||FAN Reviews & BOX OFFICE Update|| #2 - Page 5

Originally posted by: ZanduBaaM

<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="3">Then my taste of movie is diff than them😉but if you a SRK Fan then some ofdialogue will hit you hardMood kharab hone ke puriguarantee hai ... epic insult of King Khan ..even i am not his fan but i feel bad.</font>

Fan

Our Hindi film stars have been quite reclusive when it comes to change their looks on screen. Right from the rise of stars and superstars, these actors hardly tried to change their looks in order to match up to their characters. There were several reasons for them to not experiment as almost every star of that time was doing multiple films at the same time thus making it impossible for them to change their looks. Then there were few who feared that they might not look great on the silver screen. Though, one can remember stars like Dharmendra (Razia Sultan', Ghazab', Seeta Aur Geeta'), Sanjeev Kumar (Chehre Pe Chehre', Naya Din Nayi Raat', Jaani Dushman'), Shashi Kapoor (Utsav'), Rajendra Kumar (Gora Aur Kala'), Sunil Dutt ('36 Ghante') and few more who dared to move ahead over their dashing looks. Though, the multiplex era changed a lot for many actors, especially superstars like Aamir Khan and few more who daringly ventured into experimenting with their looks based on the character they were playing. Actors like Amitabh Bachchan (Paa'), Rishi Kapoor (Kapoor & Sons'), Kamal Hassan (Chachi 420') and few more raised the bar by trying the prosthetic way and appearing in totally unrecognizable manner. The latest to join this elite group is Shah Rukh Khan with his film Fan'. Right from its launch and the promo, there has been a high level of curiosity and excitement to watch something different. So let's find out, whether Fan' will add another feather in the cap of Shah Rukh Khan the actor or might be among all those films where there is nothing much besides the unique one liner concept.

Fan' is a story of Gaurav (Shah Rukh Khan), who is a die-hard fan of superstar Aryan Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan). Gaurav loves to idolize his superstar and keeps enacting Aryan Khanna's dialogues, dance steps, and performances. After winning a local competition, Gaurav decides to personally dedicate his trophy to his superstar. He sets out for Mumbai to celebrate Aryan Khanna's birthday but fails to meet his idol. In the heat of his fanism, Gaurav does something wrong, just to grab the attention of his superstar. Aryan Khanna comes to know about Gaurav's deed and fails to acknowledge him. This breaks the heart of Gaurav the die-hard fan, due to which he decides to teach Aryan Khanna a lesson. What happens next is what the entire film is all about.

The story is interesting and exciting. Though, it has some minor shades from an international film followed by a small track featuring Dharmendra in Jagdeep's Soorma Bhopali'. But besides these minor references Fan' rides high on its own merits. The movie starts with the introduction of Gaurav's fanboy moments for Aryan Khanna with nostalgic references of real life footage of Shah Rukh Khan followed by his scenes from films like Deewana', Baazigar', Darr', Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and more. Right from this first frame till the interval part the movie is outstanding. You will love every frame of it and connect with the fan moments of Gaurav along with his feelings and emotions. Scenes such as Gaurav being teased as photocopy, Gaurav's superb performance as Junior Aryan Khanna in the fair with help of his parents, Gaurav's journey to meet Aryan followed by watching his idol for the first time, Gaurav getting call from Aryan Khanna, Gaurav trying to escape from the hotel, Gaurav's first meet with Aryan Khanna at the police station and few more keeps you glued to the silver screen. Sadly, the second half of the movie moves towards the thriller element, where the thrill part keeps fading away at frequent intervals. Everything in the film's second half was very easily shown without any hardship, due to which it seemed fake and unconvincing. Also, the movie goes on a repetitive mode in the second half followed by dragging and stretched finale. The screenplay too, in the last part of the film, was confusing and half-baked. The fights seemed never ending and fail to register. The whole point and purpose of the film seemed diluted in the finale. The cinematography is good and the locations of Dubrovnik will be liked for the chase scene.

The movie is a song less film and people will miss the Jabra Fan' song. Background music by Andrea Guerra works in the favor of the film.

Director Maneesh Sharma comes up with a brilliant concept and highly succeeds in establishing its main plot line. He gives us a fabulous first half which can be added to the list of great films from our country but fails to carry it forward in the second half. The thriller part lacked the excitement as we had seen in Darr' or Baazigar'. It was just that the movie was going on and on without any excitement and conviction factor. He fails to do justice to the character of Gaurav in the finale part where the whole purpose of the film gets diluted due to the half-baked script. Except for the photo gallery of Gaurav in the end credits, you fail to feel for him as the movie ends. It's a huge opportunity loss for Maneesh as this movie had full potential to join among the best films from our country.

Shah Rukh Khan as Gaurav is flawless. He unlearns all his traditional mannerisms and what you see on screen is not SRK but Gaurav the die-hard fan. The spark in his eyes and the smile on his face is the perfect example of what a fine actor Shah Rukh Khan is. His performance will remind you of films like Darr' and Duplicate'. Kudos to see this ace actor back after a long time, trying out something daringly different. Sadly, in the role of Aryan Khanna the superstar, there is nothing new to watch. Shriya Pilgaonkar lends good support along with Deepika Amin and Yogendra Tiku. Sayani Gupta is wasted.

So on an overall basis, Fan' has a great concept with a fantastic performance by Shah Rukh Khan as Gaurav. Every fan of Shah Rukh Khan will say for sure that move aside Raj & Rahul, as now its Gaurav's turn to rule their heart. I would have given full stars for the first half of the film. Sadly, the movie fails to match up with this brilliant acting and ends up among all those films where there is nothing left after the revelation of its unique story line. The movie had full potential to be among Shah Rukh Khan's best films as an actor. Still, despite its flaws and failing to match up to the expectations level, it's a must watch for all Shah Rukh Khan's (the superstar and the actor) fans.

http://www.cinemarkets.com/Page_three/review_detail/fan-1-cine-review

Fan: SRK returns to form

• Namrata Joshi

It's rarely that I have seen an audience step out of the theatre so sombrely after a Shah Rukh Khan movie. Perhaps it's the mood and flow of the film - it isn't quite as light hearted and feel good as SRK starrers are preordained to be. Fan is completely out of SRK's comfort zone. There is hardly any romance, not a single song, little to laugh about. Instead there's lots of action, chases (on the walls of Mumbai buildings, Dubrovnik roofs and finally Delhi roads) and unbridled emotions of the very dark and serious kinds in a film that is all about a fan's pursuit of the star and then the star trying to hunt down the fan. And SRK takes a huge stride forward to make the twin roles of Gaurav Chanana and Aryan Khanna his very own in a way that you can't imagine anyone else quite fitting the bill.

Years ago, in an interview, SRK had told me, "I do walks for my films that nobody notices. This is the bane of my life. I do walks to prepare my characters and no one takes note of the ******* serious actor in me." Few would be able to ignore the serious actor in him in Fan. He goes method acting with Gaurav, gives him a distinct gait and mannerisms and the typically Dilli' way of talking. He plays to the gallery with him, the underdog you keep rooting for despite his transgressions. It marks a return of the most beloved of his flawed personae of yore " Kabhi Haan Kabhie Naa, Yes Boss, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman " cast in a different, more devious Darr and Baazigar mould.

The entire first half goes in setting up Gaurav, at times quite heavily and tediously so. But you still enjoy it all for what the film does with SRK's own 25-year-long stardom " how it creates a new entity of this Fan from bits and pieces of his own earlier avatars. No wonder the wistful channelling of SRK's journey as the star, with the old clips, make perfect sense here. It doesn't irritate like the pointless homages and referencing some other recent YRF films have been prone to doing.

The makers very interestingly also play with the fans in the audience. There would be many who would travel without ticket on a train to Mumbai and stay in room number 205 at Delight hotel in Charni Road and then soon realise the illusions and delusions of their love for a star. As Gaurav himself says: "Kitna bhi chilla lo awaaz jaati nahin us tak (However much you may scream, your voice won't reach him)." Isn't it SRK talking to his fans when he tells them that he is nothing without them and then again when he tells Gaurav to be more than just a fan?

Gaurav may hog the screen but for me Aryan Khanna, the star in descent (with a new guy Sid Kapoor on the rise), is perhaps even more interesting, both as a character and as the star that we have known SRK as lately. The plastic home, wife and kids notwithstanding there is a restlessness, an edginess, a certain dark sense of humour about Aryan, the star who hasn't quite faded but could be on the verge of imminent oblivion in the future. It rings a bell. The scene in which he finds himself alone in an auditorium which ideally should be full of fans tellingly captures the star at crossroads. In the figure of Aryan, the film invokes a star in search of a reinvention while reinventing the star who plays the role, ie SRK himself.

While my stand on SRK is unequivocal, the reaction to the film remains conflicted - a bit like how the film ends. There is a sense of completion, of things coming a full circle and yet a feeling of loss. As though something still remains missing. The inexplicable extremities of the two characters, their egos and eccentricities, left me a bit incredulous as did the fact that no one intrudes in the conflict between the two (in fact the cops of both London and Mumbai don't care to listen to the star in trouble) and that Gaurav boldly manages to go wherever he wants to with no one stopping him. But then, had there been more logic there would have been no film. There is lot else of significance that lies scattered all over the film, about the star-fan binary specially, which somehow doesn't come together well cohesively.

Having said that, one thing is quite clear: SRK couldn't have found a better vehicle than Fan, both as an actor and as a celebration of the highs and the lows of his own stardom. A stardom whose enormity he'd himself find difficult to wrap around his head. As Gaurav tells him: "Rehn de. Tu nahin samjhega (Let it be, you won't understand)." Will stars ever understand their fandom? Not quite. Nor will some logical journalists like yours truly.

One last point. However much Maneesh may travel from Dilli to Mumbai, London and Dubrovnik, the Capital culture (West Delhi to be precise) firmly stays by his side and in his frames. It's in the lovely lingo " "one way wali girlfriend"" in the nostalgia for watching films at Delite, Novelty, Golcha. Why, he even sets up Gaurav's shop in the same marketplace as the one shown in Band Baaja Baarat. No wonder this crib then " that sohan halwa from Ghantewala wasn't sohan halwa at all, it was actually karachi halwa.

For over 23 years now, we've been in love with one man named SHAH RUKH KHAN. Mimicking him, dancing to his songs, miming his dialogues, we've all done it all. Beyond all of it, we have all desired to meet the man himself, hug him and call him our own. We've all been FANS. Proud ones. Crazy ones. And then we meet Gaurav!

Meet the FAN

Gaurav Chandna (Shah Rukh Khan) from Indravihar Delhi is obessesed with his idol, Aryan Khanna (Shah Rukh Khan again). Gaurav has all traits of a die-hard fan and is also called Jr. Aryan Khanna. Posters, pictures, dialogues, lyrics, imitation, he has done it all. Finally, he manages to win the local acting competition along with the cash prize of Rs. 20000.

Gaurav heads with this money to Mumbai, exactly the way Aryan did to meet his superstar on his birthday. But when he finds himself amongst a sea of fans for just one man, he is disappointed to have not been able to meet him. Gaurav is the fan that thinks that he is as a part of his superstar's life as the superstar is of his. To serve his obsession, Gaurav takes a crooked path to meet Aryan Khanna. The outcome of which is that he feels betrayed by his idol, his God. He is no more Jr. Aryan Khanna. He is only Gaurav, a bitter, wounded fan who wants to show his power to the superstar. There the tale takes a twist! It's GAURAV vs ARYAN.

Or rather

SRK- The Actor vs SRK- The Superstar

AND IT'S TOUGH TO DECIDE WHO WINS!

Every Shah Rukh Khan film is like a festival. There is much euphoria, excitement and buzz surrounding the films each time. Last few years have been a peak of this excitement with heightening publicity, rise in social media and sheer genius of marketing. With films like Chennai Express, Happy New Year and Dilwale being major disappointments for the superstar's fans, it was the trailer of his latest- FAN that brought back hope!

FAN as a film is thrilling, surprising and unconventional. 2hrs 22minutes and no song in the film. It's a gripping screenplay that with some masterful execution that results in some phenomenal on screen enigma.

Starting with credits to Greg Cannon, the make up artist who gave us Gaurav Channa of Shah Rukh Khan, the character builds along a long way. It's all about Gaurav.

LET ME SAY THIS, GAURAV SETS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR SHAH RUKH KHAN- THE ACTOR. You can see him on screen, relate to his nave acts, enjoy his tomfoolery, share his enthusiasm and feel his pain as if it were your own. SRK has given every ounce of brilliance to Gaurav- the body language, the energy, the slur, the wickedness. EVERYTHING.

We already do love SRK- The Superstar!

What is notable and worth applauding is the writing and characterization that sketches flaws and shades of grey in both the fan and the superstar. The megalomania, the ego trips, the temper, the right to ownership, the fear, there's everything.

The ladies Shriya, Waluscha have a well-fit role in the film. Both with a character that makes a difference.

One of the most notable aspects in the film is the chase sequence. I think they're overdone in both length and occurrence. The film has 3 chase sequences. The chase sequence in Dubrovnik was my favorite and quite a sight to watch. However, it was too long! The film could've easily been 15minutes shorter of duration and still been as impactful.
There are areas where the film goes through slumber, but these are tiny pot holes in a larger grand picture.

The VFX takes the film to another level. Mind you, Shah Rukh Khan is truly up to something with RedChillies VFX!

The silent hero of the film definitely was the mastermind Maneesh Sharma! No song or dance or corny dialogues, you made a film with a team of performers and a story. Beyond all you made the entire experience look flamboyant, international and fabulous!

Most importantly, the film questions the entire position and philosophy of both FANDOM & STARDOM! It's no cake walk! To be an admirer or to be an individual achiever? The film subtly touches across so many points of the glorious and the gory and the greys! How legit is the idea of admiration? To the level of obsession? How legit is the idea of desire? To what extent? The film leaves it for you to think and decide for yourselves.

PS. It's a good time to say that Shah Rukh Khan is catching up with the new age filmmaking!

WE LOVE YOU SHAH RUKH KHAN!

*time to dance*