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Om Shanti Om Reviewer’s Summary - Breath of Stale Air

November 11th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Om Shanti Om

Language: Hindi
Year: November 8, 2007
Actors: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Kiron Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Bindu
Director: Farah Khan
Producer: Gauri Khan
Story: Farah Khan
Screenplay: Farah Khan, Mayur Puri
Music: Vishal & Shekhar
Lyrics: Gulzar

When limitless ambition collides with limited talent on the Bollywood Highway, the end result is a road wreck called Om Shanti Om.

A dispiritingly commonplace theme of reincarnation packaged in a disjointed, tracing-paper-thin plot with ho-hum performances by the lead actors renders a mediocre movie that only addled fans of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan would love.

Shahrukh Khan’s boundless ambitions and braggadocio are foiled by the talentless ensemble of acting, story, music, dance and comedy that he has cobbled together for Om Shanti Om, a home production of his Red Chillies Entertainment company.

When Hollywood can offer movies featuring ununsual themes like Lars and the Real Girl this season, why are our Bollywood bozos still trapped in five-decade-old plots?

After five dozen movies and two decades in front of the camera, if Om Shanti Om is the best that Shahrukh Khan can deliver it’s a pretty darn shame.

Watch Chances Are (1989) featuring Robert Downey in a reincarnation theme movie and you’ll realize how inadequate Shahrukh Khan is as an actor.

Even by Bollywood’s watered down standards, Om Shanti Om’s story is not remotely credible.

Logic beats a hasty retreat in the clumsy and inexperienced hands of director Farah Khan, who also takes credit for the assinine story and choreography.

If there was a Nuremberg court for incompetent Bollywood directors, Farah Khan’s repellent offering in Om Shanti Om alone would guarantee her the maximum sentence.

In his first avatar in Om Shanti Om, Shahrukh Khan plays a junior film artiste Om Prakash Makhija in love with the ”Dreamy Girl” movie star Shanti Priya (Deepika Padukone). Alas, Shanti Priya has only eyes for film producer and evil con man Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Rampal). As a result of Mukesh Mehra’s machinations, Om Prakash Makhija and Shanti Priya are packed off to their makers just before the interval.

But like the proverbial bad penny, Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone reappear after the intermission only to torment us mercilessly till the end mercifuly creeps up on us.

Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone lack the screen chemistry of Shahrukh Khan-Kajol in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge or Shahrukh Khan-Madhuri Dixit in Dil To Pagal Hai.

Also, newcomer Deepika Padukone doesn’t set the screen afire. In not one scene did we find this young lass’ presence on screen bewitching or convincing. If talent was the only consideration, Deepika Padukone wouldn’t have made it for a crowd scene. But such are the quirks of Bollywood that buff bubbleheads wrapped in a pretty package sometimes occupy center stage.

The first half of Om Shanti Om is more tolerable than the second, which is plain rubbish. Even some of the audience at the Loehmann’s Twin Cinemas (Falls Church, Virginia) at the Premiere show on Thursday night became so restless during the second half that they started talking on their cell phones and began moving about.

The much ballyhooed Deewangi Deewangi song featuring 31 stars is nothing to write home about. In a gazillion Hindi movie, we have seen such graceless foot-stomping. The only difference here is that the foot-stomping and wild gyrations masquerading for dancing was performed by recognizable faces. So what?

But the booby prize for the worst choreographed song in our memory must surely go to Dard-e-Disco. In an industry where decent dancing is de rigeur, it’s a mystery as to how Shahrukh Khan has gotten away with such bad steps for so many years.

The last song in Om Shanti Om Dastaan E is one of the better songs.

One of the well-done comical scenes in Om Shanti Om is the garish spoof of Tamil movies. We found it absolutely hilarious and laughed till tears rolled down our cheeks.

All in all, Om Shanti Om is a remorseless Diwali dampener.

Neither the story nor the acting or music make Om Shanti Om a must-watch movie. Skip it without any qualms.

Oh well, even Bollywood superstars like Shahrukh Khan are mere mortals and when you look closely enough many of them have feet of clay beneath all that swagger

Related posts:

  1. Farah Khan and Deepika on Nach Baliye 3
  2. ‘Deepika Meri Hain’ - SRK Claims At The MTV Lycra Style Award
  3. King Khan gifted latest iPhone to Farah Khan
  4. Deepika Padukone in Nikhil Advani’s next
  5. More star-power in ‘Om Shanti Om’

There Are 16 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by niranjan on 12 November 2007:

    who is that guy written the rivew of oso.. it is so syupid..please go and watch the movie.. its awesome.. and totally paisa vasool

  2. Comment by Mansoor Zia on 12 November 2007:

    pathetic review……what the hell!! do u have yr senses!

  3. Comment by rajeev on 12 November 2007:

    i would like to meet the revewer after the first week colexctions are out.

    Then guys we will make it sure that tghis particular guys writes no revew hereafter to mislead people.

  4. Comment by kamran_azam on 12 November 2007:

    oso rocks and srk rocks in all movie

    its a total paisa vasool film

    go and watch it chakde oso and chakde srk

    best movie of the indian cinema

  5. Comment by Maryam on 12 November 2007:

    Is this guy crazy??? what is he talking about???? we SRK fans also knw that OSO doesnt have the perfact story as SRK’s previouse movies but it was meant 2 be like that 2 add all the espects of a typical bollywood masala movie…n what the hell is he talking about deepika???/ she was superb as it was her very 1st movie n that also opposite SRK…u all wll c she will become top actress in a year or so…U all jealouse crape cant c each n every SRK movie doing extremely well thats y making such stupid points…after all everybody had smile on their faces when they left the cinema but it depends on them what they want 2 write about it later, one chose 2 be honest (eventhough they r not SRK fans) n one chose 2 go evil way of denying the fact (eventhough in their hearts they knw they r talking rubbish)..SRK ROX OSO ROX..

  6. Comment by bethsy on 12 November 2007:

    hello idiot

    what u r thinking about your self ???? u r jealous thatz it u r rascal stupid bastard u have no right to critize any body other than you , did you watch movie theaters do public watching full saawariyaa movie , for saawariya by interval half of the theaters are empty, there is no comparision for srk ou devil, i pray to god that u wont be living to give next sRk movie review because bad souls r not fit to stay on the earth.

    may my wish come true

  7. Comment by bethsy on 12 November 2007:

    you should not allow

  8. Comment by nadz on 12 November 2007:

    i think oso was too good everybody loved it and i wanted to go watch it again the next day i guess thats enough to say how nice the film was. there was no bit that i felt when will the film finish just wanted it to continue guys whoever hasnt watched it please go and watch it now its too good.

    and for the guy who wrote this crap review i would just say 1 thing “eh Rascala MIND IT”,

    OSO ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Comment by Salman Akhter on 12 November 2007:

    I think Mr Akshay Shah is a desperate ‘attention seeker’, Its good attempt Mr Shah, but even after that unfortunately (for you) the Real Shah (Rukh Khan) will be un-affected.

    The movie was meant as a complete bollywood style ‘no logic’ entertainer, which was publicized by almost every artist and technicians of OM SHANTI OM.

    If you went to watch this with your so called logics than you faultered Mr Akshay (Shah), not the true BADSHAH of Bollywood.

    Correct yourself buddy .. you took too much excess baggage(brain)with you while watching this movie, Practically this was not meant for you.

  10. Comment by Sulakshna on 12 November 2007:

    Even a single click on ‘google’ search about OSO reveals all about its success and records.

    He may not have found it, I am pasting a link for a KG Reviwer to please check this first……. AT LEAST.

    http://news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&ned=uk&q=shah+rukh+khan

    How insane is the writer is that its a shame I lost my precious time writing to even write this comment.

  11. Comment by princess2aditi on 13 November 2007:

    kk oso is gud, gr88 but can u guys answer some of my questions and if anyone does that i will really be gr8tfulllllll!!!!!!!!

    1.in the ending of the party the shandiliar falls on arjun rampal..then it cmes again on the top?does the aatma of deepa repair it send it at the top again??
    as reincarnation and that aatma vaatma stuff is the theme of the film i will nt qustion that!!!!!
    2.in the filmfare awards it is made fun of the (phir bhi dil hai nri n main bhi hu na).but does n’t arah khan realise that oso is also that type of naach gana film????????/

    3. in the song main agar kahoon .they start dancing in a big globe.(kkk i got it it was a dream sequence)but afterwrds srk starts singind suddenly in the voice of sonu nigam and deeps starts taking rounds n showing teeth..y suddenly???????

    4. n last i just want to confirm that when the new srk is born does the aatma frm the old srk get transferred to the new one.(if yes then wat a drama!!!!!!!!!)

  12. Comment by bij on 16 November 2007:

    thanks 4 being so truthful akshay,
    i have been seething in anger the way powerful have found a new way to get away with murder. with my family i saw oso first day first show. much i adore srk, i and 8 members of my family couldnt rate it more than 0.75 but were shocked to see how media has joined hands to promote this film as critics seemd to be doing farah’s job than theirs. is that the future of reliability of media that none is daring to speak truth. powerful like srk can manage everything and enough to declare a dud as a super success. is that the sign of things to come.

  13. Comment by Ms M on 19 November 2007:

    the 1st 1/2 was a bore but srk rocks in the 2nd 1/2 well done dude ur a * xoxo

  14. Comment by Anshuman Bose on 6 December 2007:

    Om Shanti Om or OSO is a good movie made by Main Hoon Naa director Farah Khan.SRK excels in the role of Om Prakash Makhija,a junior artist and is fabulous in the role of Om Kapoor or OK,a superstar of 2007.Deepika is good in the role of Shanti Priya,the superstar of the movie of 70s but is average in the role of Sandy.Arjun is good in the role of Mukesh Mehra,the villain of OSO and the producer of the 70s movie.Kirron is superb in the role of Bela Makhija,the filmy maa of Om Prakash Makhija.Shreyas is excellent in the role of Pappu Master,the helper and well wisher of Om.Javed is fantastic in the role of Rajesh Kapoor,a superstar of the 70s movie.The story:-
    Om Prakash Makhija is a junior artist who wants to become a superstar but has one problem which is his surname Makhija.He wants to get married to Shanti Priya but one day he notices Shanti going to her make up room where Om gets to know the truth of Shanti’s marriage with Mukesh and she is pregnant.He feels betrayed by Shanti in love.One day Mukesh burns up the whole RC studios along with Shanti in the Om Shanti Om set.Om tries to save Shanti but in that attempt dies.After the interval rebirth of Om Prakash Makhija happens where he is again born as Om Kapoor or OK,son of Rajesh Kapoor.After the Deewangi Deewangi song he meets the villain Mukesh who has become old.He decides to remake Om Shanti Om which for Mukesh became a dream only.Mukesh agrees but gets angry when he sees that OK has decided to make Om Shanti Om in the burned RC studios.In the climax Shanti’s ghost appears and tells that when the fire extinguished Mukesh came in the sets and buried Shanti alive under the chandelier.Mukesh dies.Shanti returns back to heaven.The movie is excellent though it is bit a copy of Subhash Ghai’s hit movie ‘KARZ’.

  15. Comment by AksFilmi on 6 December 2007:

    Thnx Anshuman for ur thgts on OSO may be chossed wrong thread to discuss:)

  16. Comment by Raunaq on 9 April 2008:

    If moronic ability is the yardstick for becoming a film critic, then, Akshay Shah, You’re right at the top.

    And, lest I forget, please GO TO HELL.

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