Om Shanti Om

Well a "long" over due review at last... Though I wanted to watch this film ever since its release(being a fan of Shah Rukh) my actual procurement of the ticket was an accident. I had gone to book tickets for a tamil movie but could not get continuous seats, so got OSO tickets instead....
I have to admit, Farah and Shah Rukh are both thinking individuals who make a lot of sense. SRK's relentless marketing is a big reason for the movie's success.The way Farah has inserted various nuggets of sarcasm and satire is a treat to the intellectual.....
From the very opening of the movie to the time when the credits roll its one big roller coaster ride through the life and times in tinsel town and Farah manages to keep you guessing and gushing till the very end...
The aspirations and dreams of Junior artiste, Om Prakash Makhija are very easy to relate to and the scene where he meets his supposed GF the superstar, Shantipriya is simply touching. The innocence and freshness of the character is portrayed with flawless ease by SRK. The love,meeting,saving,meeting between the two leads is all very beautiful and nice. Shanti's unhappiness and apathy is understandable. ( "the best part in shooting is pack-up", she says).The film at this point moves ahead without faltering and on Om's advice, Shanti claims her happiness from her hubby Mukesh, a producer. He of course is the villain and not wanting to put an end to his blossoming career and wanting to marry another producer's daughter, very cleverly deceives Shanti and kills both her and the loving yet helpless witness to the murder, Om. The second half is pretty much vindication by the re-incarnated Om with the help of a look alike Shanti- Sandy. Its a bits and pieces story from various sources moulded into one complete effective screen play.....
In this movie the highlight is the way Farah takes a dig at every thing and everybody that is Bollywood. She spares no one eventually turning the gun on herself and SRK himself. The irony behind the name "Kapoor" is cruel as SRK himself is a self made man.The elaborate sets and the make up is a visual treat though SRK does look a little old. Coming to Deepika... where can i start?? WOW!! She is one hell of a babe and a Heroine. She looks the part of a superstar diva of the 70s. (the make up does help..) The Dhoom Tana song is one technologically proficient song which is kewl to see. The transition and the insertion of Deepika into the songs of yester years along with the sound track is fantastic. Hmmm.. One can go on..
So anyways coming back to the movie.. All the actors involved put in a clean and efficient if not great portrayal. Arjun Rampal as the villain nearly steals the show. He is very very good or is it bad (being a villain :) :))....
One more revelation. I always thought that underplaying a role is the best way to bring it out on screen, but Farah proves me completely wrong as far OSO is concerned. Here every character plays the ham, literally hogging the lime light. Over acting seems to be the key word. But of course everybody is a caricature so it works. ( and how!!) The line by SRK that its a family trait says it all.....
All together the film for the most part is a laugh riot (satirically dry/witty humor combined with some side-splitting spontaneity) touching in some parts, and pretty unbelievable and tacky in a very few places. Bottomline- a super duper hit!!!
Some Things To Look Out For : DEEPIKA, DEEPIKA, SRK's Abs in Dard-E-Disco and the song itself, The scene when SRK plays the Tamil star (Rajini I assume- totally hilarious), The Filmfare awards, MOHABAT MAN and some beautiful songs.
Things You Should Not Even Think About, Let Alone Look Out For : Logic, Underplaying, Story, Dialogues that are not corny, anything that is not 70's.
P.S.: I really appreciate Farah for the credits. She finds a way to bring everybody in and make it unique and lovable too.. And kudos to Deepika to become a real reel super star (could not resist).
So thats all folks. Ill leave you with a " Enna da rascala ?? MIND IT!!!"

GURU

I was thinking that maybe this film does not deserve my criticism.. but all said and done, it is "Maniratnam"....
Well getting a ticket in itself was a big challenge.. but lucky me, I got an elite seat, that too a center one. But all that hard work was not justified.... at least not completely. Starting with the disclaimer, things did not ring true. It claimed that "all characters were fictitious and any resemblance to existing persons was pure coincidence." Pure irony.Maybe the director meant it that way.....
The initial portrayal of guru as a sales boy was as "Mani" as it gets... and Abhishek Bhachan has to be commended for the seam-less transformation....
Aha! Now here comes the next false note. It has to be noticed that Aishwarya Rai is a wee bit too old to continue to dance in the rain with abandon... and none of her reactions in this part of the film are natural...Though she does get better with time...
As said before, the disclaimer is a mockery, the story,if it can be called a story,is about Dhirubai Ambani.
Abhishek gives us a good,if not the best portrayal of the character. The Shakti corporations idea,his struggle to get there,the strifes,the roadblocks,the helping hand,etc.. is believable(barely). But the film drags...around here,losing its initial pace,uncharacteristic of Maniratnam.
Then theres another infusion of pace as Madhavan is introduced. The actor deserves credit as he produces another of his superb,underplayed cameos..
Chakraborthy is a revelation. I cant imagine why the actor was in for such a long hiatus.
Vidya Balan pulls the pace down further, as her character in itself only bogs down the pace,but she is natural and honest in the portrayal of a chirpy but handicapped girl...

So these are the films plusses: Abhishek to a certain extent,Mithun Chakraborthy, Madhavan,great background score and really powerful dialogue.
and these are the minusses: Aishwarya Rai,A needless Vidya Balan(though no fault of her own), less usage of Madhavan,needless song and dance sequences,a meandering screenplay and ofcourse lack of the "Mani" stamp.

But the director does redeem himself with the last dialogue sequence,followed by the hero's address to his share holders. These two scenes coupled with Abhishek's screen presence manage to bring the movie back to a semblance of being a MANIRATNAM product.....