Om Shanti Om – Mere noise.

This is not a film review but the manifestation of indignation of a hardcore disillusioned fan…

It was with much anxiety and bated breath that I waited for SRK’s latest release Om Shanti Om (OSO). Being a hard core Shahrukh fan (which I became especially after watching movies like Swades, Don and Chak De), I went and watched the movie on the first day itself even though I knew that the story revolved around the age old tried, tested and decayed concept of rebirth and that the movie was made by none other than the famous director, Farah Khan whose previous movie was Main Hoon naa. Yes, in spite of all this, I went and watched the movie still thinking that there would be some offering from the director’s end which would make the movie viewable.

But hey…hang on. OSO disappoints. The movie is nothing but a mix of all ingredients – few good songs with one song starring almost 31 stars of Bollywood, another one in which SRK matches rhythm with chics in an item no. Dard-e-Disco showing off his six pack, huge sets, which resemble the 70’s era as the first half of the movie is set in that period, and are pretty good (credit goes to Art director, Sabu Cyril) and efforts by the rest of the crew who have put in a lot of hard work to give the movie a look of the 70’s with the heroes sporting side burns and wearing bell bottom pants etc.

But that’s it….A movie can’t be appreciated just because of the sets and a couple of good songs. How different is it from an album then? A film’s usp can’t be a song with 31 stars or a song that features SRK showing off his recently worked out body. But unfortunately that’s what OSO is. There is absolutely no stuff in the movie. Not a single scene or dialogue in the movie is worth remembering. Oh yeah….i remember one dialogue which the thespians keep mouthing throughout the movie, ( If someone wishes something genuinely, the entire universe will conspire and help him/her get that even to the extend of being born again to fulfill certain dreams, :) ). I am sure that Paulo Coelho must be turning in his grave.

It somehow appears that Farah has made the movie for herself. If you have a friend, who is a popular actor and lots of money with you, then you can make a movie and be guaranteed of the fact that you can make money. That’s what has happened. The duo (Farah and Shahrukh) it seems, don’t give a damn to what the viewers think. There was a recent interview in which she said “I don’t want Shahrukh to sit and cry in the movie. He is my hero. I want him to save the heroine, fly like a superhero and smash the villains”. Everybody can have his/her own idea about a hero but is film making just about giving shape to one’s thought however bizarre it may be or is it much more than that?

Of late, Bollywood has witnessed what can be called “media corporitization”. These corporate offices have taken up film production and distribution and hence the dynamics of movie making have completely changed. Marketing holds the key to the success of a movie is the new age maxim. Big production houses like Yash Raj spent a lot of money marketing their movies. Eros International, another big name was perhaps playing big for the first time in India tying up with Red Chillies Entertainment (SRK’s own production banner) and didn’t leave any stone unturned as far as marketing of OSO was concerned. But if you observe, there is a trend that is emerging. Most of these movies which are marketed in a big way lack the spine – a good story and a script. So marketing in fact makes up for all such lapses and helps package the movie in way that enthuses the audience to go and watch. Lo, behold. These strategies aren’t going to work in the long run. The last few Yash Raj films bombed in the box office. OSO might become a hit but definitely it’s not something that is worth emulating. Soon, the time would come when no amount of marketing and commoditization of movies would come to the rescue of movies that don’t have the spine.

PS: My dear friend, Rahul, I am confident that you will make a better movie; hehe. If you lack the confidence, go watch OSO. After all film making isn’t rocket science dude (Courtesy: Farah)