Om Shahrukh Om

I hate Shahrukh Khan.

I wanted to begin writing of this blog with the statement which is as true as “Sun rise from East”. I would probably end the blog with the same statement which would be as true as “Sun sets in West”.

When I was in India, to watch any movie twice or may be more than twice was as normal as eating 4 times a day. You normally don’t eat 4 times a day, but there are days, when you end up eating more times. I saw Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, 19 times in the theater mainly because; we had nothing to do those days apart from watching Madhuri Dixit and sitting in the Air Condition Theater for 4 hours. I had watch many movies more than one occasion, Saudagar, Khuda Gawah, Rangeela Sarfarosh, DDLJ are the few that comes to my mind instantaneously.

I have been living in USA since last 6 years and there was not a single occasion when I felt watching any movie second time. Perhaps, If I would have had money, I might have scene “dil chahta hai”. There are numerous movies which were very good movies, which could have tempted me to watch it twice, for example, Rang De Basanti or Lage Raho Munnabhai or Dhoom 2.

After watching “Om Shanti Om” on Friday last show, I went to the theater (which is about 20 miles from my apartment) to see the Om Shanti Om second time in a next day. This is just to show, the impact of the movie. Instead of normal 1 show from 9 to 12, that theater had actually 5 shows on Friday and Saturday evening and guess what, all 10 shows were sold out. I would be surprised if this movie does any less than 20 Carore of Business in the first week and eventually cross the 100 carore mark from India and Overseas.

People, who know me, know How Much I hate SRK. It is just not because, I am a big Aamir Khan Fan or Amitabh fan but SRK, to me is “HAKLA” and “Most Overrated Actor”. But this movie, whose heart and soul is SRK, proves me wrong one more time. I say one more time because, I loved SRK in Swades and I loved him in Devdas as well.

For the entire first half of Om Shanti Om, I was trying to find out, the “overacting” of SRK. I would say, SRK was under the observation room under me for the first half. I would say, I found him out of place for just couple of scenes. He was amazing in the comic timings, He as a junior artist in the first half, had to act on the scenes where he is copying some actor, but he managed to generate his own style for the part of “Om Prakash Makhija”. His style of walking, explaining things, falling in love expressions all were just amazingly real.

I think, Aamir Khan performs emotional scenes and songs @ the best. Remember the song in Rangeela and Tanhayi from Dil Chahta hai, However, SRK was equally good or should I say brilliant in the sad song in the first half. The only song in the movie which is not famous or equally brilliant as other songs, “MRUGNAYANI” was made special by the choreography. It is not easy for a big star to make mimicry of Past Stars but SRK does it efficiently. Specially, the “Jeetendra” steps in the songs are aesthetic.

SRK, looked at his best, in DDLJ, @ the end of the song “Najane Mere Dil Ko Kya Ho Gaya”, wearing red t shirt and waving the hand saying goodbye to Simran (Kajol). And after 12 years, he looked @ his the best, when he drives the bike in the form of OK (Om Kapoor).

I thought, he acted beautifully in the first half but I was so wrong again. He acted magnificently in the second half. In the role of Aby Baby, (transformed into OK), he acts walks, talks exactly the way, you would imagine the star sons might be doing.

Dialogues of the movie are also written sharply. My all time fav. Dialogue of the movie is from “Lamhe”, when Anil Kapoor’s friend says, “She is loving Anil from last 5 years” and Sridevi replies, “I am loving him since I was 5 year old”. Similar line of dialogue is written when Arjun Rampal says “Call me Mike, Everyone in Hollywood do”, OK replies “Call me OK, everyone in bollywood do”.

Short One Liner stories from bollywood are nicely captured in the movie, For Example, the name of Govinda and Sooraj barjatya taking the Maine Pyar Kiya Dialogue. One minute detail captured nicely was the Poster of Sholay with the title “Still Running”. The story is based on 1977 and Sholay released in 1975 and was still running in the theaters in the year 1977 successfully.

Second half highlight was the song “Deewangi Deewangi”. It is a treat to watch, Mithunda and Govinda and Saif and Salman and Sanjay and Dharmenda and Jeetendra together dancing in their traditional style.

Second half looks long enough and there were about 15 or 20 minutes of time, when the boredom takes place. However, what comes after that 20 minutes is the Climax scene and that was the best part of the movie. The last 10 minutes of the movie, were shockingly and surprisingly the best part of the movie.

I think if I have to find the things which could have been done better would be:

Picturization and Dance Steps of “Dard-e-Disco”. I mean the song is the best song of the movie and no doubt SRK and his look is in a lot of talk, what lacks actually in the song are the steps. It is very a good dancing song and I felt, it was little let down by the steps, SRK movements or perhaps even choreography.

Editing of the Movie. Although Sirish Kundar has done marvelous job of making sure that second half does not look long and boring enough but eventually it does for 10 minutes or so when story kind of stops and does not move with the pace. I felt, little editing would have helped in the first half, where couple of scenes when SRK was acting as a Southern Superstar could have been cut down from 4 minutes to 2. May be one of two scenes from Kiran Kher could have been chopped.

I just felt sorry for Ranbir Kapoor and SLB for not being able to watch, “Saawariya” this weekend due to the fact that I am still under the phobia of “how can I like SRK movie?” J

The fact is: it is completely fun loving movie, an entertainment and I would not be surprised if SRK wins many awards along with lot many $$$$$$ with this movie.

The other fact is: I hate Shahrukh Khan.