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Kai Po Che! backdrop
22 February 2013Hindi127 min

Kai Po Che!

7.220 reviews
CriticsRecommended

Bayesian avg · 20 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

7.233 ratings
UsersRecommended

User Score · avg of 33 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Kai Po Che! is a 2013 Indian Drama film directed by Abhishek Kapoor based on Chetan Bhagat's novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, with music by Amit Trivedi and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire. Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav and Amit Sadh star as the three main protagonists while Amrita Puri plays the female lead respectively.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Kai Po Che! is strongly positive, with the majority of reviewers praising Abhishek Kapoor's direction and the performances of its relatively inexperienced cast. Critics repeatedly highlighted the film's ability to balance a commercially engaging narrative with substantive themes of friendship, communal violence, and politics without becoming formulaic. The adaptation of the source novel was widely considered a success, with several reviewers noting the film's emotional authenticity and attention to detail. A minority of critics found the film emotionally distancing or lacking sufficient depth, with one noting it felt shallow and schematic despite its technical accomplishments.

20 reviews · 19 positive

Praised: performances and directionCriticised: emotional depth and engagement

AI-generated summary of 20 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (20)

Anupama ChopraTop Critic· Hindustan Times
8.0
"Kai Po Che! is Gujarati for "I've cut". It is used as a cry of victory in kite-flying contests. Here victory is hard-earned and tinged with tears and regret. But it's also deeply satisfying."
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Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
8.0
"It's only February, but one of the year's best films has arrived."
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Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
7.0
"This film rises beautifully above its faults. It does not allow simplicity to descend into simple-mindedness, as it transmits real emotions, and gives space to a stand-out performer."
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Saibal ChatterjeeTop Critic· NDTV
7.0
"Kai Po Che is a must watch."
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Khalid MohamedTop Critic· Deccan Chronicle
6.0
"Abhishek Kapoor had dealt with a friends-turned-foes quartet in the excellent 'Rock On!' Now he's back to the traditional square three with 'Kai Po Che,' which does have its passages of superior cinema – particularly in the shot takings, ethnic chic costumes, sets and locations – but in its entirety, strikes you as shallow and schematic. Thanks to the three fast-rising actors, technical finesse and some engagingly directed vignettes, 'Kai Po Che' is a cut above the commonplace. It's good but with a touch of depth, it could have been wow."
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Martin D'Souza· Glamsham
9.0
"KAI PO CHE is poetry in motion. After ROCK ON, Abhishek Kapoor has reminded us yet again, what a master story-teller he is."
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Sukanya Verma· Rediff
8.0
"Abhishek Kapoor's clarity of vision makes Kai Po Che -- the adaptation of a mediocre novel -- so irresistible."
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Meena Iyer· Times Of India
8.0
"Despite the disturbing backdrop of death, destruction and politics, Kai Po Che is very likeable. Between tears, you find yourself smiling, because it's the story of friendship and human triumph above all else."
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Taran Adarsh· Bollywood Hungama
8.0
"KAI PO CHE is brimming with solid content. Watch it for the spirit it is made in. Watch it because it's the kind of cinema that pushes the boundaries. Watch it because movies like KAI PO CHE need to be encouraged. A film that deserves an ovation!"
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Rummana Ahmed· Yahoo! India
8.0
"Kapoor's craft lies in the fact that though he has picked an unusual premise, he manages to keep his audience engaged throughout. He builds a beautiful canvas but doesn't make it formulaic at any point."
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Resham Sengar· Zee News
8.0
"There has not been a single stone left unturned to capture even the nitty-gritty of the book for the film's screenplay. That is where the real beauty of 'Kai Po Che' lies – in the details!"
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Janhavi Samant· Mid Day
8.0
"Kai PO Che! doesn't shirk from portraying the grey, the black and the complex. But most of all, it doesn't sit on the fence; it neither shies away from blaming nor from forgiving. And for a Hindi film, that's quite something."
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Devesh Sharma· Filmfare
8.0
"If you are tired of watching no-brainer masala movies then give a chance to this heart-warming tale about passion, friendship and forgiveness. Iit might strengthen your faith that good Hindi cinema isn't dead yet."
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IANS· IANS
8.0
"It really can't get any better than this, can it? The year has just begun and we have one of the finest, most vibrant and fulfilling coming-of-age films in living memory."
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Koimoi Team· KoiMoi
8.0
"The magical Bromance well fitted in an enigmatic story, enacted to delightful perfection. Kai Po Che culminates into a celebration of good cinema. Watch it for Abhishek Kapoor's engaging narrative and the power packed performances of the actors."
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"Director Abhishek Kapoor has drawn some amazing performances from a lesser experienced cast and taken a book which may not have originally held all the classic ingredients for a commercial film and has delivered one of India's finest films, perhaps since Udaan."
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Vinayak Chakravorty· India Today
7.0
"We are looking at New Bollywood, evolving exactly as it should. Stirringly topical, solid in the comment it leaves, and yet never losing focus on the classic entertainment formula that has forever driven our commercial cinema. What's more, it sets the stage for three new exciting talents in the bargain too."
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7.0
"The film works on more levels than it fails, and most of it is because of its brilliant execution. Watch it for the performances."
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Rubina A Khan· Firstpost
6.0
"Through the duration of the film, you feel you are watching but a film, and are not as drawn into the lives of these characters in the story as the maker might have intended you to be. Kai Po Che! is a good film, but not a great film."
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Sneha May Francis· Emirates247
"like others in this inimitable genre, this too shall win innumerable accolades. Whether it's the captivating performances, the ambitious narrative, or poetic cinematography, 'Kai Po Che' is superior in texture and commendably subtle. It also packs in all the ingredients of a sure-shot Bollywood success, without overplaying any one element. There's cricket, religion, politics, comedy, music, bromance and even a dash of romance."
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
22 February 2013
Runtime
127 min
Language
Hindi
Genre
Drama

User Ratings & Reviews

Users7.233 ratings

33 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (8)

RAMay 2013

Excellently directed Kai Po Che is well filmed. A film worth watching. Taken simplistic it keeps you glued till the last...

FIMay 2013

The story evolves beautifully and so are the characters... Realistic and engrossing! Sushant, Amit and Rajkumar have showcased brilliant acting....a MUST watch!

PUMay 2013

Kai Po Che is good movie on Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai theme. Everybody should love a child , whether he is born a Hindu or Muslim . And should help his talent to grow . So he brings pride to Nation.

SAMay 2013

IMO, a bit over-rated. It has excellent direction, commendable performances by newbeeies and even it has consistent tone. But again IMO, it lacked the dramatic feel and did not thrill me enough to say that it was a fantastic experience watching this movie. Was it beacuse I have already read the book and was aware of what's yet to come as the movie progresses? Or it was beacuse movie tried to pack ...too many things in those 2 hrs? Or was it the plain simplicity of the movie that I wasn't expecting? For example, Omi without dialogues after his parents' death was not effective and Ishaan getting to know about the affair between her sister and Govind was too late and soon focus was shifted to Omi seeking the revenge. I will wait for it to arrive on small screen and see if it can hold my attention again for two hours?

NEJun 2013

In one word, this movie was 'refreshing'. In large part because of its new faces, all of who delivered fantastic performances. The friendship and bonding between the three lead men feels authentic and masterfully layered with their social and economic backgrounds and their personal ideals and priorities. The success of the script lies in the fact that you root for the protagonists from beginning to end. On the downside, the film has dealt with too many serious social themes and historical incidents with fleeting references and that leaves a lot to desire for and you would hope that not all those subjects were squeezed in forcefully. But I can attribute that to Chetan Bhagat's treatment of themes. While I've not been impressed by his books, Abhishek Kapoor's interpretation of his work was far more rewarding than 'Three Idiots'.

SAMay 2016

Abhishek Kapoor Makes The Novel Look So Good Here..Good Adaptation

The first thing which struck me about this movie was its unique title "Kai Po Che" which sounded more like Chinese to me. Anywaz in due time, I was told that it was actually a Gujarati phrase used in kite competition for proclaiming victory. With Abhishek Kapoor calling the shots after his critically & commercially acclaimed "Rock On", the expectations has been nigh high. So will the public verdict be similar to the title??? Ishaan (Sushant Singh Rajput), Omi (Amit Sadh) & Govind (Rajkumar Yadav) were the best of buddies who sets about starting a business related to sports equipment & a cricket coaching academy. Inspite of being a gifted player, Ishaan was the victim of cricketing politics which spurred him into coaching talented youngsters & the one that caught his eye was a localite, Ali who he believed had the makings of a future Indian player. Omi was into religion politics at the behest of his uncle who finances their business while Govind was the entrepreneur in their venture. The film tracks the ups & downs of their lives over the years through various incidents like the Gujarat earthquake, the epic 2nd test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2000-01 & the Godhra train massacre. Just as in "Rock On", this film also speaks about friendship but in a manner which relates to each & every individual. Based on "the 3 Mistakes of my Life" by Chetan Bhagat, Abhishek Kapoor has captured the essence of the book & replicated it in a much more heart warming format. Equally impressive was the music by Amit Trivedi which was in sync with the situation & mood of the film. All the three protagonists have done an impressive job but my favourite is undoubtedly Sushant who has a commanding screen presence backed by some impressive silver screen performances in the past & seems more than likely to be the one to look out for in the future. Rajkumar Yadav has already been part of some critically acclaimed films like "GOW", "Shaitan", "LSD" etc. while Amit has done some decent work in the silver screen. Verdict: Inspite of being a film with relatively new faces, the content will ensure that it will garner good collections. With hardly any other credible films in the vicinity presently, it should be looking on to becoming a super hit by its standards. In short, dont miss it!!! Rating: 4/5 Regards...Ben

SHSept 2019

I read Chetan Bhagat's '3 Mistakes of my life' and I still wonder why public applauded it. The book was terrible even as an entertainer. But this film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh as Anil, Ish and Omi respectively, is a true account of Gujarati lifestyle, 2002 Gujarat earthquakes and communal rights. It's the perfect combination of Dil Chahta Hai and Guru but delivers you tender moments, fun, conversations, and above all a realistic script. You can't resist the film. I'm going with four out of five.

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