Nov 26, 2007 10:06 AM
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Om Shanti Om…
After a long, long time I chanced into a movie theatre{ after Gandhi, actually} – bored on a Sunday, nothing to do! So it was that I walked into Inox for a look-see at the choices. Ran into Sanwaria, Om Shanti Om, Beowulf as choices. It was a toss-up between Sanwaria and OSO, which the latter won on the strength of SRK.{ Bad mistake, that reasoning…}
The Theatre
The theatre is a very important aspect of the movie experience, and therefore deserves special treatment. More so if the movie is average! Inox at Raipur it was that I visited – and it simply is not as good as PVR on 2 vital parameters: the spacing between the seats and the height of the screen. The spacing is too less and makes it uncomfortable for viewers esp if they are tall. The screen at Inox Raipur is set too high, which makes you feel that you are sitting in the lower benches, and also means that you have to strain your neck looking up for 3 hours. So if you have a choice between PVR, Inox, Mangal, Metro etc, prefer others.
The Movie Plot
It is not based on Karz – the story is completely different to that of Karz. I can’t even say that it was inspired by Karz except in some scenes. The plot is based on re-incarnation, and the main protagonist is in show-biz. That is the net resemblance. The rest of the plot is a cut and paste of several movies – Karz, Kudrat, Do Ajnabee{ Amitabh}, a few scenes from Naseeb, Milan{ some stretches of the first half}. The net result is a complete hotch – potch from one point of view, and a new story if you look at it from another point of view. Take your pick – it is both! I personally am unable to decide whether it is a hotch – potch or a fresh story!
The story is basic – struggler/poor boy loves famous/rich{ Milan?} girl. Both die, are reborn with roles reversed and take revenge. What saves the movie is that there are a few not-too-unexpected twists in the story that relieve the tedium
The start was bad. I almost walked out of the hall in the first 15 minutes, it was so bad. What stopped me? Not the movie, I assure you. I had purchased a popcorn and Cold coffee and couldn’t walk around the mall with that, could I? Luckily, there was enough to hold me after the first 45 minutes or so, which was BAD. The first half is generally tedious and very poorly executed, with bad hamming by all the actors{ except Dipika Padukone and Shreyas Talpade}, clumsy takes on current stars, bad puns, PJs, and downright ridiculous attempts at being funny. The movie gets much better in second half, largely due to the cutting out of those jokes and hamming
The story takes a turn for the better with the increasing prominence of Dipika, and after a lovely scene between Dipika and SRK where he confesses that he is not a star. Suffice it to say that Dipika out-performed SRK hands – down in that scene! That was the first of many twists, which kept the movie from being a total dud
An attempt has been to make a pot-boiler, and masala hit – the problem being that the plot does not lend itself to such a theme. The plot demands either a more sensitive treatment{ Kudrat} or a thriller treatment{ Karz}. But this mix-n-match jars, and is not digestible. A better effort would have made this plot a fabulous movie. but it has instead been spoilt to the point of being ridiculous!
The Performances of the main cast
SHAHRUKH KHAN: Bad with a capital B. He has hammed / overacted all through the movie, has pulled all the wrong expressions{ I particularly remember the expression on his face when he reaches the burnt studio of Mukesh{ Rampal}, and in the death scene. Ridiculous to say the least. This is his worst performance by far… we have come to expect much better things from Mr SRK. Very, Very Poor Performance from him
DIPIKA PADUKONE: The find of this year, without a doubt. While she has little to do in the movie, she has impressed in the scenes she got to do. The girl has a good range of emotions, expressive eyes, good scene presence and a photogenic face. With the right director and story, she will go far
ARJUN RAMPAL: has been wasted in the movie. Good performance, though
KIRON KHER: Could have been better: she does not impress as much as she usually does
SHREYAS TALPADE: Special mention for Shreyas: A power-packed performance lifts the first half of the movie, alongwith Dipika
Other points of note
Yet again, SRK has tried to do a repeat of Amitabh, and has come off second best. He has tried to involve all contemporary stars in guest appearances{ a – la – naseeb}, but has come a cropper on two points – a) the execution of the sequence was bad with overacting and bad song selection and b) the absence of key contemporaries viz. Ajay Devgan, Amir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Bachhan. The net result has been pathetic
It also affects flow of the movie, and the scene seemed out – of - place, and that let the plot meander for 15 – 20 minutes
The Title song{ right at the end} is the saving grace of the music. A lovely effort that fits the climax to a T, it has been shot extremely well, and saves the movie’s ending
The music is no great shakes except for the last song
The comedy is plain bad
The story is full of twists and turns, and makes for an interesting watch
Watch the movie for the story and the last song{ see it in a hall to enjoy its full pleasure – it has been magnificently done}+ The performance of Dipika Padukone. The second star rating is for the above parameters only. Else, I would have given it a single star…
All in all, an average movie that can be avoided… but can be watched once, if you must! Comparisons with Karz are futile, as that movie was different in both the story as well as the quality. you cant compare 2 stars with 5 stars!
