Pavan Kriplani’s film
Phobia reminds me about an old adage – ‘A ship may be safe in the harbor, but that
is not what ships are for’. Pavan after his Ragini MMS and Darr @ The Mall has
dished out a spine-chilling and spooky plot hovering around a girl who suffers
of Agoraphobia (anxiety disorder that make one feel avoiding what’s outside is
what protects them).
Mahek (Radhika Apte)
an artiste becomes the prisoner of her own imagination which she manifests in
reality around her because of a taxi ride she took on a fateful night after her
painting exhibition. This unfortunate incident triggers an already anxiety
driven Mahek into a dreadful mental abyss which she only is aware of. Worried
by her anxiety syndromes and her forgetfulness and eerie behavior, her sibling
Anusha (Nivedita Bhattacharya) wants her to be admitted to a medical
institution to be taken care off but then Mahek finds this demand as a denial
of her right and equal ownership on the house she shares with her sister. To
avoid an unpleasant showdown, Shaan (Satyadeep Mishra) a family friend who also
has a liking for Mahek shifts her to an empty flat.
Image Courtesy: blogs.reuters.com
Phobia becomes horrifying
and scary then on. Mahek coming across a personal diary supposedly written by
an ex tenant Jiah who has actually gone missing intensify the whole unpleasant happenings
in this apartment. Mahek’s encounter with an overly friendly next-door
architect Mannu (Ankur Vikal) and her coming to know that he is behind the
mysterious disappearance of the girl, leads her to suspect a possible murder
mystery behind the whole happenings around her.
Image Courtesy: 1.trendinfo.in
To add to her woes
there is a young bubbly neighbor Nikki (Yashashvini Dayama) who also believes in
spirits and joins her in sketching the sinister Mannu and his apartment.
Phobia is definitely a film that is successful
in bringing a kind of freshness in story telling under this genre. Moreover,
Radhika Apte, the much talented actress as Mahek lives the character on screen with
jaw-dropping viewers watch her stunning performance as an Agoraphobic patient. Radhika
Apte’s riveting act makes the viewers to overlook a couple of flaws in the
script like – why leave an agoraphobic patient alone to fend her fears? What
keeps Mahek’s sister not visit her even once? Why Mahek’s psychic capabilities
to see what is in store in the future is left unexplored? Why doesn’t Mahek’s
Doctor visit her even once at her new apartment? The filmmaker and his team
should have taken care of the script so that it doesn’t appear botched.
Image Courtesy: 1.boxofficeindia.co.in
Nevertheless, Pawan Kripalani
has reignited the lost interest among viewers to watch films under this genre
in Bollywood. He is to a great extent successful in delivering an engrossing
and compelling narrative which keeps the viewers glued to their seats. Satyadeep Mishra, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Ankur
Vikal and Yashashvini Dayama has put their best foot forward to keep the film
gripping and intense. The only song Roke na Ruke is too good and has a peppy
music.
In short, if you want
to look beneath your bed before you sleep and listen to someone who tries to reach
you through your bathroom’s drainage pipe then go and watch Phobia with your
eyes wide open to see the horror unravel before you!
Anu Menon’s film ‘Waiting’
speaks volumes about life and its momentariness. It breathes life into us with
hope and resilience to deal with uncertainties in life. It asks some
philosophical questions about how we perceive love and our relationships. It tells
us that holding on to someone and something that we love may not always be the
right thing to do. It makes us understand that sometimes letting go is a
gesture of expressing your love to one whom you love the most.
The word ‘Waiting’
may mean differently to changing situations – it can be longing when in love;
it can be frustrating when you are impatient; it can be anger after repeatedly failed
assurances; it can be just helplessness when
you loss grip of life’s situations; it can be mere prayers when you just rely
on some miracle to happen. Anu Menon’s ‘Waiting’ takes the viewers through a
string of above mentioned emotions and feelings through her well-developed
characters Shiv and Tara – the lead protagonists.
Image Courtesy: national.ae
Shiv Natraj, a
professor is in waiting since eight months holding on to the hope that his wife
will come out of coma who is hospitalized in an elite hospital in Cochin. He
has mugged up everything written on net, books and research journals about
similar cases, possibilities and treatments for speedy recovery and is not
ready to hear anything negative about the possibility of not getting back his
wife hale and healthy. For him his 40 years of married life with his wife Pankhaja
( Suhasini Maniratnam) a Keralite had been a joy too difficult to let go. On
the contrary, Dr. Nirupam Malhotra (Rajat Kapoor), the doctor in charge of his
ailing wife has a different opinion. Dr. Malhotra believes that Shiv is unnecessarily
and unrealistically holding on to his wife and its high time he should give
consent to remove her from life support system.
Tara is shocked,
shattered and is struggling to come to terms to see her husband in a vegetative
state in the same hospital after he met with a tragic car accident in Cochin.
She is yet to come out from her newly married bliss that this incident struck
her so hard. She feels lonely and frustrated even more when she says she has more
than a five thousand twitter followers and fifteen hundred facebook friends and
yet no one around. She is disillusioned about her friends and friendship when
she finds alone in the hospital corridors waiting for a good news to reach her about
her hubby’s recovery.
Image Courtesy: fashionlingua.com
Naseeruddin Shah and
Kalki Koechlin as Shiv and Tara are so natural and strikingly perfect in their
act that the viewers are able to internalize the trauma, pain, and hope they
experience in their life. They both bring on screen quite successfully the mind
set and point of view about life of two schools of thought – the old and the
young Gen Y. According to Shiv the young are in a hurry – everything for them
is ‘Now’ and ‘Oh Shit’ Oh fuck’ may sometimes mean as ‘Oh Wow’ or ‘Oh wonderful’
too!!!
And for Tara, Shiv is
Zen like. Disturbed but yet calm, shattered but still gathered together,
uncertain but certain even in uncertainties, helpless but still helpful to
others.
Image Courtesy: wirally.com
The roles played by
Rajat Kapoor, Suhasini Maniratnam, Arjun Mathur, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee as
Tara’s friend and Rajeev Ravindranathan as Girish - office colleague and friend
of Arjun Mathur are noticeable and well performed. Each character is distinct
and has an important role to play in developing the story further. The climax
is the crux of life that leaves the audience to figure out what life actually
is to them!
Apurva Asrani and Nitin Baid’s editing does wonders to this film.
Apurva is already basking in the glory and positive response ‘Aligarh’ received
and ‘Waiting’ is another feather in his cap for his awesome work. Music by
McCleary is noteworthy and songs like Zara Zara sung by Vishal Dadlani and Kavita
Seth; Tu Hai Tho Mai Hoon sung by Anushka Manchanda and Nikhil D’Souza; Got My
Eyes on You sung by Mikey McCleary; and Waiting for You sung by Anushka
Manchanda and Mikey McCleary are too good and melodious. These songs are worth
to be added to your personal collections.
Anu Menon truly
deserves all the credit for offering such a believable, soulful and life
inspiring film. In short, life is a series of bold decisions and some keeps you
‘Waiting’!
Are you waiting to
watch ‘Waiting’, then please don’t… just go and watch this beautiful film without
any further delay and get blown away by its take on life, bonding and love!!!!
Live, Love and Laugh!!!
Life
Connoisseur Movie Rating: 4/5
Cast:
Naseeruddin Shah (Prof. Shiv), Kalki Koechlin (Tara), Rajat Kapoor (Dr.
Malhotra), Arjun Mathur (Husband of Tara), Suhasini Maniratnam (Pankhaja)
Genre:
FamilyDrama
Director:
Anu Menon
Producers:
Priti Gupta, Manish Mundra
Written
by:
Atika Chohan (Dialogues)
Screenplay:
Anu Menon, james Ruzicka, Atika Chohan
Director Pawan Kumar
is back with yet another interesting story after his much successful film
Lucia. Through U Turn, Pawan Kumar tells the world how callous we are when it
comes to following traffic rules. In the hurry to take a short cut we don’t bother the
consequence that may follow to self or to someone else. U turn is about a
string of unpleasant happenings due to the traffic violation happening on a double
road over bridge in Bengaluru which is followed up by a new intern of a major
newspaper. The film is a mystery thriller that slowly and very beautifully
reveals the connection between the traffic violation happening on the over bridge
and the deaths of the offenders. The background score is by Poornachandra Tejaswi
and the film is edited by Suresh.
Pawan Kumar’s U Turn
is a gripping tale that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats fairly
for a long time. Breaking traffic rules is not an uncommon sight on Indian
roads. U turn tells us about a trainee journalist working in a major newspaper
in Bangalore who is writing a story on people who violate traffic rules
especially at a particular spot on the double road over bridge. She is aided by
a recluse living in a makeshift shanty near the said spot who gives her the
numbers of those vehicles in exchange of Rs 100 a day who have broken the
traffic rules by shifting divider blocks manually that endangers life of other
motorists.
Image Courtesy: www.pbs.twimg.com
The female
protagonist Rachana (Shraddha Srinath) based on the information regularly
follow up with her friend in the RTO to track those violators’ other
particulars to interview them to know their mind set and attitude that makes
them commit such traffic violations. On
a particular day she sets out to interview Sundar, a traffic offender at his
residence. Tired and exhausted after a hectic day and the interview she gets a
shock of her life when she finds herself bundled into a police van accusing her
for killing Sundar. U Turn from there on becomes truly a thriller that keeps
you guessing and figuring out what is the connection between the traffic
violations on the double-road over bridge and the alleged suicides committed by
the violators. Shraddha Srinath as a trainee journalist is too good in her act.
She as an inquisitive journalist, a dove-eyed lover and a girl who got trapped
in the mystery of Whodunit is convincing. Shraddha Srinath, a lawyer turned actor has an
impressive presence and is successful in not over doing her act in crucial
emotional scenes.
Her love interest,
Adhithya is played by Dilip Raj. Dilip Raj as a crime reporter who is equally smitten
like Rachna has a significant connection to the mystery shrouded U turn. Except
for that he is not found contributing much to the story development. It is
quite inconceivable that why Rachna who is at the early stage of love with
Adhithya doesn’t share the trauma, her findings and seek help from him even
when he is found handing over crime related research documents to her. Given
his crime reporting experience Adhithya could have played a major role in
unraveling the mystery of U turn, probably this could have been done if Pawan
Kumar had conceived some other character to play the significant part meant for
Adhithya. Perhaps, Pawan didn’t want him to do that because his role as a crime
reporter teaming up with Rachna and Nayak in the investigation somewhere could
have diluted the powerful role played by Roger Narayan as an investigating
officer.
Image Courtesy: www.ibtimes.co.in
The real showstopper
in U Turn is Sub inspector Nayak. The incredible and realistic performance by
Roger Narayan leaves us wanting for more from him. Nayak, a sensible and mature
police officer is caught between the protocol of obeying his boss not to
proceed with the investigation and his moral responsibility as a human being in
authority to help a hapless girl suspected to be the alleged killer. Roger is a
Hollywood actor who also finds time to work in Indian films (Hindi, Tamil,
Kannada). Roger Narayan’s Hola Venky made by a fantastic filmmaker Sandeep Mohan
is quite impressive and he is also seen in the latest Hollywood movie ‘The Man
Who Knew Infinity’ based on the life of the Indian mathematics genius
Ramanujan.
Pawan Kumar’s U Turn
is not just a mystery thriller but it is a reminder to many of us that Indians
are habitual traffic violators and are unapologetic too. A short cut to reach
one’s destination may be a short cut to death for self or for others. U Turn's first half is engrossing and thrilling
but then post interval the mystery is unfolded too quickly.
Nevertheless, Pawan
Kumar’s U Turn shall remind us all those traffic violations we did knowingly or
unknowingly that might have put many lives in danger. The movie weaves in a
beautiful story that showcases the plight of the victims who becomes prey to a freak accident and how the lives of their dear ones get altered due to that
event. Despite its flaws here and there the movie definitely deserves an
applause for its storytelling and portrayal which is quite different from the
likes of this genre.
Nil Battey Sannata:
An Inspiring Story of a 'Go-Getter'!
Image Courtesy: ikarmik.com
The Story Frame:
Nil Battey Sannata by the debutant Director Ashwani Iyer Tiwari has become
the talk of the tinsel town because of its refreshing and heartwarming story.
It portrays the life and aspirations of a working class woman's bonding with
her daughter. It deals with the perceptional and social blocks that one have in
the pursuit of one's aspirations and dreams. The characters of Chanda and
Apeksha are played by the very talented Swara Bhaskar and Ria Shukla,
respectively. The film is supported and produced by Aanand L. Rai, Ajay Rai, and Alan McAlex.
Screenplay: Ashwini Iyer, Nitesh Tiwari,
Neeraj Singh, and Pranjal Choudhary
Produced
by: Anand L. Rai, Ajay Rai, and Alan McAlex
Production
Company: JAR Pictures, Colour Yellow
Cinematographer: Gavemic U. Ary
Music: Rohan, Vinayak
Lyrics: Manoj Yadav, Nitesh Tiwari, and
Shreyas Jain
Film
Editing by: Namrata Rao
Distributor: Eros International
Theatre Release: 22nd April, 2016
Language: Hindi
Duration: 104 minutes
Image Courtesy: lehren.com
Reviewer's Thumb Mark
Nil Battey Sannata is the triumph of a lady who dared to dream for a
better life for her reluctant daughter who conveniently used the card of her
being poor and marginalized to shy away from the responsibility to change her
life situations by dreaming big. Chanda Sahay is a single mother who dons many
hats simultaneously as a maid at Mrs. Dewan's (Ratna Pathak Shah) house, worker
at a small factory, and a washer woman at a dhobhi ghat. She is also ready to take up odd jobs to save
money for her daughter to pursue her studies further to become an engineer or a
doctor. But the irony is Chanda's daughter Apeksha Sahay aka Apu (Ria Shukla
has no aspiration other than being a 'Bai' (Maid) like her mother. To counter
her mother's expectations she also has her logics ready - a doctor's child
becomes a doctor, an engineer's child becomes an engineer and therefore, a
Bai's daughter is bound to become a Bai. So, why worry so much? To make her
argument more stronger, the teenager has her arsenals ready by saying that even
if, she studies well and scores goods in Matric (Xth Standard), will her mother
be able to invest more money for her further studies? The answer is a big No!
So, Why dream and waste efforts.
Apu is one among those silly teenagers studying in a government school
who finds joy sitting at the back bench along with her equally dumb friends. Apu
needs to be cajoled or snubbed to get up early to reach the school on time. She
behaves contrary to her name 'Apeksha' (Expectation). She has no expectations
out of her and her life. She has knowingly or unknowingly accepted her status
of being poor as a permanent and unchangeable fact and fate of life. Hence, any
advice or talk on changing the status co is booed or shot down.
Image Courtesy: bollywoodmdb.com
Chanda finds Dr. Devan her mistress understand her challenges and
troubles with her not so studious daughter. Amidst the household work at Mrs.
Dewan's house she finds the answer to her worries - why not enrol herself to
complete her half done Xth class in the school where Apu goes to study. Mrs.
Dewan's suggestion had many advantages: 1. Apu will start learning and can be
constantly monitored, 2. Chanda can help her understand maths better and even
study together better to score well in the board exam, 3. Chanda will be able
to understand the challenges Apu faces in studies, and 4. most importantly
Chanda would also get an opportunity to continue her studies which she had to
abandon because of her financial and social constraints.
Nil Battey Sannata raises many pertinent questions in regard to education
in our country: education becoming commercialized, the apathy in government
schools of having poor infrastructure and lack of advanced educational aids,
flourishing coaching institutes that is accessible and affordable to only kids
of well-to-do families or to those who already score well in studies, free
education to girl child and promoting and supporting adult education.
The film brings in a kind of freshness in story telling which has all the
elements to keep you glued to your seat and relate with the characters on
screen. They make you laugh, think, cry and moreover inspire to have a dream. The
film is very powerful and is successful in conveying it's message to have
dreams in life and why it's important to be one's own savior to change which is
unfavorable in the path of one's well being socially, mentally and emotionally.
Ria Shukla as Apu stands out in the film and is very well supported by an
awesome actor like Swara Bhaskar. The mother and daughter's bonding, tiff,
insecurities, and concerns are very well portrayed by both.
Image Courtesy: koimoi.com
Swara Bhaskar is one such actor who easily makes a place in the viewers'
heart by her flawless acting. She as Chanda makes you relate her agony as a
mother, sole breadwinner, the trauma of being a school drop-out, fear of seeing
the same fate for her daughter and the financial challenges an underprivileged
marginalized family goes through when they dream big.
Pankaj Tripathy adds a dash of humour and playfulness in his role as the
Principal of the government school as well as the Mathematics teacher. He is
terrifically impressive while he maintains a studied watch on his students during
the school assembly proceedings, his way of imparting the nuances of
Mathematics in his class and the funniest of all is the meeting he has with
Mrs. Dewan and the new entrant of the school Chanda Sahay. Pankaj Tripathi has
been applauded a lot for his outstanding roles in films like Gangs of Wasseypur
and Masaan. In Nil Battey Sannata too he
excels in his role.
Sanjay Suri in his cameo role as a collector furthers the plot through
his subtle presence. He as a people-centric collector with all ears to listen,
understand and guide is a delight to watch.
Ratna Pathak Shah as Dr. Dewan plays the role of a well wisher and
socially progressive woman effectively and effortlessly. Her rapport with her
maid is quite appreciable and she genuinely appears to be sensitive towards the
need for Chanda to pursue her studies as well as carve a better future for her
daughter.
Image Courtesy: whatson.bfi.org.uk
Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has made a fabulous film. The characters of
the film connects with you instantly frame by frame, be it Mrs. Dewan a
progressive, socially aware and understanding middleclass mistress, Chanda a 'Bai'
who looks and behaves like any other Bai in our colony, Apu a lackadaisical
teenager who doesn't give a damn to her mother's sacrifices and concerns about
her future, the School Principal (Pankaj Tripathi) of a government school -
funny but yet thorough professional and Apu's classmate - the studious boy who
finds mathematics quite interesting. The well-crafted scenes deftly written by
Ashwini Iyer, Nitesh Tiwari, Neeraj Singh, and Pranjal Choudhary leaves you
wanting for more. The newcomers - Rohan and Vinayak has rendered some good
music which are worth listening.
In short, Nil (Zero) Batta/Battey (Division) Sannata (Silence/Zero) which
means 'Jinka kuch nahin ho sakta' (Good for nothing) is a must watch. It is
inspiring, realistic and riveting. What happens to Chanda's dreams and
expectations? Will she be able to make Apu realize the importance of studies
and the relevance of pursuing one's own dreams? Watch them and their incredible performance on screen in a
nearby theatre and add wings to your dreams too ...
Maneesh Sharma's film FAN is a story about a die-hard fan and his
encounter with his Reel Star in real life. It is a story of love, adulation, and
obsession which leads to hate and
proving who is more of worth - the Fan or the Star.
Shah Rukh Khan acts as the protagonist (Aryan Khanna, the Mega star) as
well as the antagonist (Gaurav Chandana, the Fan a boy from Delhi) in this
movie. Both Aryan Khanna and his look alike Gaurav Chandana keep the viewers
engaged through their love-hate relationship. FAN offers SRK fans a young as well as a much evolved SRK
together on screen which make the viewers reminiscence the SRK of Anjaam, Darr,
and Bazigar.
FAN is the new entry in the list of Yash Raj Films banner produced by
Aditya Chopra.
The above mentioned conversations between a celebrity and a fan forms the
plot of the much awaited and recently released Bollywood film FAN by Director Maneesh
Sharma. FAN scores well in the box office because of many reasons: 1. It's a
Shah Rukh Khan movie, 2. It offers two SRKs for one ticket, 3. It comes from
the stable of Yash Raj Films and Aditya Chopra at the helm of affairs, 4. Maneesh
Sharma has some fairly good movies like Band Baaja Baarat and Shudd Desi Romance
in his profile, and above all 5. It is about every Jabra fan of SRK.
To understand the mindset of a FAN doesn't require much effort because each
one of us have an idol, a hero, a
celebrity, or an achiever whom we follow closely and relate to - be it politicians, film stars, social activists,
writers, poets, sports players etc. But
to understand a fan's mindset who can go a bit overboard is bit difficult and
challenging. We have heard and read many stories of such fan frenzy in the
media like attempting to commit suicide, slashing wrist, writing letters with blood,
getting married to a photo, fasting on 'karva chauth' for heroes and what not.
Image Courtesy: i.ndtvimg.com
Gaurav Chandana (Shah Rukh Khan) a middle class boy from Inder Vihar,
Delhi is one such fan of Aryan Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan) the Bollywood Mega Super
Star. His world is designed and influenced virtually by the presence of AK
(Aryan Khanna). Gaurav Chandana aka Junior AK is known for his obsession for AK
because every act of his daily life makes it evident. He ensures that the mark
of AK is there around him, be it naming his Chat Cafe as 'AK Chat Cafe', his
bedroom's wall plastered with AK's photographs and cutouts, his mannerisms and
style imitating AK makes him the most sought after local hero in his neighborhood.
Gaurav Chandana is a known artist who has won consecutively all the local annual
Sitara Acting Competition prizes enacting AK on stage amidst whistles, cheers
and hoots of laughter from the local audience.
This year, Gaurav Chandana bags a whopping amount of Rupees Twenty
thousand as cash prize by emulating AK on stage. His long cherished dream to
meet AK personally gets a fresh ammo and he manages to get permission from his much reluctant parents to travel alone by train without
ticket to Mumbai following AK who did the same to land in the city of dreams. The train bound junior AK had least expected
and may not have even imagined in his wildest dream that his journey to meet
his 'Reel God' would change the course of his life forever.
As thousands throng the sea-facing mansion of AK on his birthday, Gaurav
too push hard to reach the front to wave at his demigod with his prestigious Sitara trophy to gift AK
as his token of love and his other hand struggling to keep hold of a pack of
sweets bought from the famous Halwai of Chandani Chowk to present it to AK on
behalf of his dear parents. Pushed, trampled, bruised in the stampede and in
his failed attempt to hoodwink the security guards of AK's mansion to have a
glimpse of his demigod, Gaurav retires to his hotel room no. 205. It's the same
room, which the mega star used to stay and frequent as a struggler in the tinsel
town.
Image Courtesy: images.indianexpress.com
Not ready to be shooed away by the security personnel of the well guarded
mega star, Gaurav finds Sid Kapoor's, a rising Bollywood star, controversial
statement and accusation against AK as a window to display his love to his hero.
Sid Kapoor is manhandled in a party by
AK because Ak find the upcoming star's advances towards his wife inappropriate
and objectionable. What followed is a series of press statements, video
footages and police complaint from Sid Kapoor that catches the nation's
attention. Gaurav Chandana's interaction with Sid Kapoor in his vanity van
lands him in jail and his wish to meet his idol AK does takes place inside the
cell but not the way Gaurav had expected and dreamt to happen.
Disillusioned, disheartened and wounded the fan in Gaurav is back to his
home town less talkative and less vocal about his love for AK. After an year of
silence and anonymity, Gaurav unleash havoc in the life of AK. Wherever AK reaches
he finds the sinister footprints of his scorned fan Gaurav Chandana present. AK
keeps finding himself in tricky situations and clearing up the mess created by
Gaurav.Love, adulation and blind faith that marked the life of a fan is filled
full of hate and hurt which leads to a cat and mouse chase between the Senior
AK and the Junior AK.
Madame Tussauds, London, Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Mumbai become the battle
field for Gaurav and AK to vent out their anger and settle their score with
each other.
Image Courtesy: brandsynario.com
Shah Rukh Khan's Aryan Khanna seems to be more familiar because he is in
his natural SRK mega star style but what catches the fancy of the viewers is
Shah Rukh Khan's portrayal as the young vibrant free-spirited Gaurav Chandana. SRK
as Gaurav surpass the imagination of a 48 year-old playing the role of a young
boy that too half of his age with such conviction and ease is definitely praise
worthy. Gaurav as an innocent fan and as a tormentor is stupendous. SRK as
Gaurav brings back memories of his movies like Darr, Baazigar, and Anjaam. It
is indeed a treat to watch the yesteryear's young SRK and the much evolved
present day's SRK together sharing the screen.
SRK's colossal presence throughout the movie in every single shot makes
the other actors appear dwarfish and nothing much left to do. Deepika Amin and
Yogendra Tiku as Gaurav's parents are good. But their anxiety and their shock
of coming to know about what their foolhardy son is getting into doesn't come
on screen well and therefore, much of the last scene acts seems to be very
superficial and doesn't connect well with the audience. Especially, the last
scenes are too unrealistic but then when you have two SRKs fighting each other
you tend to ignore the flaws and get carried away by the moment. Sayani Gupta as Aryan Khanna's Personal
Assistant tries to put her best foot forward.
The scene at Madame Tussauds' gallery, the cat and mouse chase in the bylanes
of Dubrovnik and the dare devil act of hoping from one parapet to another
parapet of an already dilapidated residential building by an ordinary boy and
Gaurav seemingly emerging as a well trained
rogue is hard to buy. Gaurav's encounter with Gauri Khanna and the security
personnel and his entry into a well guarded mansion are too unrealistic. What
makes me wonder is what happens to the scriptwriters and to well established
reputed production house to approve such scenes. Is it their overconfidence
that having a superstar in the film they would be able to easily pull it off
successfully, is it that they take the audience for granted, is it that there is
a creative block that make them overlook such foolish and unrealistic scenes? Not
incorporating in the film a song like Jabra Fan which was overly hyped and
publicized and promoted is not doing justice to viewers who also had come to
watch the same on a bigger screen. What is the reason not to incorporate the song
even at the end when the credits rolls
is only known to them.
FAN cannot be stated as a well-crafted, brilliant movie of Shah Rukh
Khan. It is a good watch because SRK has many other great movies to thump his
chest like Chakde, Swadesh, Veer Zaara, Devdas, and Dil se. Fan is definitely a
relief for SRK and his fans after a series of non performing movies. The
character of Aryan Khan is not fleshed out properly.
The message of FAN is loud and clear - 1. Stars need to always remember
their beginning and need to be humble and value the presence of their fans in their
life. They are because of their fans who made them celebrities. There are ways
which are more humane to convey and claim once own privacy when a fan goes overboard.
2. Fans need to understand that what
they often watch on the screen may not be real always. Their stars and demigods
are like them who would love to have
their own space and privacy and therefore to let them be what they are. 3. It's
good to express your love and even get inspired by whom you adore but then
carve your own image that comes from hard work, commitment, discipline and
dreams.
In short, go and watch FAN for Shah Rukh Khan and not for anything else.
