RNBDJ-One more good review from DNA India.

A still from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak
Directed by: Aditya Chopra
Rating: ***

Last week, I spotted Aditya Chopra at a multiplex. The maverick filmmaker is known to make a trip to cinema halls every week and watch the audience react to all films — romantic, comic, or downright sleazy.

Although I was itching to go and chat with him, I wanted to give the man what he likes — his privacy — something he has been guarding fiercely since the release of his first film, the eternal blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ). After all, in spite of all his extraordinary achievements, Aditya prefers the life of an ordinary man, in some ways like Surinder Sahni in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ).

Surinder (Shah Rukh Khan, who else?) is a 9-to-5 man: simple, unheroic, and ageing. Circumstances compel him to marry Taani (Anushka Sharma, perfect casting), after she loses her lover in an accident.

Taani surrenders herself to be a duty-bound wife, complying with tradition and being the perfect spouse in every way possible. But she can never love Surinder, she tells him a day after their marriage. Surinder, having fallen head-over-heals for Taani, has no hope of her ever developing feelings for him due to his ordinary looks and nature.

But he has to tell her how much he loves her, and he needs an outlet. Surinder then transforms into Raj, who is everything Surinder isn't. Loud, flamboyant, and sometimes vulgar, Surinder lives the life he always wanted to through Raj. He gets to flirt with Taani, be her partner in a dance competition, and express his love in a way he can never imagine doing as Surinder.

The problem arises when Taani starts falling in love with Raj. Although Raj is really Surinder's alter ego, Taani doesn't know that and her loving Raj reflects the lack of her desire to be with Surinder.

Aditya Chopra keeps it simple. The film is not very high on grandeur, style, and designer clothes and revolves mainly around the two characters, or three if you take into account Shah Rukh's dual roles. Aditya doesn't deviate much from the plot and sticks to a linear form of storytelling. Having said that, the single-track nature of the story also makes it a tad too long at 2 hours 45 minutes. The same story, told in a little over two hours, would have done wonders.

But you have to hand it to Aditya for attempting a love story that is drastically different from the one with which he set a trend more than a decade ago. Coming back after a gap of eight years, Aditya has chosen a subject that may not set the cash registers ringing in the way that, say, an Om Shanti Om did. But he tells the heartwarming love story of a middle-class, middle-aged man in a way that needs to be applauded for its minimalism. It reflects the director's own maturity as a person and in spite of not being as engrossing as DDLJ, the film manages to keep you entertained.

Certain sequences, of course, are outstanding. The build-up to Surinder's character, his transformation into Raj, and moments between the husband and wife at home are brilliant. A surprise 'bike' sequence is among the film's highlights. But the biggest highlight is Shah Rukh gyrating with some of today's top heroines (we won't name anyone, you go and find out yourself) to a medley of songs from Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand to Rajesh Khanna, Shammi, and Rishi Kapoor. That sequence is certain to bring the house down. In fact, the song is a clear indication of Shah Rukh's star power and could do for the movie what Mere Angne Main did for Amitabh Bachchan and Laawaris.

Just like Aditya has taken a road less travelled for his comeback, Shah Rukh has performed a role that must have required tremendous introspection. As Surinder, he plays it down and delivers a performance that is among the best in Hindi cinema. As 'lover boy' Raj though, he is on familiar ground; the earthy accent and walk are what give the role a distinct style. In other words, Shah Rukh surpasses himself in many ways and provides his fans with a paisa vasool performance.

Anushka Sharma seems tailor-made for the role and stands up well to Shah Rukh. She is sweet and vulnerable in the movie, and you wish that her career does not slump like Gracy Singh's did after Lagaan. Vinay Pathak, as Surinder's best friend, is competent as usual.

In the end, RNBDJ is a veritable treat for Shah Rukh fans. Simpler than DDLJ and superior to Mohabbatein, the film re-establishes Aditya Chopra as one of the best in the industry. Give this one a shot!

g_aniruddha@dnaindia.net