Om Shanti Om

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.

"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!

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!

When I first heard of Farah Khan and Shah Rukh teaming up to make their project called Om Shanti Om, based on reincarnation, I was surprised and raised my eyebrows at their choice of storyline. I decided not to even think about seeing the movie until I had read many reviews and heard about the fate of the film. Now, after seeing it, I cannot believe I doubted Shah Rukh Khan's talent and Farah's masala for even a second!

Om Shanti Om is pure brilliance. Just after about 10 minutes into the film and I was hooked. Everything is perfected, there isn't much to criticize at all.

The performances - Shah Rukh Khan once again delivers entertainment at it's absolute max. Looking hotter than ever, now with incredibly sexy six-pack abs, SRK shows off his skill in style. The intensity and emotion of Om is portrayed very well. Arjun Rampal is fantastic, I have never seen him do a role like this before. I had never imagined he could PULL OFF something like this. Yet, there are times when he even overshadows Shah Rukh, he was great as the villain Mukesh. Deepika Padukone shines and actually does a decent performance, and has some acting ability underneath her beautiful supermodel looks. Despite the slight criticism saying she cannot pull off the 70s outfits, I thought she looked wonderful and did her role with dignity. Shreyas Talpade does another cute but powerful performance after Iqbal, and Kirron Kher tugs at your heart with her famous motherly role. She adds a small zing to Om Shanti Om that only she could have done. Bindu and Javed Sheikh makes small appearances.

Om Shanti Om provides outrageous and hilarious comedy, complete and over-the-top melodrama, romance, action, and everything in between. It is a true masala film. Farah Khan lived up to the standard she left with Main Hoon Na.

The music is also something I judged before seeing the film. I reckoned the music was mediocre, but now I understand that the music has kept the film going! Dard-e-Disco is the chart topping item and dance number, with Deewangi Deewangi as the crowd teaser, Ajab Si and Agar Main Kahoon are the romantic songs, and Jag Soona Soona as a ghazal-ish track. I liked Dhoom Taana a lot also, but my favourite will always be Dard-e-Disco...SRK and his gorgeous abs... :)

Farah Khan has once again provided pure entertainment. One thing I really love about her movies is that they mock EVERYTHING. And she mocks it all with such style, that you cannot help loving it. She made fun of it all. And I mean it ALL. The Filmfare awards were one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and ditto for Shah Rukh's attempt to show off to Deepika in the first half ("Naughty pussy, naughty pussy"!!). I also loved the way Farah Khan thanks all the people working in her film, cast and crew. She made the credits enjoyable and thanked everyone, giving them a small contribution in the film. She did the same in Main Hoon Na.

Deewangi Deewangi with all 31 stars was amazing. It is rather amusing to see all the celebrities dance on screen, with SRK. It was well choreographed and planned, and very enjoyable. OSO really changes it's colours after the interval. It goes from a cheerful happy-go-lucky fun movie into a slightly serious act. Nevertheless, it stills maintains a lot of humour and keeps you glued to your seat.

Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. Simply unmissable.

If you sit to watch a typical Bollywood Commercial masala movie, Leave your brains behind. Om Shanti Om is one such film that entertains you in every aspect.

Om Shanti Om is the story of the Indian Film World. It is the story of a Junior Artist (Extra) Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh Khan) who dreams to become a superstar one day. He is madly in love with Shanti Priya (Deepika Podukone) who is a super star and she is in love with a film producer Mukesh Ahuja (Arjun Rampal). Mukesh after learning this fact that Shanti is pregnant with his child and his most ambitious project will come to hold if he marries her, He kills her. This whole event is witnessed by Shanti's good friend and her secret lover Om. Even Om dies in that tragic accident while trying to save Shanti. Mukesh runs to Hollywood and get's married there a multi-millionaire's daughter.

But destiny has a total different story to tell… Om is reborn again after 30 years as a Super Star Om Kapoor (Shah Rukh Khan) and the destiny makes om meets Sandy (Deepika Podukone) who is a look alike of Shanti Priya. Om and Sandy make a plan to trap Mukesh who comes back to India after 30 years to make a film with Om. The evil get's punished and the truth wins forms the rest of the film.

Technically the film is just brilliant. It shows on the screen the amount of money that has been spent into the making. The sets are glossy and breath taking. The camera work is just superb. The editing is fantastic and crispy. Musically a very decent and a good effort. Especially the song where all the 31 stars perform is a treat to watch for. The story and direction by Farah Khan is very good.

Performance wise the film belongs to King Khan Shah Rukh Khan all the way. New girl Deepika Podukone is the next superstar. It did not seem at all that she is a new actress and this is her First Film. Arjun Rampal was awesome in the negative role. Kirron Kher was really good once again. Shreyas Talpade was again very good. He gets an equal footage with Shah Rukh to perform.

For those who go for Artistic Cinema, This film is strictly not for them. But those who need Full Time Pass, Om Shanti Om is the real good choice. Here the Film Maker is trying to fool you, But in return they are offering you a Glossy Dream of 2 hours. So if you are looking for a Roller Coaster ride of Entertainment, Go for Om Shanti Om!