Om Shanti Om

Its been an eventful Deepavali this time around for, I did something late in the evening that, I had never done before and, left to me, would never do again. That's watching a movie on a thursday evening before it actually releases the next day!!!!!

Let me tell you how it all happened. I was, as usual, roaming around Gandhi Bazaar with a friend, when I got this call from another friend of mine. He told me that he had 2 tickets for a pre-release show of Om Shanti Om in Urvashi(a movie hall in Bangalore) and asked me if I would want to join him. I agreed even without giving it a slightest thought. You may call it "The Deepika Padukone Effect". I met him at the Basavanagudi filling station and the both of us proceeded towards Urvashi. We then collected the tickets from another common friend's sister(they had booked around 20 seats) and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, about the movie. After watching it, I now realise why SRK is, kind of, over promoting the movie. I didn't find anything in the movie as such which will bring the audience to the movie halls, like the kannada block buster Mungaru Male is still doing. I think as a movie maker, you should be having some message somewhere to be conveyed to the audience. What is OSO trying to tell its audience? Where is the story? What are SRK and Farah Khan trying to do? But then, this is a SRK movie. It is supposed to be a pure entertainer and that's exactly what it is. People throng movie halls and multiplexes just to see Shahrukh and not to see him act. Isn't it? For the acting part, watch out for Shreyas Talpade and the superb filmy maa Kiron Kher who have made acting look so easy. The brightest spot in the movie is, without a doubt, Deepika Padukone who is doing her bollywood debut in this movie. I liked this dimple on her cheeks when she smiles and that, along with that hour glass figure and a charming face, makes her that stunningly beautiful , drop dead gorgeous young lady that she is. Even her acting skills and dialogue delivery were not bad for somebody in her 2nd movie. Now, if you ask me whether I would recommend this movie, yes I would. Watch it for Deepika, for Shreyas and Kiron Kher, for those sound tracks which feel good on your ears and for those one minute cameos by Akshay Kumar and Bachchan Jr.

This movie should either have been a take on the hindi cinema industry of the 70s or a straight forward attempt to make a movie inspired by the Karz storyline. Only then OSO would not have needed SRK to imitate a Tamil Hero or for that matter do a out of sequence dance number by taking his shirt off.

PS: Don't be surprised if Gouri Khan is launched as a lead actress shortly. I wonder why anybody hasn't had a good look at her. She looks awesome!!!!!!!