Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (English: Never Say Goodbye) is a film directed by Karan Johar and produced under the Dharma Productions banner. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan and Kiron Kher in pivotal roles. Arjun Rampal and Saira Mohan have cameo roles in the film. The film's score and soundtrack has been composed by the musical trio, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is set in New York City. It was filmed over a 90 day shooting period in the USA and a few scenes were shot on 4 large sets in Mumbai's studios. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was released on August 11, 2006.

Dev Saran (Shahrukh Khan), a formerly successful, now injured footballer, is unhappily married to Rhea (Preity Zinta), who has a high-flying job with a fashion mag. They have a son named Arjun. Maya (Rani Mukerji) is about to unhappily marry her childhood friend Rishi Talwar (Abhishek Bachchan). Samarjit a.k.a "Sexy Sam" (Amitabh Bachchan) plays Rishi's dad, and Kamaljit (Kiron Kher) plays the peppy mom to Dev.

Dev happens to meet Maya before her wedding and despite being strangers, they connect instantly. It could be that the two are unhappy with their partners, it could be that Dev was only too happy to talk of his uncomfortable marriage or it could be that Maya just could not love Rishi and so, found Dev attractive. Whatever the case, the connection between the two remains a glowing spark that re-ignites when they meet four years later.

During those four years, Maya has married Rishi and Dev has met with an accident that leaves him crippled and ends his football career. So when Maya meets Dev the next time, he is bitter - his failed career and failing marriage are festering wounds to which his wife Rhea's professional success is salt. In the Talwar home, things are no better - Maya still does not feel any love for Rishi and feels guilty for her inability to have children.

Dev and Maya realise that their situations are similar and decide to help each other repair their breaking marriages. Things don't work quite as expected however, and they become more and more drawn to each other. At the same time, Rishi and Rhea are working to keep their marriages afloat and are willing to see hope in even the smallest, most innocuous signs from their partners. However, their efforts are insignificant in the face of Maya and Dev's intense unhappiness in their marriages and their growing love for each other.

Dev and Maya give in to a dreamy, coffee-drenched romance. But after an incident at the ballet that makes Dev intensely jealous, they realize they now feel like they are cheating on each other with their own spouses. This realization brings them to a dramatic point of no return. Shortly afterward, they are caught in an embrace outside the train station by Sam and Kamaljeet.

Sam, having lived the good life for a long, long time ultimately has to bear the punishment of all his excesses - he has a fatal heart attack and as he lies on his death bed, he gives Maya some unconventional advice: he tells her to leave his son Rishi since neither of them are happy in their marriage.

Things come to a head and Dev and Maya decide to leave each other and return to their partners. But this re-union will not be without honesty, so they come clean and confess their extra-marital affair. Rishi and Rhea decide that enough is enough and end their marriages - this doesn't mean that Maya and Dev come together however; they lie to each other, saying that all is well in their marriages, and stay apart.

Three years later, Rishi goes to meet Maya and invites her to his wedding. There Rhea sees Maya for the first time in three years and realises that she and Rishi weren't together as she thought. The news that Dev is still alone, combined with some prodding from Rishi and Rhea convinces Maya to run after Dev. Dev is about to catch a train to Canada when he sees Maya. He hides from her because he has told Maya earlier than he was happy with Rhea and he thinks that she is happily married to Rishi. However, Maya finds him in his seat a few seconds before his train leaves the station. He uses the emergency brakes to get out to meet her. Dev finds out that Maya has been living alone all of that time too and feels very bad. Then they finally get together.

(Sam)arjit Singh Talwar - Samarjit knows how to have fun and laugh all the way but when it comes to family matters that threaten to turn it all into a messy situation, he knows when, where and whom to give advice. A man who tries everything to get things back on track, he is the one for whom only two people matter most - Rishi and Maya.

Dev Saran - Handicapped, he starts looking at everything with a negative mindset and finds himself unable to enjoy the smallest pleasures given by life. With a feeling of loneliness and disappointment all around him, Dev lashes out at any given opportunity including his wife. But Maya's entry in his life brings along a calming effect.

Maya Talwar - Maya's inability to have children and her guilt over this strains her relationship with her husband. Doubting the very essence of the relationship they share, the love they feel for each other and the life they want to live from hereon, Maya finds herself on the crossroads when she meets Dev.

Rhea Saran - Rhea is smart, successful and caring. She may not be the usual housewife that is generally accepted from a woman belonging to her social circle but that is hardly a worrying thought for her as she believes that everything counts in an individual's life, with love and luxuries holding equal importance.

Rishi Talwar - Rishi too loves Maya enormously and it's her and only her who is of utmost importance to him. But a difficult situation comes his way when he realizes about Maya's handicap. Frustrated and depressed, he has his violent fits that further draw Maya away from him.

Kamaljeet Saran - A mix of traditional values and a progressive mindset, she may seem unfazed by the situation at her home but puts her foot down when things go extreme.

Music:
The film has seven songs composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy:

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna - Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik
Mitwa - Shafqat Amanat Ali, Shankar Mahadevan & Caralisa
Where's The Party Tonight - Shaan, Vasundhara Das, Loy Mendonsa & Shankar Mahadevan
Tumhi Dekho Naa - Sonu Nigam & Alka Yagnik
Mitwa Revisited - Shafqat Amanat Ali, Shankar Mahadevan & Caralisa
Rock 'N Roll Soniye - Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, Mahalaxmi Iyer
Farewell Trance - Shweta Pandit & Caralisa

The movie is emerging to be the biggest worldwide grosser in the history of Indian cinema beating Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham's five year old record.

In the UK, Drawing £750,000 over the weekend and releasing at number five on the UK Top 10, EDI (a UK-based tracking agency) has officially declared Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Hindi cinema's biggest opener. Back home, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, with a multi-star cast, has seen a record opening at many places in the country, and the film has made Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million) in the first week itself.

The Hindu in its report on 21-August,06 states KANK has collected Rs 72 crore worldwide in the first week of its release and broken all records of the Indian cinema's box-office history.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna has collected $3,261,096 USD in United States (as of 25 September 2006) while in UK it netted an amazing £ 1,959,584 (as of 6 September 2006). In the US, one big help was due to the fact that the film debuted in 64 theatres, unusually high for a Bollywood film in the US, in cities including not only traditional Bollywood markets, but Miami, Tampa, and Raleigh as well. It was the third biggest debut for a limited release film in the US in 2006.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is one of the biggest Bollywood grossers ever. Upto 17 September KANK has collected $3,246,225 in the US and $3,732,541 (as of 3 Sept 06) in the UK. This is Karan Johar's most successful film, in terms of overseas performance, to date.

This film success is still yet to be matched, and it will very difficult to match the success of KANK.