There is too much artifice and very little spontaneity…

Ki & Ka stays sympathetic with Ka and speaks with the hero’s voice. Not only does he take care of the home well but will eventually be the protector of the woman and thereby prove his manliness (‘chaddi check’) too. Meanwhile, in the time-honoured tradition of Hindi movies, it portrays the ambitious woman as the one who is, eventually, in the wrong.

Too much breakfast and coffee table drama make this well intentioned film lose steam. Ki & Ka isn’t a strong voice against gender stereotyping, but it’s one of its kind in mainstream Hindi film industry, and that makes it notice-worthy.

It feels longer than its two hours running time, and you won’t be able to shake off the feeling that it delivers very little in the end.

Obviously, the director wanted to try his hand at a typical Bollywood rom-com, but moved forward with a pertinent concept in keeping with his reputation for making topical films. This kind of straddling has been successful in the past, but sadly, is not in this case. So grab a slice only if you’re in the mood for mildly entertaining, escapist fare. Otherwise, skip it.

While I wasn’t very happy with the direction, I loved Arjun’s understated performance. It is, however, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s cameo that’s the highpoint of this film.

The second half has a nice twist, but the sheer number of times you hear ‘Ki’ and ‘Ka’ in this story is just exhausting.

When the setting itself is so unnatural, it is indeed a task to make the troubles seem organic. Ki and Ka have their fights, but the situations seem forced into the narrative. The tone goes from playful to preachy and that ride is choppy. So the concept, a crackling one to begin with, soon crumbles like a house of cards.

For a film this saintly, I was disappointed to note the replacement of one kind of prejudice (against housewives) with another (against hired help). Ki and Ka’s maid is shown to be untrustworthy, which is then used as justification by Kabir to install a spycam to keep track of her activities while they’re on holiday. That’s the problem with making a film that considers itself a sort of public service. The higher you raise yourself, the farther you have to fall.

It’s enjoyable when it’s not trite. You might take to it if you are the sort that enjoys clichés​.

Kareena is terrific, Arjun, endearing. But Balki’s writing is inconsistent. A few scenes leave you misty-eyed, but for the most part, the stock situations are banal. Yet, Ki and Ka is worth a ticket because it tells shows how there is nothing wrong with the man wearing the apron and the women wearing her ambition.

Ki & Ka wants to be important, it wants to be revolutionary, it wants to be a feminist statement of equality. Admirable, sure. But it doesn’t know how.

It is a film that thinks it knows better, but really — really — doesn’t.

Ki & Ka is obviously taken in by its liberal notions but fails to realise that it’s not so uncommon in today’s urban context where lots of working men and women share both their professional and personal duties.  

KI & KA, if it was scripted well, could have made a powerful impact. Unfortunately, there are only a few endearing moments and a few moments like these does not make a good film.

I’d say there was plenty of CHEENI KUM in this flick!

Ki & Ka is watchable, even enjoyable in parts. It is comforting to see that someone is making films on themes of gender in today’s times where free love is still unconstitutional. And despite its uneven narrative, we definitely recommend that you take your whole family with you – especially the ones who have always told the women to “be seen and not heard” and the men “to man up”. 

‘Ki & Ka’ is a seemingly funny enterprise with a feminist theme gone awry. It’s not the theme that is at trouble here but a laid-back script coupled with an ostensibly manufactured chemistry between its promising leads. Watch it or not, ‘Ki & Ka’ prefix will enjoy its dominance over the youth – but cinematic wise – not a good picture here.

The main characters are too sketchy for the movie Balki hopes to have made, and they are not light enough for the movie he should have made. Ki & Ka could have been an interesting screwball comedy about the gender wars if the director had a greater attention span and a genuine interest in moving beyond gimmicky plots and contrived situations.

What doesn’t work for the film is the constant onslaught of in-film marketing. Though it is done pretty cleverly at some points, too much is always a bad thing. The other thing is that the plot tends to get unnecessary gimmicky at points. Also, one wishes that the other characters like Kia’s mother (Swaroop Sampat) as the liberated woman who runs 5 NGOs and Kabir’s father, Mr. Bansal (Rajit Kapur as a successful businessman) were not confined to such tight boxes.

There is so much to be said about changing roles in today’s India, and films would do well to reflect on this great churn. But R. Balki, like most of Bollywood, would rather not look outside and learn. Why make a real film about real people when you can stereotype. It is faster.

Apart from the writing, there are issues with the editing of Ki And Ka. The gaping holes in quality in these two departments can’t be saved, even by the peppy music of Mithoon, Meet Bros. Anjjan and Ilaiyaraaja. Not even by charisma of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, who play phenomenal cameos in the movie. If only R Balki had built on the idea of having this couple play a more consequential role in the film.

Ki And Ka might feel like the two longest hours of your life. Balki sets out to demolish stereotypes, but in the process, ends up affirming them even more. Watch it only if you swear by Kareena or Arjun. Or good germs of films spoilt by bad execution.

Great to see the premise– send a woman out, keep a man in, and reverse gender expectations- on screen : it just needed to have been sharper and deeper.

It does have its own plusses, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Ki & Ka defeats its purpose. Talk about stereotyping and no one film has done it more methodically than this one. No, you won’t detest this film but it is saddening to see the effort go in vain.
 
With its stock issues and patchy solutions to them, the film lacks insight. No matter how watchable it is, the contrived narrative never allows it rise above average.

Ki And Ka is a brave attempt to bring in the issue of a gender role reversal but the story fails to keep you engaged. The film never reaches a conclusion of the concept and loses its focus. Despite the impressive performances by the leads, the movie simply disappoints.

With its promising premise undermined by erratic execution, Ki And Ka is only intermittently watchable.

Large swathes of Ki & Ka are fun, considerable sections of it are unexpectedly broad-minded, path-breaking for Bollywood and insightful. The problem is that we can section it off in this fashion. Ultimately, what fails the film is its mixed messaging and choppy texture.

Ki and Ka is a one time watch, an average film that could have been great. Since this is a solo release this week and you don’t have much options, we suggest the couples to head to the nearest theatres, watch the film, to have a new take on life, get a lesson on gender inequality and to learn, how to appreciate your wives and mothers.

Ki and Ka is sweet and has its moments, but I couldn’t stop myself from saying ‘yeh dil maange more!’

The amazing filmmaker R. Balki could have actually not showed that money leads to inequality. Without playing role reversal, men can actually help their ladylove in their daily chores and not be jealous even if she is successful in the corporate world. A man and a woman being equally involved can balance life rather than showing unnecessary female dominance. Watch the film and tell us how you found this new concept of Kareena and Arjun starrer ‘Ki & Ka’.

Here’s a treat that should not be missed by normal, right-thinking and good human beings. You will probably come out as a higher quality person than when you went in.

…a cleverly crafted feel-good film that packs all the emotions. Though it has strong performances by both Arjun and Kareena, the film is bound to draw extreme reactions from the orthodox audiences who may find the premise difficult to digest. It is an urban progressive film and should appeal more to women and young married couples.

Balki, who had earlier worked magic with ‘Cheeni Kum’, creates a messy love story in ‘Ki and Ka’. Leave it untouched, and you will not regret it.

Just like a marriage that has seen better days, this film was potent with promise but doesn’t cash in on its potential.

Reserve this for a one-time watch.

Ki And Ka suffers from lazy, confused, amateur writing. There is out-of-character behavior and illogical scenes inserted in the name of feminism.