Emily FinlayOm Shanti Om
November 16th 2007 15:40
Om Shanti Om, a Bollywood film directed by Farah Khan, was released in India last week, and has enjoyed a cinema release here in Adelaide (Hinley Street), as well as a few other locations over the country. I dragged a few film-enthusiast friends along to it tonight, and I have to say it was one of the best cinema experiences I've had in recent memory.
I'm very new to Bollywood. I saw Farah Khan's other film, Main Hoon Na about three weeks ago, but both times I wandered away from the films in a mild state of euphoria, and asked my friends "Why can't all films be like this? Everyone would be so much happier!". The two films I've seen were very superficial and the plots go to great lengths to not make sense, but this works perfectly and seems to make a lot of sense in the context of the style. And they are so, so fun. Even the credits sequences are filled with song, dance and colour. Both this and Main Hoon Rah (I think thats the right spelling) were just a shade under 3 hours, but, woah! I don't think we stopped laughing throughout the entire film, and the (predominantly Indian) audience around us was getting very excited (especially during one dance number that involved no less than 35 major Indian movie stars). The main character is played by Shahrukh Khan, a man of almost unlimited charisma. As for the main actress, Deepika Padukone, I extend to her a sincere invitation to join Jessica Alba in a game of naked Twister in my dreams tonight.. Seriously, Google her. I can't pick a picture.
Describing the plot is a bit of a lost cause, and honestly I think people are better of hearing that a movie really works and then finding out the story themselves. It's three hours long, so a fair ol' bit happens. Of course, there's a lot of song and dance (these sequences are generally amazing) but one thing I never really realised about Bollywood is how violent it can get at times. People are shot, beaten severely, burnt to death and crushed. And it's funny. SO funny. Intentionally, too. It's the kind of movie where it seems to be somewhat acceptable to talk a little bit while watching it, so take along some friends with open minds and good senses of humour.
If you're fairly into Bollywood, you likely already know about this, but if you've never experienced it, I emplore you to give Om Shanti Om a shot. You're bound to have a fun time.
Describing the plot is a bit of a lost cause, and honestly I think people are better of hearing that a movie really works and then finding out the story themselves. It's three hours long, so a fair ol' bit happens. Of course, there's a lot of song and dance (these sequences are generally amazing) but one thing I never really realised about Bollywood is how violent it can get at times. People are shot, beaten severely, burnt to death and crushed. And it's funny. SO funny. Intentionally, too. It's the kind of movie where it seems to be somewhat acceptable to talk a little bit while watching it, so take along some friends with open minds and good senses of humour.
If you're fairly into Bollywood, you likely already know about this, but if you've never experienced it, I emplore you to give Om Shanti Om a shot. You're bound to have a fun time.
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Anonymous
You must be really new in the tinsel world and pretty naive also. How about hollywood...violence
inserting a bomb in someone 's anus? or let the guy burn..for 30 sec then shoot him...AMERICAN GANSTER..
Man raping MAn...need I say more?
Who are you kidding here?
Comment by Jickle
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I've only seen ones where they sing a lot, something dramatic happens, the lovers can't be together and the film is three hours long....
Tracy
Comment by Nish
Anyway, I watched the movie and it was not as funny as u make it to be...It had its moments,but it had quite a bit of flaws...can somebody plz explain to me how nobody in the movie thought it weird that Om got reincarnated? it was like SRK: "I am the reincarnated Om" n everybody's like "great!" n moving on.....who the hell believes that?even om didnt think he was going crazy?hmmm