The story by Mayur Puri, Mushtaq Shehikh and Farah Khan is certainly an ambitious one. Reincarnation is a genre that is rarely attempted today, and certainly not in such an extravagant manner. The first half is laced with light-hearted comic moments, which flow at a leisurely pace evoking enough moments of laughter. Just as the pace slackens, the momentum picks up with the turn of events pre interval. Expectation soar for the second half. Like the first half, the second half too starts with fun and frolic. There are scattered moments where Om is plagued by the memories of his past however it’s not until the entry of Mukesh Mehra that the pace picks up again. However from that moment to the climax the movie falls apart as it simply goes from zany to absurd. The sequence of events leading up to the climax including the stunningly choreographed DASTAAN-E-OM SHANTI OM liven the proceedings however the finale is a letdown. The twist in the end does offer a nice touch though it’s a case of too little too late.
The screenplay feels disjointed here. The transition between the 70’s homage’s and modern day spoof simply doesn’t merge with the main plot, and often overshadows the main story of the movie. The love story between Om and Shantipriya never strikes the kind of chord with the viewer that it should, hence the entire revenge angle in the second half lacks impact. Furthermore the confused characterization of Sandy( Deepika Padukone again) adds to the woes.
As far as direction goes, I would firstly like to give Farah Khan full credit for attempting a movie of such a high magnitude. What Farah’s trying to achieve here is certainly not an easy task, and being brutally honest she’s bitten off more than she can chew here. On one level she’s paying homage to the Film Industry and stars of the 70’s era as well as spoofing the current era, and while I don’t agree with her vision of 70’s cinema, she seems most comfortable in this arena. Right from the sparkling introductory sequence with the yesteryear chart-buster “Om Shanti Om” blazing on screens with the evergreen Rishi Kapoor crooning and dancing away with Shahrukh Khan taking off from where Rishi left off midway through to the DHOOM TAANA song sequence with Deepika sharing screen space with the likes of Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra and Rajesh Khanna. Some of the jokes like the hilarious Manoj Kumar sequence hit the mark, while the others ooze over-indulgence and fail to hit the mark. The second half too is scattered with such moments, the entire buildup to the Filmfare sequence with stars like Amitabh, Hrithik Roshan, Rakesh Roshan, Shabana Azmi and many more making a split second appearance as they enter the functions sets the scene for whats to follow. The Best Actor Nominations, which follow, is no doubt one of the biggest highlights of the movie and the audience reaction to these was tremendous. Abhishek Bachchan’s DHOOM 5, Akshay Kumar’s RETURN OF THE KHILADI and Shahrukh Khan’s PHIR BHI DIL HAI N.R.I bought the house down and it’s superlative to see these stars taking a dig at themselves. The DEEWANGI DEEWANGI track that follows is the icing on top as a galaxy of stars including Zayed Khan, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Tusshar Kapoor, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol, Vidya Balan , Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Shilpa Shetty, Taboo, Urmila, Rekha, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Karishma Kapoor, and Suniel Shetty swing a leg with Shahrukh Khan, though the picture does seem somewhat incomplete without Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Akshaye Khanna, John Abraham, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and many more. One cannot deny Farah’s penchant for directing dazzlingly extravagant song sequences, and after the title track of HEYY BABYY (which too had a galaxy of gorgeous actress shaking a leg with King Kumar and cronies) to the MAST KALANDAR this is yet another feather in her cap.
On another level she’s paying a homage to Manmohan Desai’s brand of masala cinema from the 70’s, and unlike MAIN HOON NA where she perfectly captured the mood and feel of the era and the genre she was making, here she fails simply because the characters fail to connect with the viewers, and in the end one doesn’t really care about Om or Shantipriya which is certainly not what Desai’s cinema was all about. Also often it seems that the cast and crew of the movie are having a ton of fun, but the fun doesn’t translate to screen very well.
And lastly she’s directing a reincarnation film, a genre that is rarely attempted in today’s times, though one which Indian Cinema is all too familiar with as classics like MADHUMATI, KARZ, KUDRAT up to KARAN ARJUN remain fresh in the viewers minds. There are key elements and expectations one has from a reincarnation film. The death sequence need to have a lingering effect on the viewer, the flashback sequences where the person being reincarnated is haunted by his past memories need to have a spine-tingling effect and lastly the “realization” moment must be perfectly times in order for the revenge in the finale to hit it’s maximum potential. OM SHANTI OM fails on most of these counts. The death sequence in the first half has been gorgeously executed and despite the breath-taking visuals it fails to leave a lingering effect. The flashback sequences in the second half are tame, and more diaapointingly the realization scene fails to leave a mark as it comes across as rushed. The sequences leading up to the finale are simply absurd to say the least, and while I understand this is a fun-filled “masala” film where the viewer is required to suspend belief, these scenes bore the viewer until the DASTAAN E OM SHANTI OM song. That song right up to the climax has been superbly executed, though I felt the movie finished way too quickly, and again it seemed like Farah was in a rush to get in to her rather crafty end credits. Furthermore, the first half and second half never quiet come together like they should, and there is a definite under whelming sense of disappointment. Mrs Khan, while I simply admire your visual sense of creativity, next time please remember to concentrate on your MAIN story as well. Dazzling visuals and stunning spoofs can only cover up the lack of a cohesive screenplay and flat direction to a certain extent…better luck next time!
As far as performances go the movie is a disappointment. Shahrukh Khan delivers a flat performance. In recent times I’ve appreciated his performance in KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNAA, DON and CHAK DE INDIA, however here he sleepwalks through what is undeniably one of the biggest movie’s of his career. Outright massy comedy has never been Shahrukh Khan’s comedy, and it certainly shows. Granted he’s enacting a junior artist from the 70’s, however apart from the “Bhaago” sequence which has already been shown in the promos, his performance leaves a lot to be desired for and Shahrukh overacts horribly. The usual zest, charm and energy usually associated with Shahrukh Khan too is evidently missing here. The second half too is the same, and despite looking a million bucks with his much hyped new 6-pack his performance is disinterested and dull.
Deepika Padukone is a revelation, and although I’ve fallen in “lust” countless times over the years, this is the first time in a long time I can truly say that I’m in love. The girl is absolutely stunningly gorgeous and one look or smile from her is enough to set hearts aflutter. She has an electric presence, and stuns the viewer with her confidence, delivery and grace which is quiet a feat given it’s her debut performance. Her performance in the second half is a disappointment on the other hand, and the fault clearly lies with the poor characterization that she’s been given which ends up confusing the viewer. With the right movies this girl will definitely be one of India’s top actresses. Arjun Rampal is fantastic! I kid you not, but in my humble opinion he’s the star of the show here playing the evil villain with absolute relish and eating up the screen with his devilish presence. His performance is an instant reminder to the classic villains of a bygone era and Rampal makes one of the slickest “filmi” villains I’ve seen in recent times. His get-up and re-entrance in the second half elevates the movie several notches and he walks away with the limelight in the scenes he shares with Shahrukh as well. Quiet a feat given Rampal’s last few performances in KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNAA, I SEE YOU and DON left a lot to be desired for.
Shreyas Talpade gives an amiable performance and manages to hold his own. His timing is excellent, and one wishes he had more footage in the second half. Kirron Kher is excellent as always and hits all the right notes. Shahwar Ali, Satish Shah and Jawed Shehikh are adequate in their small roles. Bindu grates on the viewers nerves. Technically the movie is outstanding and deserves a standing ovation, if for anything, the movie can be watched once for it’s technical brilliance. V. Manikanandan’s camerawork is mind-blowing, and he captures both eras with elegance, opulence and grandeur. Surreal! Sabu Cyrill’s artwork is quiet easily one of his best to date. Shirish Kunder’s editing is good, though one wishes the second half had been trimmed more as the movie starts to drag.
Vishal-Shekhar’s music is excellent. All the songs in the movie have been magnificently picturizsed and no doubt one of the biggest USP’s of the movie. The AJAB SI sequence leaves a mesmerising effect on the viewer and comes in just at the right time. The DHOOM TAANA sequence is a treat to watch for it’s imaginative picturization. JAG SOONA SOONA LAGE is melodious to the core. The DARD-E-DISCO track fails to leave much of an impact though Shahrukh’s female fans will certainly be more than impressed. The DASTAAN E OM SHANTI OM is absolutely amazing from the execution, and lyrical point of view as it tells a story within the song a lot like “Ek Haseena Thi” in KARZ. The best song of the lot is no doubt DEEWANGI DEEWANGI which is no doubt an “event” as such to watch on it’s own though. Furthermore Farah Khan the choreographer is in top-notch form and often it seems she’s focussed more on the choreography than on the story telling. Sandeep Chowta’s background score is outstanding and it’s fabulous to see Chowta back at work.
All up where does that leave OM SHANTI OM? Well there is enough in the movie to warrant one watch, however the movie definitely falls way below expectations, and by no means is it the entertainer of all entertainers. In her attempt to show off her creative ingenuity Farah has lost focus on the core story that she’s telling, and as I said before, she bites off more than she can chew. So is that the end for the reincarnation genre? Certainly not! In the hands of the right director this is a genre that still holds a lot of potential, however Farah Khan simply isn’t that director. Disappointing!
Final Rating: * * ¾
