Jo karna hai voh aaj karo.

Aao milke saath karo.

Zindagi bhi chhoti hai.

Are yaaro Kal Ho Na Ho!

First he brought us Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and introduced to us one of the hottest actresses of today, Rani Mukherjee. Then he presented us with Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, bringing 6 of the biggest super-stars together to create magic on screen. Now, Mr. Karan Johar will fill our hearts with the beautiful Kal Ho Na Ho.

Kal Ho Na Ho is directed by Karan Johar’s associate director Nikhil Advani and produced by Karan Johar, who will also be writing the screenplay for the film. Nikhil Advani was Johar’s close assistant in all his films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, K3G, and Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein.. The main star cast will have Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bachchan, and a plethora of others including Sonali Bendre.

Shah Rukh Khan, what can we say about this guy? True, his sudden loss of weight, the strain of ill health (serious back problems), and the relentless pressures of being a producer have taken a toll on the actor, especially his charming good looks. But our brave-hearted King Khan still was able to pull off a magnificent performance in his most recent home-production, Chalte Chalte. Those who have seen him shooting recently on the sets of Kal Ho Na Ho in Mumbai are shocked on seeing the drastic improvements in his health, not to mention he’s gained a little more muscle! All we can say is that if this Baadshah is ready to flex those muscles again, the rest of them better watch out! After the magnum opus Devdas and Chalte Chalte, it looks like Shah Rukh is going for the ultimate hat trick.

Saif Ali Khan, he’s just a ball of energy isn’t he? His most current success, Dil Chahta Hai, won him some awards as best comedian. In contrast, Kal Ho Na Ho will be showing the other side of Saif, the more sensitive, compassionate, caring side of him. Saif has been facing a lot of criticism lately. They say that he is not too happy with the way his role has turned out in the film. If sources are to be believed, Saif has sworn off films that will have another hero in them. In fact, he even turned down a comedy film to be made by a reputed filmmaker just because it had two other heroes in the lead. In Kal Ho Na Ho, Saif plays the role of a doctor who meets cancer struck Shah Rukh Khan. Although Saif has yet to make a deep impact in Bollywood, never count him out. This is the guy who learned the Hindi language so he could become an actor in the first place!

Preity Zinta, one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood. After her debut in Dil Se, she has been coming in almost every kind of film. Either it be the supportive best friend in Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, the innocent orphan in Dil Hai Tumhaara, or the prostitute in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Now we will see her as a glamorous avatar in Kal Ho Na Ho. As an actress and as a person, Preity Zinta has evolved over the years. While she has decided to do one film at a time, following in the footsteps of her Dil Chahta Hai co-star Aamir Khan, Preity has also taken a few tips from her Kal Ho Na Ho co-star, Shah Rukh Khan.

Preity was pretty impressed with Khan’s enthusiasm and endless energy. Since SRK had to wrap up the film before dashing off to London for his back surgery, he worked round the clock. Preity, being his co-star, was forced to work hard to keep pace with him. She worked practically non-stop for 20 hours for ten days at a stretch, at the end of which she was confined to bed, as the doctors had advised strict bed rest. Preity, who was singing praises of the Badshah Khan, decided never to compete with him again! Don’t worry, you’re not the only one… Originally, Preity was not the first choice for being the female lead. All eyes were on the fashion queen, Kareena Kapoor. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), she and the Johars had a falling out over the price that she was charging to do the film. I guess she learned her lesson, as there are reports that she is now doing J.P. Dutta’s film LOC (Line of Control) for free! She was quoted saying, “My new policy in life is, not to fight with anyone, because everyone likes to create fights with Kareena.” Um, are you sure it’s not the other way around? Karan is much more happier with Preity. Excellent choice Karan ji!

Jaya Bachchan vs. Neetu Singh: It was said that the queen of yesteryears, Neetu Singh, was Karan Johar’s first choice to play Preity Zinta’s mother in a very critical role. But Rishi Kapoor’s beautiful wife politely turned down the offer. And of course the role went straight to Karan’s close friend, Jaya Bachchan, who he said, during the shooting of K3G, was like a mother to him. Johar was not the first director/producer to approach Neetu Singh, she was approached by many but politely turned down the offers. Maybe she will return to the screen if she was cast opposite who else but her beloved Rishi Kapoor, with whom she gave blockbuster hits in the 70’s and early 80’s. Nonetheless, it’s going to be Jaya Bachchan. That’s not a bad second choice at all!

Kal Ho Na Ho is reportedly based on Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 70’s classic, Anand, where Shah Rukh will play the role of Rajesh Khanna, and Saif the role of Amitabh. Johar and Khan both say that the film is not based on Anand at all. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see who’s right.

Kal Ho Na Ho definitely has the potential of being a super hit film. With promos already being aired, the film has already raised a few eyebrows. Will Shah Rukh get that hatrick? Will Saif prove to be more than just a self centered artist? Will Preity live up to her skill of versatility? And will Jaya ji be the natural loving mother she always has been? This is definitely a film you don’t want to miss, since it most probably will be the most awaited film of the year, and deservingly so! Clearly, there is a lot weighing on it and you can find out if it lives up to expectations on November 28th when it is scheduled to release.