Shah Rukh’s aggressive marketing of his film’Om Shanti Om’
did manage to achieve what it set out to do-made people like my family and me
and hundreds of unsuspecting movie buffs, think, that it will be an awesome
movie. We had tickets reserved for the very First Day. No, not the first show
but the second.(C’on that’s almost as crazy). The film got a huge opening and
maybe will also go on to become big at the BO. SRK went all out with the
promotions and publicity- you could catch him on every channel in the past few
months. He was suddenly back to his pre-silver screen days(he’d started off as
a TV star, remember ‘Fauji’?) The TV screen had his dimpled and hollow face(haggard
almost, with all that dieting and pumping) plastered all over it.
I really appreciate how at this age someone can achieve a six pack. Applause
and more, for his perseverance, his tenacity, his diligence and his dedication
to perfect his look for OSO. He tried to do a Hrithik and Farah helped him with
Hrithik-like steps too, in his item number ‘Dard-e-disco’ but he knows Hrithik
he is not and can never be. So, The Super Intelligent Dude, SRK, did what he is
best at - he hammed and hammed and then hammed some more. They had everything
and almost everyone lined up, to be laughed at. Some of it was quite nicely
done while some was quite jarring - loud, ‘filmy Maa’ Kirron Kher for instance.
I have to tell you guys, that the best thing I liked about this movie, was the
credits, right in the end. Kudos to Farah Khan for honoring the technicians in this
way. This woman sure knows how to appreciate her team and give credit where it
is due.
Now that I have said the credits in the end was my favorite part in the movie-
it does not say much about the movie, does it?
OSO is a spoof about spoofs about more spoofs. Farah probably started off this
movie as an ode to the seventies classic ‘Karz’. Subhash Ghai should be happy
coz after watching this movie many will reach out for the original ‘reincarnation
king of Hindi movies- Karz’. However, midway she forgot what she set out to do
and SRK pitched in with his ideas and together they completed the rest of the
movie.
The songs ‘Main agar Kahoon’ and ‘Aankhon mein teri’ are my favorites. I live
for romance and mush-if not books then movies.(Difficult to find in real life,
na?) Loved the way the songs are choreographed(Farah is an excellent
choreographer and she should stick to that). The romantic lilt and simple
hummability(tht’s not even a word) won me over. However, the reincarnation-story
song, wasn’t even half as good as Karz’s ‘Ek hasina thi’. Vishal-Shekhar have
given a haunting feel to the song ‘Jag soona soona lage’ and teary eyed Shah
Rukh has looked lost and sad too in this song. Didn’t get much chance to ham
here. I heard the young music director duo flicked the entire ‘Darr-e-disco’
music from an Arabic video(It’s there on youtube). Donno if its true but if
they manage to evade a copyright case, they will be laughing all the way to the
bank becoz the song is a super hit. Farah Khan repeated what her brother did in
‘Hey Babyy’ – a song with multiple star cast. Sajid’s song had 16 starlets and
Farah’s song has 31 stars. Phew! The audience went on a ‘spot the face contest’
spree.
Even with all its hitches and glitches the film will appeal to the typically
Hindi film audience. I watched OSO and then on the same day watched Saawariya.
(Yeah, I know. Absolutely crazy!)
The Plot
A struggling junior artiste Om Prakash Makhija is completely smitten by
superstar Shantipriya and dreams of being an actor. Things don’t work out and
since one lifetime isn’t enough, he comes back reincarnated(with mug, tattoo,
and first name intact- after all picture puri filmy hai;)) to fulfill his
dream to become a successful actor and avenge the murder of his beloved.
What I liked in the movie
The Filmfare awards was hilarious.
The digitally doctored scenes of Shantipriya with old actors of 60’s and 70’s
SRK’s ‘Bhago’
Deepika is gorgeous; she looks awesome throughout- Shantipriya / Sandy
-Shreyas is a brilliant actor- understated and real and his comic timing is
awesome
-Changing names can make you a superstar in Bollywood(a random thought- maybe
Abhishek Bachchan should become Abhishek Rai)
-Manoj Kumar thing was riotous.
Cons and unanswered Qs
-Over the top acting
-SRK trying to be SRK over and over again
-How does Om’s tattoo get carried over to his
second janam?
-His second janam parents do the disappearing act, once he remembers he has a
‘filmy maa’ and best friend from the previous birth.
- How does Om manage to get inside burning set
with that little gap in the glass window?