Films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham don’t come around every day. Despite being Karan Johar’s second directorial venture, the movie set out with grand ambitions from the start. Featuring an A-list ensemble of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, and Hrithik Roshan, the film already had all eyes on it even before its release. But while the star cast grabbed everyone's attention, it was the movie’s deeply emotional narrative that kept audiences engaged for decades after its release.
K3G is a powerful multigenerational family saga that masterfully explores how a family’s love for one another is strong enough to reunite them after years of estrangement and heartache. Featuring larger-than-life sets, iconic costumes that defined early 2000s fashion, and a treasure trove of memorable dialogues that are quoted to this day, K3G has cemented its place as one of Bollywood's timeless classics— a film that stays with you long after the credits roll.
K3G’s blend of strong family conflict, star-studded ensembles, vibrant dance numbers, and colorful characters has become a tried-and-tested formula that Bollywood has recreated time and again over the years.
If you’re interested in watching movies similar to Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, scroll down below to see JustWatch’s top 12 Bollywood picks streaming online that K3G fans are sure to love!
Number #1 on our list is Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani. Released 22 years after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the movie marks Karan Johar’s return to his early 2000’s directorial style. Just like K3G, it explores nuanced family dynamics, traditional conflict, and cultural clashes, while maintaining its entertainment quotient with witty dialogues and wholesome moments.
Early 2000’s Family Dramas
Following the success of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, family-centric dramas became a more commonly explored theme in Bollywood. If you enjoyed Amitabh Bachchan as a stoic father, add Waqt: The Race Against Time to your watchlist, where he plays a doting father forced to change his ways after being diagnosed with a fatal illness. Baghban is another early 2000s gem starring Amitabh as an aging parent dealing with the emotional fallout of his children choosing to live as nuclear families, leaving him and his wife to fend for themselves.
Modern Day Family Dramas
Family centric dramas have become a mainstream theme that’s been explored several times over the years in Bollywood. However, Bollywood films post 2010 began featuring the changing dynamics of family values and the influence of westernization on Indian families. This can be clearly seen in films like Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do, Jugjugg Jeeyo, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, and Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, which delved deep into the themes of divorce, and romantic affairs, encouraging audiences to address issues that were otherwise often brushed under the rug or considered taboo in Indian society.
Where to watch movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham online
Interested in watching more emotionally charged family epics like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham? Scroll down below to check out 12 more intense family dramas similar to K3G, along with information about where to buy/rent/stream them online.
