Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is packed with every Karan Johar trope, and we are not complaining

That Karan is unapologetic about the aesthetics and sensibility of his films is also much evident in his soon-to-be-released Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh.

So, here is a checklist of every Karan Johar movie. If you’re headed to watch Rocky aur Rani Kii Premi Kahaani, take a shot each time he ticks a box:

Big palatial house for one, middle-class upbringing for another

Randhawa Paradise (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani) and Raichand House (K3G). Which one do you think is grander?

In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RARKPK), Ranveer’s house is called Randhawa Paradise. A glimpse of it left me wondering if Rocky Randhawa is richer than the Raichands of K3G. Then, the other protagonist, Alia’s Rani Chatterjee, has a middle-class looking house somewhere in Kolkata, much like Anjali of K3G, who lives in Chandni Chowk. Not just K3G, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil also had a rich hero, Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor), the son of a rich businessman, while his love interest Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) comes from a middle-class family. Of course, what better conflict to create between the families of lovebirds, than the class divide?

Comic relief amid intense drama

No matter how loud they are, they will always manage to make you laugh!

A recently released promotional video of RARKPK has Ranveer Singh channelling the vibes of K3G’s Poo, brilliantly done by Kareena Kapoor Khan. He shows off his chiselled physique, and seems to be just seconds away from saying, “Tumhe koi haq nahi banta ki tum itne hot lago“. You would often find such characters in Karan’s films, who would never take life too seriously, no matter how tough it gets. Even Amitabh Bachchan’s Sam Talwar from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was the same. ‘Sexy Sam’ is the life of any party even in his 60s. I’m all for it!

Romantic songs with scenic backgrounds

Too much love!

It started with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai as Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), Anjali (Kajol), and Tina (Rani Mukerji) sang the title track in front of lakes, hills and gardens of Scotland. It continued in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham as Rahul and Anjali expressed their love in front of the pyramids in Giza. ‘Tumhi Dekho Na’ in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, picturised on SRK and Rani, had them falling in love in New York City. And now, Karan has shot Alia in the snow-clad mountains of Kashmir for ‘Tum Kya Mile’, a Bollywood trope he made fun of in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. As long as Alia is not shivering to death in scantily clad clothing, it’s all good.

Fashionistas

Fashion goals!

Karan Johar is known for making fashion statements through his films. No matter, how much you troll him, he cannot do with anything less than Gucci or Prada for his characters. He once said that his films are pulled up for “modern, western aesthetic” but, “now I’m born with it, why should I kill that instinct and start making people look tacky? I can’t do it. That’s the one thing I have.” Starting from styling Anjali of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in athleisure, Poo in red sequined co-ord set in K3G to giving a boho-chic vibe to Alizeh in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Karan has made his character look gorgeous in the true sense of the word. This included the students in Student of the Year (not that I understand how school students could pull off such clothing, but that’s another issue). And now, Alia’s fluorescent sarees have already become a viral fashion statement.

Wedding playlist

Karan Johar loves ‘song, dance and glamour’.

‘Alexa, play Karan Johar music’ should be your go-to voice command when you have a party at home. The options to swift through are incredible: there is ‘Saajan Ji Ghar Aaye’ (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai), ‘Bole Chudiyaan’ (K3G), peppy ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Soniye’ (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehnaa), the immensely romantic ‘Sajda’ (My Name Is Khan) and ‘Radha Teri Chunri’ (Student of the Year). Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani brings in ‘Dhindora Baje Re’. Karan Johar’s love for ‘song, dance and glamour’ is quite evident from how he mounts his songs.