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.

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.

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.

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.

I think the film is OK, as said had the potential to be 10 stars.

There is good acting from most of the cast, but the story did drag on a little...the first half of the film was excellent, good performances, every second of the first half was good, no scene was wasted it was full of emotion, lots of laughter, and overall seeming to be a very enjoyable movie! I recommend people to watch this film, mainly because its a shahrukh film, the only downside is the second half, the story is not good, i feel u'll understand watching the film. The story could of had a better ending, however i feel the entertainment value is very high, drawn to the fact that there is almost every star in bollywood in the film. good film 7/10