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By Taran
Adarsh, November 7, 2007 - 13:24 IST
 Cut the crap, cut the gyan-baazi, cut the
will-it-won't-it work naatak. Shah Rukh Khan and Farah
Khan's OM SHANTI OM is a true-blue masala entertainer.
If MAIN HOON NA was a chauka, this one hits a sixer!
Wait, a word of advice to all netizens/readers across
the globe. Don't, for God's sake don't, raise
exclamations like kab?, kyun? kahan? as OM SHANTI OM
begins to unravel. This is atypical Manmohan Desai
film presented in a novel avtaar by Farah Khan. It's
definitely not for pseudos or advocates of arthouse
cinema.
Now let's clear some myths surrounding OM SHANTI OM.
Is it the 2007 adaptation of Subhash Ghai's immensely
likable reincarnation film KARZ? Does it have traces
of KUDRAT? Or MADHUMATI? Or MILAN? Or KARAN ARJUN?
Hold on, there's a dash of KARZ, a bit of KARAN ARJUN,
a sprinkling of KUDRAT, but beyond that it's a film
that makes you nostalgic about 1970s Bollywood.
To sum up, OM SHANTI OM is paisa vasool entertainment.
We haven't seen SRK in a hardcore masala film since
quite some time. He had drifted to other genres, which
proved his range as an actor of repute and cemented
his status further. With OM SHANTI OM, he gives back
to the audience what he himself grew up on -- a
thorough entertainer that will have the audience
thirsting for more.
 This Diwali, have a blast!
OM SHANTI OM tells the story of Om [Shah Rukh Khan]
and Shanti [Deepika Padukone]. Om is a junior artist
in the 70s. Shanti is the reigning superstar. He is
her biggest fan. He is in love with her. Om dreams of
being a superstar, but an incident changes his life
forever.
Om dies in a mishap, but is reborn into the present
day. He attempts to discover the mystery of his
demise…
The general feeling is, Farah Khan has remade Ghai's
KARZ from Frame A to Z. False! There're similarities,
but it's not a rehashed version of Ghai's film. For,
OM SHANTI OM takes you by complete surprise at several
points.
The first twist in the tale [Arjun - Deepika's heated
confrontation, with SRK listening to this important
conversation] comes as a bolt from the blue. The
second jhatka comes slightly before the intermission,
when Arjun takes Deepika to the set of his film 'Om
Shanti Om' and the entire episode that follows, right
till the intermission, is spellbinding. That's a
brilliant stroke from the writing [screenplay: Mushtaq
Shaikh and Farah Khan] as also the execution point of
view. When the opulent set is set to flames, it leaves
you wide-eyed and awe-struck. Such is the impact!
The post-interval portions only get better and better!
If the initial portions are laced with humour [the
premiere of 'Dreamy Girl', the Manoj Kumar episode,
Ghai directing Rishi on 'Om Shanti Om' song, et al],
the second half moves into a new zone completely.
 It's punar-janam now, but thankfully, there're no
lightening, no fireworks, no zooming of the camera on
the idols of Gods. The drama builds up gradually. The
voices that SRK keeps hearing, the 'fire' soon after
the 'Dard-E-Disco' track, the mother [Kirron Kher], an
old lady now, chasing Om's car [reminds you of Raakhee
of KARAN ARJUN], the flashes of SRK's earlier birth
while receiving the Filmfare Award -- the incidents
that make him realize that his life was cut short in
his earlier janam have been well structured.
When Deepika re-emerges as well, the viewer is
confused, but the mystery is resolved towards the end,
which, again, takes you by complete surprise.
Given the fact that OM SHANTI OM is a Manmohan Desai
kind of a film set in the present-day, it would be
foolhardy to ask questions, raise eyebrows and look
for logic. But the second half could've been crisper
[length: 18 reels/2.46 hours], although Shirish
Kunder's editing is perfect.
Farah knows what her priorities are and most
importantly, knows exactly what her target audience
is. The execution of a number of sequences clearly
shows Farah's growth as a storyteller. Mushtaq and
Farah's writing works because the writers pull out
several surprises in those 2.46 hours.
V. Manikanandan's cinematography captures the gloss
and grandeur to the minutest. The opulent sets [Sabu
Cyril] deserve distinction marks. Dialogues [Mayur
Puri] are witty and do raise a chuckle at several
points. Background score [Sandeep Chowta] is
effective.
Vishal-Shekhar's music is first-rate. The score is in
sync with the content of the film and what accentuate
the goings-on are the choreography and execution.
Although every song is visually enticing, the 21-star
track as also 'Dard-E-Disco' will have the masses
going into a frenzy.
Now to the performances! SRK proves his supremacy yet
again. If you thought that playing to the gallery came
easy to certain actors only, watch SRK spin magic in
OM SHANTI OM. He's magnificent, the star attraction,
the soul of this film, the true baadshah.
Deepika has all it takes to be a top star -- the
personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely
talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and
getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as
a whiff of fresh air!
 Arjun Rampal is a complete revelation. Cast in a
negative role this time, he enacts his part with
panache and style. Shreyas Talpade is another
surprise. A complete natural, he stands on his feet
all through, not getting swayed while sharing the
screen space with the topmost star.
Kirron Kher is superb as the over the top mom. Javed
Sheikh is alright. Bindu adds to the funny moments.
On the whole, OM SHANTI OM is Bollywood masala in its
truest form and also, at its best. At the box-office,
the film will set new records in days to come and has
the power to emerge one of the biggest hits of SRK's
career. Blockbuster hit!
Rating:- *
* * *
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