The songs have a mesmerising effect and the choreography in almost all the songs is splendid. To single out, 'Idhar Chala' and 'It's Magic' are the pick of the lot. The cinematography is first-rate. The lush green locations are a visual treat and what a nice surprise for this Canuck to see Canadian soil being one of them. I was very impressed with the level of special effects with the space ship scenes, but found 'Jadoo' lacking the verisimilitude that we've seen in other alien characters.





Though the film has it's share of faults, the positives outweigh the negatives in the end. With Koi... Mil Gaya, director Rakesh Roshan has proved two things. One, he truly can give Hrithik Roshan a role to chew into and two, it takes guts and gumption to make a really different movie within the commercials parameters of filmmaking. “KMG” is engaging precisely because its story revolves around Rohit’s quest to be normal in the eyes of the world, rather than revolving around the much-hyped alien, and it was truly a treat for this self-proclaimed 'child at heart'.