Film Review: PK

#PK touched my heart

Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Sushant Singh Rajput, Saurabh Shukla, Boman Irani, Parikshit Sahani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani

I was a trifle hesitant to go see the movie in the theatre after watching the promos for PK. Aamir Khan with wide open eyes that forgot to blink kind of put me off. But then the film is by Rajkumar Hirani. I loved Munnabhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munna Bhai & 3 Idiots. As I was oscillating, unable to decide whether ‘to see or not to see’, Venkat told me that Aamir Khan plays an alien in the film. That clinched the deal. I had to see the film. That’s how Venkat, Viggy and I landed up at Cinemax Sion for a 11 o’clock show on Saturday night. 

THE STORY

PK (Aamir Khan) travels through space from a distant galaxy and lands on the deserts of Rajasthan, buck naked. The only thing he’s wearing is a neckpiece, a brilliant green medal that’s actually a remote control that will help him recall his spaceship when he needs to go back home. Within a few minutes of landing, a local steals his neckpiece and PK (not named yet) is stranded on earth.

Jagat Janani aka Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) is studying in Belgium and that’s where she meets Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput), a Pakistani. They fall in love and move in together. When she tells her parents about her love, her father (Parikshit Sahani) insists on consulting the family astrologer-advisor Tapasvi Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla). The Maharaj plays on people’s fears and insists that he has a direct dialogue with the Creator. His prediction that Sarfaraz will ditch Jaggu comes true when he stands her up on their wedding day. 

Jaggu is refused entry into her home when she returns to Delhi. She lives by herself and works for a TV channel. Hunting for stories, she meets PK who fascinates her. But is he what he is claiming he is? 

MY PERCEPTION

Rajkumar Hirani has done it again. Instead of going the Hollywood way and presenting aliens as horrible, negative creatures, he has presented PK as a Highly Evolved Being. A special Kudos for that to the director!

The story goes back and forth connecting the incidents that lead to a meeting between Jaggu and PK. While the first half is totally hilarious, there were times that I shed a few tears for the wonderful soul who is visiting the earth and is caught up in our quarrels and dishonesty. The character of PK is built beautifully and Aamir Khan has given an outstanding performance. 

Anushka Sharma has always been an excellent actress and I must say that this is her best so far. Congratulations!

Sushant Singh Rajput has done very well in his cameo as Sarfaraz. While Boman Irani, Sanjay Dutt and Parikshit Sahani have small roles, they were important enough to keep the story going. Good show guys!

Saurabh Shukla as the mean and cheating Tapasvi Maharaj has given a super performance. Shukla has been seen in a variety of character roles and he has been consistently great in each performance. Awesome! 

The music was soothing. This is typical of Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions and I find it a loveable trait. Though I heard most of the songs for the first time, both the lyrics and tune were too good and added to the film’s value.

One thing that struck me was that some of the dialogues overlapped with those in OMG Oh My God! I agree that both films promote similar messages. I only wish that they had checked things out and stretched that little bit extra to make it completely different. It doesn’t take away from PK being a great film though.  

I like a creative work – both books and films – that makes me emote. Whether it’s joy, love, anger or vengeance, it should touch my heart. PK did that to me. Need I say more?

VERDICT: A Must-see

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy
*****Super

Film Review: FERRARI KI SAWAARI

I somehow felt that they forgot to get an editor or if they had one, he/she forgot their scissors at home

Cast: Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Ritwik Sahore, Paresh Rawal, Satyadeep Mishra,
Director: Rajesh Mapuskar

STORY: Rustam (Sharman Joshi) is a head clerk at the RTO office and absolutely straightforward. While his father Debo (Boman Irani) is a couch potato. Rustam’s son is 12-year-old Kayo (Ritvik Sahore) who plays terrific cricket for such a tender age. Only the three men are part of the household where Kayo’s mother has passed on. Rustam is very particular about the values he teaches his son – he not only preaches but lives ‘honesty’. The family runs on Rustam’s single income while he does the household chores too. He breaks the family piggy bank to gather funds to buy a new bat for Kayo. Under these circumstances, Kayo lands an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go for a cricket coaching workshop at Lord’s, London. While Kayo’s cricket coach (Satyadeep Mishra) is doing his best to keep Kayo away from the scene – he is fully aware of their financial circumstances – the child does get selected. It’s Rustam who is keener that his son goes to the workshop, more than Kayo. Will he be able to get the funds together? Watch the hilarity and pathos weaving together as Rustam does the best by his son. Will Kayo go to Lord’s?

MY PERCEPTION: As I saw in a number of reviews, it’s true that the middle-class will be able to relate to the struggles faced by Rustam and Kayo. Most of the children who have dreams of becoming something must be undergoing this kind of an experience in a country like India. This is the film’s USP.

Boman Irani is a veteran and he has performed very well. Ritvik Sahore was excellent as Sharman Joshi’s son and Boman’s grandson. The values that the film brings to the fore – most of which is missing in kids nowadays – is nothing short of excellent.

Ritvik Sahore is neat and plays a great role. The way he is first angry with his grandfather and later gets close – all thanks to Rustam’s way of handling situations – were portrayed perfectly. More than all this, there is this dialogue that he speaks to his father about becoming a great cricketer while practising from home. While the words must have been written by a scriptwriter, the child says them in the correct fashion without sounding like an adult. That is some feat, I realise. I salute Ritvik on this score.

Sharman Joshi is an excellent actor and has given an excellent performance of a Bawa male who lives with his father and son and runs the house singlehandedly. His expressions were perfect for the role he plays. What I did not like is when he sheds so many tears. True, there were a number of emotional sequences, but there is something known as overdoing – well, that has what has happened in this film.

Satyadeep Mishra as Kayo’s coach is worth a mention. He has done a neat job of his role.

One thing I have to mention about the cinematography. The angles of Mumbai that have been portrayed in the film are nothing short of amazing. All the areas shown, especially from above, are simply gorgeous. Kudos!

The sequence with the wedding ceremony conducted by the Koli corporator was well made.

But, and there is a huge BUT here…

The film does not deserve screen space for more than an hour and a half while it drags on for 2 hrs. 20 minutes. That’s 50 minutes too long. The story has only so much to say. You can’t keep dragging and hammering the same situation again and again. The audience will tend to get bored.

I somehow felt that they forgot to get an editor or if they had one, he/she forgot their scissors at home. Problem after problem after problem being dragged out slowly can be quite torturous. This is a fast moving world and we want to get things going at that pace.

The script could have been way shorter. While the humour with Sachin Tendulkar’s servant and security guard was good, it could have been made tight. The actors themselves have performed well.

The film is probably doing fantastically well more because people – like me and my family – are under the impression that it has been directed by Rajkumar Hirani. That is not so. The director is Rajesh Mapuskar.

I have to mention here that Vidya Balan’s item number was excellent despite her growing bulk. Good one, Vidya!

Why haven’t I mentioned Paresh Rawal? Because there is nothing worth mentioning.

VERDICT: It is definitely worth a watch for the values that brings to you and for Ritvik Sahore.

RATING: **1/2 (as it is not Smart enough)

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy
*****Super