There are movies you watch and then there are movies you grow up with. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, or simply K3G, belongs in the latter category. The movie was released in 2001 and became one unapologetically grand Bollywood family drama by all means. Needless to mention, by all modern logic, it may feel dated to today’s Gen Z audience. And yet, more than two decades later, it remains a cultural mainstay. It is still memed, streamed, quoted and rewatched with the same enthusiasm as ever. Surely, you scroll through a bunch of Poo-inspired memes every day, and so do I!
So, what is it about K3G that continues to resonate with a generation raised on Instagram reels, global cinema and an ‘it’s simply not giving’ attitude?
The drama is the point
First things first: K3G does not do subtle and that’s exactly why it works. In an era of overstimulation and performative minimalism (cue in clean girl aesthetic), K3G offers catharsis through excess. The emotions are loud, the conflicts are operatic, and the stakes are always sky-high. Estrangement from your family because you married for love? Of course. Tears flowing in designer sarees? Naturally.
Gen Z doesn’t love K3G despite its melodrama, they love it because of it. The film understands that feelings don’t come in half-measures and neither does Bollywood at its most iconic.
Characters that became archetypes
Few films have characters as instantly recognisable as K3G. Rahul Raichand (Shah Rukh Khan, who else?), the turtleneck hot cake is the blueprint for the emotionally wounded romantic hero. Anjali, played by Kajol, is chaotic, loud, loving and relatable with a capital R. Poo (Kareena Kapoor Khan), once dismissed as over-the-top, is now a certified Gen Z icon. Why? She is confident, self-aware, and living by her own rules long before ‘main character energy’ was a thing. These characters have transcended the film itself. They are in GIFs, memes, audio trends and Halloween costumes. Most of Bollywood’s digital footprint, thanks to Karan Johar, is filled with K3G.
Nostalgia without the baggage
Millennials would agree, K3G is nostalgia tied to childhood. It was a part of Sunday television reruns in family living rooms. But for the Gen Z, the nostalgia is second hand. But no less powerful. It is comfort cinema without personal baggage. Watching K3G feels like stepping into a warm and exaggerated version of a family. The said family is flawed, dramatic but ultimately united. Interestingly, K3G offers a fantasy version of reconciliation. It does not pretend to be realistic but promises emotional closure. And sometimes, that’s exactly what viewers want.
Aesthetic excess, before it was cool
Let’s talk about the look of K3G. The mansions (how can the Raichand house be in Delhi?), the couture, the sweeping foreign locations, the slow-motion entrances and more kept the cinematic maximalism alive, before TikTok rediscovered it. Gen Z, with their love for irony and camp, understands K3G as both sincere and spectacular.
There’s a reason scenes from the film circulate endlessly online. Jaya Bachchan sensing Rahul’s presence and Poo declaring her life philosophy lends itself effortlessly to remix culture. K3G knows it is iconic and does not have to fight for a place in the museum of the grandest Bollywood movies ever made.
Music that refuses to age
Few Bollywood albums have the staying power of K3G. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’s aching title track in the legendary Lata Mangeshkar’s voice to the wedding staple Bole Chudiyan continue to show up at family functions, reels and late-night nostalgia playlists. For Gen Z listeners, these songs carry drama and longing in just a few notes. The tracks don’t need the algorithm to drive them to the right audiences, for they are popular just the way they are.
The comfort film effect
At its core, K3G survives because it understands that people return to stories that make them feel held. The film doesn’t judge its characters for wanting love. It validates those desires with dhol and background violins.
Gen Z, often labelled detached or ironic, has shown time and again that they crave sincerity. K3G delivers sincerity in abundance. It says it’s okay to care too much, cry openly (men, take notes) and believe in dramatic reunions.
Also Read: Kajol Celebrates 24 Years of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham With Fun Post
