Om Shanti Om

Reincanation, Hindi cinema, love, betrayal are some of the themes Farah Khan's delightful and crazy comedy Om Shanti Om deals with. But frankly, it never really matters. This film is simply one of the most entertaining films made in recent times. A spoof of Hindi cinema of past and recent times, the film both pokes fun at it and celebrates its unique, inimitable style. As the story progresses the movie becomes even more alluring. It is at times a drama, at times a thriller, but generally it is just a musical comedy which is not to be taken seriously.

Technically the film is very impressive. Farah Khan's direction is very good. The film is extremely colourful, with great costumes and fantastic, glossy sets. The 1970s settings are particularly authentic and visibly well-invested. One more aspect which helps to recreate the magic and the atmosphere of the 1970s is the wonderful soundtrack. "Dhoom Taana" for instance seems to have been rightly taken from a film of those times.

The film contains numerous sequences which will have you floored. The Filmfare Award ceremony is one of the funniest sequences in the film. The red carpet scene with celebrities predicting the winners was very funny. The next scene which includes the ceremony and the Best Actor nominations clip was absolutely hilarious. I could not stop laughing as every nominee was unfolded, and Abhishek Bachchan and Akshay Kumar's reactions when they lost were awesome.

The following sequence was the after-party which was another memorable scene. The famous "Deewangee Deewangee" song which has some of the best-known actors in India dancing to its tunes, from Dharmendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Rekha and Shabana Azmi to Salman, Saif, Juhi, Urmila, Tabu, Kajol, Rani and Preity, was very exciting and a pleasure to watch. It was truly a moment of unity and celebration for Hindi cinema.

As far as acting goes, Om Shanti Om is a winner. Every actor understands the film's mood and acts accordingly. Shahrukh Khan is great as the Oms. He's simple as the first Om, cool as the second Om, and overall is as witty and funny as always. Deepika Padukone makes a confident debut. She is very beautiful and likable. Kirron Kher shines in another comic role as the loud mom. Shreyas Talpade delivers a noteworthy performance as Om's best friend and holds his own despite a smaller role. Arjun Rampal plays the typical villain with style.

Well, to sum it up, Om Shanti Om is an extremely enjoyable flick which should provide a great watch for the entire family. Like Farah Khan's previous offering with Shahrukh Khan, Main Hoon Na, this film has a genuine sense of fun. It is the quintessence of Bollywood's uniqueness which makes us realise why and how much we love this film industry. Remember not to expect anything serious or life-turning, and you will not be disappointed.

We knew all about this-didn't we?

OSo is not a crossover movie, it is not anything path breakingly original(It is heavily inspired from Karz, the concept is), it does not have anything particularly refreshing in terms of story or screenplay..etc.. Yet- OSO succeeds, and that was what Farah and co were gunning for this Diwali.

Srk is back to his old ways -this is a 'true blue' SRk movie, he does all that he is a master at- plus the latest addition or attraction- his bronzed 6 pack!

Does he succeed? Its very simple- For people who adore Srk in his regular roles, will lap this one up too.

For someone expecting a Kabir Khan (Chak De) maybe a tad disappointed.

Om Shanti Om is in the league of Main hun Na- in terms of cinematic sensibilities. Its just pure fun woven around a story, but never getting too deep into it. Characters are a bit sketchy, plots get a bit contrived, and clichés abound everywhere, yet this movie passes the litmus test-because it is all about the timing too.

Its a perfect package for Diwali - an entertainer and Srk-the country's' biggest brand(arguably)-the combo wont fail.

I am not exactly delving into the story, for most people know what is needed. Yes, its is a bit of a tribute with a zany sense of humour to the 70's, you see the bell bottoms are back, the sideburns, flowery shirts, as the 1st half of the movie is entirely in the 70's.(Srk as the bumbling and goofy Om Makhija)

And yes its about reincarnation, following the lines of Karz, Srk being the victim(and also Deepika). Srk is reborn as Om Kapoor now- a hot cool dude and a big shot in Bollywood. It is quite predictable hereon, the twists are few, but well crafted. I just wished the buildup was stronger, the meat in the climax was missing.

Finally- The movie does fit the bill of a good entertainer- Paisa Vasool, will be liked by young and old, I wont be surprised if this does turn out to be the BO winner of the year. Songs are hummable, Dard-E-Disco being a lot of eye -candy(for women). Srk will attract a lot of 'drools'.

And the title song with 31 stars is fun too!

The minuses being just that- it could have had more substance to the characters and the climax a bit more thrilling.It seemed like it ended too soon suddenly. And also some more meat to the 'motive' of Deepika being bumped off by Arjun.(Rampal)

Performances-Its familiar territory for Srk, believe me its a role which of course was just written for him, though the 2nd half-Om Kapoor seemed a bit clichéd. His dying sequence compares to his previous movies-will get the audience's empathy. Deepika is pretty and emotes well, not really a lot of meat in her role, but shes quite effective. Kirron Kher Hams, but shes still adorable, she manages to do that with ease. Shreyas Talpade was an interesting choice as Srk's pal, does that with consummate ease.

And my award would go to Arjun Rampal- a out and out 'cool negative' role, very suavely done. Its one of his more noticeable performances.

OSO- as mentioned is predictable, and yet fun, it works well for people who want a 3 hr reprieve!Its not what I can call 'Miss not' but still is the best of the current lot.

I'm an American, and have not seen very many Bollywood films -- Three Idiots, Saariwaya, and one or two others in passing -- but I know a spoof when I see it. This movie was a romp -- overdone theatrics, over-the-top musical numbers, and lots of wink-wink-nudge-nudge allusions. Actually, I probably missed most of those -- but I got enough of them to keep smiling all the way through. Nicely plotted, plenty of really good catch-lines, and warm-hearted at the core. I especially like the end credits, where crew members and the usually faceless support people did a kind of 'red carpet' appearance, to the applause and cheers of the mob. Great bit at the very end, where the director/writer got out of the tuk-tuk for her moment, and everybody was .... well, no spoilers here. Just watch the film. Well worth your time.

Bring out the popcorn, grab a cola and get ready for 2 and a half hours of laughs, songs, color, emotions, and spoofs. If you're a fan of the Indian film industry and have kept up with the news, Om Shanti Om is for you. If you love entertainment to the max, OSO is definitely for you! Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om spares nobody, not even its makers when it comes to poking fun. OSO is a film about films, it's a film in a film and above all, it's made to celebrate the biggest film producing industry - The Indian Film Industry.

Om Prakash is a junior artist who thrives to become a lead hero one day. He is a horrible actor and has a mother who hams more than him. Om has another dream: To win over a star, Shanti-Priya. One circumstance leads to another which leads to Om being a witness to the death of Shanti by producer Mukesh Mehra. Om also gets killed in the incident. That same night, Om is reborn as Om Kapoor. Will Om realize his past-life? Will he avenge Shanti's death? As the tagline suggests: For some dreams, one life-time is not enough.

OSO has a done-to-death story. But that's not the point. The film is a parody of films and the ones working in it. Notice the spoofs on the yesteryear stars such as Manoj Kumar. A controversial scene but one can't deny it's hilarious. Not to forget spoofs on Govinda, Keshtu Mukherjee, and Suraj Bharjateeyaa. Of course the most memorable comic scene has to be SRK pretending to be a south Indian actor. "Mind It" OSO's first half is gripping and keeps the viewer alert. The drama folds the right way. The second half loses steam at times. It's not bad, but unlike Farah's first film where the second half competed well with the first, it stars to slow down a bit. It picks back up, fortunately.

The spoofs aren't less hilarious in the second half. The film pokes fun of a lot of celebs and Indian film industry issues. To start, SRK being late is a spoof on himself being late to sets in real life. Not to forget the whole dard-e-disco song is a spoof on item numbers. The high point of the second half has to be the award ceremony. The spoof on Abhishek Bachchan is subtle yet funny. SRK doing the same roles and being nominated is remarkably funny. Not to forget Akshay KUmar's outburst at the awards is aplaudworthy and rib-tickling. Subash Ghai-Rishi Kapoor spoof is funny too.

Flaws? As mentioned, the second half falters in some parts. Also, SRK remembering his past so quickly seems rushed and unconvincing.

The climax, however, is a pleasant surprise.

Special Mention - The Deewangee song is a treat to the eyes. 31 stars in one song is no joke and they all look nothing short of spectacular. Special mention to the ones that caught my eye with their appearance. Dharmendra, Jatendra, Kajol, Salman, Saif, Sanju, Rekha etc all do well alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

Farah Khan and her team of writers have put some genius into parts of the movie. The writing is witty, smart, and quite innovative. Dilague is first rate.

Vishal-Shekar's music is amazing. With a variety of songs in one film, they do a wonderful job.

Farah's direction is first rate. She handles all the moments with ease. It's not a better film than Main Hoon Na, but still a good job.

In 2007, 3 months before OSO released; SRK unleashed the actor in him and kept the star away in a movie called Chak De India. In OSO, it's the opposite. OSO is a film where SRK can chill and not worry about the criticism. His performance is explosive and energetic. In this, it's SRK the superstar unleashed. And kudos to him for also poking fun at himself despite being the producer of this one.

Deepika makes a grand debut and I'm sure she couldn't have asked for anything else. She looks gorgeous and makes a good debut. Arjun Rampal is spectacular as the villain here. Brilliant.

The supporting cast does well too which includes the lovable Shreyas Talpade, the scene-stealing Kirron Kher and Javed Sheikh.

Overall, A grand film which has one objective - Entertainment!

"Om Shanti Om" is an excellent film. However, it's also one that your enjoyment of it may depend on how familiar you are with Bollywood movies. If you haven't seen any or perhaps only one or two, it might be far less interesting for the intermediate and advanced fans of Indian cinema. As for me, I am definitely an intermediate and would actually loved to have had a big-time Indian movie fan watch it with me, as I only recognized some of the huge Indian movie stars that appeared in the film in the star-studded middle.

The film begins in the 1970s. Om (Shah Rukh Khan) is a struggling actor--a bit player. He's smitten with a leading lady but she seems way out of his reach. Later, however, there is a fire on set and he saves her life--and definitely gets her attention. But, fires seem to come in twos in this film and a bit later, her evil secret husband murders her--and Om is killed as well!

At this point, something VERY Indian occurs. Just as Om dies in the hospital, in an adjoining room, a baby is born--and the baby turns out to be the reincarnation of Om. The baby's name...Om!! This Om grows up to become a HUGE Indian mega-star and his life is good.

Following a portion of the film at an Indian movie award ceremony (by far the best part of the film--and hilarious as well), Om starts to have memories of his previous incarnation. He slowly comes to realize what happened to Om #1 and decides to concoct a complicated plan to trap the murderer by re-staging the murder that happened 30 years ago! However, the plan ends up going askew...just how, you'll have to see for yourself.

The film is a delight but a strange one. It's like there are three different movies all spliced together. The first and third portions are very serious and the musical numbers are wonderful. As for the second, it is completely different in tone. Om #2 is a mega-star-- and a hilariously self-absorbed one. And, to make it much funnier, lots of very famous Indian mega-stars appear as themselves...sort of. You just have to see this to know what I am talking about but it is something Indian film fans will love--as if they have a back stage pass to REALLY meet the stars as they supposedly really are! Wonderful--and by far the best part of the film.

Overall, despite having a few clichés (ones you EXPECT in Bollywood films---such as an ever-present fan to make the stars' hair blow in the wind), the film is one of the most enjoyable and fun Indian pictures you can find. Well worth seeing for fans of the genre.

By the way, after the picture ends, do NOT turn off the movie. In a really neat twist, not only the stars walk past the camera but just about EVERYONE involved with the film gets their moment on the runway--even the grips and choreographers!