RNBDJ All reviews here. - Page 3

Emirates Business 24|7

By Bindu Rai on Friday, December 12, 2008

After two hit pairings and an eight-year sabbatical, director Aditya Chopra finally comes out of hibernation to wield the director's baton yet again with superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The result is the highly anticipated Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, a film that could very well return production house Yash Raj Films (YRF) to its former glory after a spate of flops over the last two years, including the much-touted Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Tashan.

The good news for the YRF camp is Chopra's impeccable box-office record. His directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) is the fifth most successful film of all-time in Bollywood, reportedly earning Rs1 billion, and is still running to a packed house in Mumbai's Maratha Mandir cinema.

With that Guinness Book record tucked away on his mantle, his follow-up Mohabbatein (2000) was something of a cult classic in colleges across India.

Prospects seem positive and with Rab Ne..., Chopra plays it safe, returning to the romance genre that once defined YRF – complete with chiffon saris billowing in the breeze to the backdrop of soulful music. A modern take on Beauty and the Beast, post-marriage that is, the film sees SRK play simpleton Surinder Sahni, a nobody whose life revolves around his unexciting job.

His life takes a sudden turn when he spots the fun-loving Taani (newcomer Anushka Sharma) and falls instantly in love. The duo promptly tie the knot but their yawning age gap and their different outlook on life drives a wedge between their search for marital bliss.

Helpless and confused, Surinder overhears his wife's wish to participate in a reality dance contest for couples; Taani is heartbroken because his embarrassing ways won't allow her to fulfill the dream. The solution is a no-brainer and husband dear undergoes a makeover to get them on the show and dance his way into her heart.

Seeped in predictability, the film still manages to shine, thanks to SRK's performance and his chemistry with Sharma. For a newcomer, the latter really knows how to make the camera capture her good side.

How well the film will perform globally is anyone's guess, but even with the Dubai International Film Festival in full swing here, tickets for the film in the Emirate are more or less sold out.

http://www.business24-7.ae/articles/2008/12/pages/12122008_82494f8849644d5ea240d7dfddc16f88.aspx

'RNBDJ': It's SRK, all the way!

Review by Deepa Gahlot

There was a time when audiences were as innocent as cinema technique was primitive. Filmmakers relied on the audience's total suspension of disbelief as they drew them into an emotional web and kept them hooked till the end. When they came out they were all teary-eyed or goofy-grinned—slightly embarrassed at being so easily manipulated.

Aditya Chopra's 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is that kind of film. Look for a new plot, fresh idea or zingy style and it's not there. But there is romance, emotion, simplicity and a performance from Shah Rukh Khan that would make any actor dizzy with envy.

As the geeky, introverted minor bureaucrat Surinder Sahni, Khan gives an amazingly astute and well-observed performance (the right accent, even the right nerdy shoes), plus a lack of vanity, so that looking at him, nobody could tell that he is a major star.

Tragic circumstance end up in his marriage to young Taani (Ansukha Sharma), who says right at the start that she will try to be a good wife, but won't be able to love him. The already besotted Surinder humbly accepts crumbs, because he feels he doesn't deserve any better. A dabba packed by her for his lunch is enough to send him into paroxysms of joy.

Taani wants to participate in a dance competition, and with the help of a flamboyant friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak), Surinder gets a makeover and turns himself into the crude, flirty Raj Kapoor, Taani's dance partner. Now comes the suspension of disbelief— with those eyes, that nose, those lips and that Adam's apple, she does not see that Surinder and Raj are the same man.

Surinder gets into the 'Golmaal'-like schizopherenic situation—boring Surinder by day and funky Raj by night.

Even with her resistance Taani falls in love with Raj—there is a cute dream sequence that pays tribute to the old stars and their songs.

Without really underlining it, Aditya Chopra (in the tradition of films like Love in Simla and Chhotisi Baat), makes a comment on the superficiality of judging people by their looks. But the film—with some excellent lines—keeps it simple, the story is just about these two very ordinary people and it takes some doing to convince an audience that Shah Rukh Khan is ordinary. The casting of a non-glamorous, pudgy-faced Anushka Sharma as Taani helps emphasize Chopra's point that even homely and plain people are deserving of great love—if God wills it.

link: http://entertainment.in.msn.com/bollywood/reviews/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1736893

Radiosargam Rnbdj Review 4/5

Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Film Critic: Goher Iqbal Punn

Producer: Aditya Chopra/Yash Chopra (Yash Raj Films)
Director: Aditya Chopra
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Vinay Pathak
Music: Salim-Sulaiman

After giving hits, mega hits and blockbusters in his career, King Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) now emerges with his latest offering, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. The character, he is playing in the flick, appears the most challenging role, he has done so far on Bollywood celluloid. Shah Rukh Khan continues his association with Yash Raj Films. Earlier in most of their films, Khan enacted in romantic roles and the movies were set in Switzerland, London or other locales of Europe. But 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is utterly different. It's not set in the UK or any other European countries nor does it showcase the lavish sets or the stars clad with the designers' clothes, etc. It's a simple yet impressive film to rave about.

Khan delivers his prowess in this fun-filled entertainment venture laced with a universal story line comprising of love, drama, emotions and a predictable happy ending. Undoubtedly, the flick is a complete entertainer but lengthy stretched to 2 hours and 45 minutes. The movie talks about one such ordinary man, who lives in Amritsar and how his life undergoes a 360 degree change the moment he bumps into a beautiful girl.

The film is the saga of an ordinary couple played by Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma who find true love in the backdrop of a dance competition called 'Dancing Jodi'. Surinder Sahni (Shah Rukh Khan) works for Punjab Power in Amritsar. He falls in love with a gal Taani (Anushka Sharma), who is the daughter of Surinder's school master. She is flamboyant, a fun-loving vivacious lass who loves to be a dancer but finally knows the fact that her father likes her to get married with a man Surinder Sahni who is much older than her. They tie the nuptial knot and there begins a not so happy married life due to the vivid fact of a huge age gap. Amidst all, Taani gets to know about a dance reality show, 'Dancing Jodi'. She wishes to join it. Since the show is a couple dance reality show, so if she wants to join she has to do with her hubby who lacks in good looks and style, which the other men have in the contest.

Surinder comes to know that his wife is very keen to participate in the show but cannot due to his ordinary get-up and style. Thus he decides to undergo a major change and even changes his identity to Raj Kapoor. Raj offers Tani to be her partner in the show, the enthusiast Taani accepts the offer. Raj's looks and style help Taani fall in love with him. She does not know that Raj is actually her husband Surinder. Later on, the fact clears to Taani, who then confesses her guilt to her ever-so-loving husband.

The story and the script are good and catch the viewer's attention. Aditya Chopra has penned with brilliance. Aditya Chopra is the director of this venture and direction wise, he seems just about okay. Salim-Sulemain's composition needs to be applauded. The cinematography is crispy.

Shah Rukh Khan delivers the finest performance. You love to watch him in the role of a simple man and then a guy with stylish looks. The debutante Anushka enacts superbly. She has potential to rise in the Hindi film scene. Vinay Pathak is great to watch. The rest of the cast does justice as well.

On the whole, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' will find a good opening. It's a magnum-opus by Yash Raj Films and another success feather to their camp.

RS Rating: 4/5

http://www.radiosargam.com/films/archives/26410/movie-review-rab-ne-bana-di-jodi.html

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi – Movie Review

By Naresh K. D.
Fri, Dec 12, 2008 23:30 IST

Shahrukh Khan It is Shahrukh Khan who lights up your life with his superb performance even though Aditya Chopra makes a mess of the heart-winning love story with an overdose of weepy melodrama in the second half of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi .

Friends! The director who made arguably the best Bollywood love story of the 90s ( Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge ) returns a slightly evolved filmmaker with realistic sensibilities that reek of Shimit Amin's style in Chak De India , but not without the baggage of weepy sentimentality that has by now become synonymous with the Yashraj stamp. 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is a love story you almost want to believe in. And you do believe it until the film runs past the half-way mark, when the director tries to repeatedly unleash one tear-jerking moment after another on the popcorn munching audiences, thus robbing the story of its credulity.

Much has changed since Aditya Chopra had his last outing in Mohabbatein eight years ago. Today's i-Pod generation doesn't have much appetite for the drama that once got the kerchiefs out. Now, it only gets the i-Pods out. Before the final fifteen minutes of the film, the love story nosedives into regression and you are told that lovers have begun to see 'Rab' (no less) in each other. Why Aditya? Is love any less if you don't? Can't one see the lover as who he or she is?

But many thanks to Shahrukh (with due apologies to the staunch SRK bashers) for holding the film together without overacting his part. This is perhaps the best performance by the superstar yet.

Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh) returns to his town Amritsar with a reluctant bride Taani ( Anushka Sharma ). She was set to marry another man who died in an accident on the day of the wedding and a twist of events made her take saat phere with Surinder instead.

The two make an odd match. She is a good-looking Punjabi kudi with suppressed jubilance, and he – in his full sleeve shirts and loose pants over sports shoes – is as ordinary and clumsy as a man could be. Even though Surinder loves her, he doesn't express it to Taani, hoping that haule haule she would begin to love him. But that day doesn't come, and Surinder decides to transform himself into the kind of man his lonely wife would admire – a hip dude in narrow-fit jeans, studded boots and ragged tee-hee shirts.

In his new avatar as Raj, he becomes Taani's dance partner in a competition. And even as he makes her laugh and relive life, she doesn't realize that Raj is the same ordinary man she makes toasts for every morning. So the irony of this love story is that the more Taani is drawn towards Raj, the more Surinder loses her. And Surinder cannot be Raj forever.

To be fair to the director, he has penned a nice story with some fine dialogues and situations that keep a perpetual smile on your face. The meek and submissive protagonist (played brilliantly by SRK) may be the story's underdog, but your heart goes out for him. He is a man who amuses you with his ordinariness. And he evokes sympathy (not the pitiful kind) when you see him locked in a losing battle with his other fictitious half in winning over his wife's love.

If only Aditya Chopra had restrained himself and not stretched the drama to the point when it begins to weigh heavy.

SRK is the pivot on which the whole movie rests, and he rocks 'Rab' despite his facial lines that make him look a tad mature to romance a 20-something damsel. The body language, the mannerisms and the expressions he lends to his nerdy Surinder is the stuff you see from polished actors. Anushka has a few rough edges in her acting but considering it's her debut, she does pretty well. Vinay Pathak – the only third character in the story – plays Surinder's gaudily dressed buddy who runs a hair salon and advices him on how to be "macho". This is perhaps the first time Pathak has played such a flashy character and he does it extremely fine.

Despite its average music and post interval bumps, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is eminently entertaining. There's also a surprise medley of old Hindi film songs picturized on SRK and a bunch of beauties like Kajol , Bipasha Basu , Lara Dutta , Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee in glamourous cameos. The best part of the film is the finale of the dance competition and also the closing credits that send you home smiling ear-to-ear.

For a such touching moments as these in the film and for SRK's stellar performance, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is definitely worth a watch.

Ek Chance Maar Le.

Rating: ***

http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/rab-ne-bana-di-jodi---movie-review.html

Hi Suri, bye Raj

RAB NE IS A QUAINT FAIRYTALE TRYING TOO HARD TO BE AN EPIC ROMANCE

Thirteen years after they created box office history, Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan are back at it. To tell a new story about love. To set new rules about romance. To give birth to a new hero. And perhaps to kill the hero they created in DDLJ!

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Aditya Chopra's third directorial venture, is a well-planned antithesis of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Not only does it try to deconstruct Raj, whom SRK and Adi created with so much love and affection, it reverses the storyline. There you knew Raj and Simran were in love and wondered whether they will get together in the end. Here you know Surinder and Taani are together and you wonder whether they will fall in love in the end.

Well, doesn't that sound like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam? Of course it does, just that the third angle here is Surinder himself! His alter ego — Raj! The Raj Surinder creates from all the masala movies Taani loves watching at the neighbourhood theatre in Amritsar. The Raj we have seen for the last 13 years, from DDLJ to KKHH, from K3G to Veer-Zaara.

Compared to the spiked-hair-tight-tee-torn-jeans-pink-shades Raj, Surinder is insipid. Even if there was no Raj, it would have been difficult to warm to the man who must be the only government employee in the country to bring work back home every night. White sneakers, side-parted hair, thick-rimmed glasses and that bushy moochhi — Suri-I-work-for-Punjab-Power is truly straight out of an RK Laxman comic strip.

So, how did Taani land up in Suri's house? Yash Raj Formula No. 364: Zindagi mein kuch rishtein hum chunte hain... Kuch rabji chunte hain... Suri was Taani's father's favourite student. When her fiance dies in a road accident along with the rest of the baraati on Taani's wedding day, Papaji's heart attack ensures the unlikeliest of marriages.

After a spell of silence, Taani makes it very clear that she is ready to play the perfect bahu but cannot love Suri ever. Suri makes it clear to us: "Use dekhte hi mujhe labh ho gaya tha!" So enter Raj — "naam toh suna hoga?" — as Taani's dancing partner in a dance workshop-cum-contest in town. Suri in the morning, Raj through the day and Suri again at night, Rab Ne is almost a romantic take on Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde. Or even a Superman, just that he's born Clark Kent here and not the other way round.

There are three human characters in the film — Suri, Taani and Suri's stylist friend Bobby (the very good Vinay Pathak), who is not just responsible for his physical transformation, but also for his moral support. The two other very important characters in the film are Rab and the city of Amritsar. Rab, of course, rubs it in at all the right points. And despite large parts of the film being shot in the studios of Mumbai, there's enough of Amritsar to give the film its own visual life.

In fact, the way Rab Ne takes off — the opening credits roll to a beautifully shot (by Ravi K. Chandran) Amritsar travelogue — and the way the first few reels unfold with Suri's mundane life lit up every now and then by Taani's broad smile, you wonder how the Chopra scion could trade champagne and chiffon for such delightful ordinariness.

Then, in his bid to bring in that extraordinary touch, Aditya Chopra loses the plot. Every time the quaint little fairytale tries to become a grandiose epic, Rab Ne struggles. As if it could have done without the loud and irritating Raj. As if the Punjab-powered Suri had enough steam to pull it off on his own.

Also, Rab Ne is way too long. At almost three hours, it tries your patience even if the goings-on are funny and the lines fresh. But the wait is worth it because the climax has Aditya Chopra magic written all over it and will put the smile back on your lips.

After Rab Ne, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Shah Rukh Khan to play the hand-flinging head-shaking eye-squinting Raj/Rahul again. Call it deliberately played or just the age playing up, SRK's Raj doesn't look that cool at 43. Especially when the Imrans and Farhans spell the new cool.

And Shah Rukh plays the boringness of Suri with such elan, you can't help but fall in love with his goofiness. Pardon Mr Palekar, but the common man has never looked so loveable. Punctuated with a lot of physical comedy and that occasional impish smile, Shah Rukh's Suri is the soul of Rab Ne.

But as Shah Rukh himself says, the believability of Rab Ne is because of debutante Anushka Sharma. Playing the I-live-for-love Chopra heroine with a hint of realness, the former model comes up with a nicely nuanced performance, remaining impressively cool in the face of the SRK fireworks.

The songs by Salim-Sulaiman look much better on screen than they sound on the CD. But how one misses the melody of Jatin-Lalit. Haule haule, the first half theme, is the pick of the lot, while the title track smoothens out the second half. Phir milenge chalte chalte is unnecessary but the five guest faces won't allow you to sneak out.

If you don't have DDLJ on your mind, you won't mind Rab Ne. But the fact remains, it's little more than an ordinary film with extraordinary intentions.

Did you like/dislike Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi? Tell t2@abpmail.com

PRATIM D. GUPTA

Apunkachoice.com

Shah Rukh Khan's Surinder Sahni, the hero of Rab Ne... comes straight after his reality show, Paanchvi Paas....Naturally, he seems to have walked off the small screen onto the big screen, complete with his nondescript attire, his commonplace bearings and his aam aadmi personae.

Surinder Sahni, the clerk in the Punjab electricity department who oils his hair, showers under the courtyard tap, dons ill-fitting greys and browns and drives a scooter, expresses himself in half-sentences, is indeed a fitting tribute to the umpteen participants of the reality show hosted by the actor. He's a character you still haven't seen in Shah Rukh's arsenal before. And that's why he strikes a chord.

But that's about all this much-awaited film can boast about. Quite a let-down, specially since it marked the return of director Aditya Chopra after a long hiatus from the hurly burly of movie-lore.

Also, it seems odd that the romance which begins on a promising note, peters off into a long drawn story that limits itself to primarily two scenes: the stark dining room of the newly married Mr and Mrs Sahni (Shah Rukh and Anoushka) and the dance school, where a bored Mrs Sahni falls in love with the husband she doesn't recognise, only because he doesn't sport a moustache, wears gaudy tees, flashy glares and gelled hair. Hey, is that really possible? Try putting a moustache on the person you live with and see if you don't recognise him!

But Mrs Sahni fails to realise the man she shares her silent dinners with, after marrying him because dad dies, and the man who she jives with on the dance floor is one and the same. So, we see her mild-mannered, hopelessly in love husband repeatedly entering his best buddy's (Vinay Pathak) saloon, shedding his greasy look, his horn-rimmed glasses and donning the roadside romeo avtar of Rahul, the Jat. Mrs Sahni does point an admonishing finger at him each time he tries to cheaply flirt with her, but soon, she's hopelessly in love with him after he lights up the city with his love missive. But Mrs. Sahni is married, no? And she needs to live happily ever after with Mr Sahni, no? So, she prays to God and God settles her quandary. Another incongruity!

It's these two major absurdities -- the moustache-as-disguise and the miraculous divine revelation at the end -- that turn this film into a drama that's completely out-of-sync with contemporary Bollywood. Also, the repetitive scenes just don't add to the momentum of the love story that expends itself in the first few frames. The only high point of the film is Shah Rukh's interpretation of the geeky-gawky middle class hero, who would have actually been quite lovable if he didn't metamorphose into his gaudy, over-the-top alter ego, Rahul. Debutante Anoushka lacks all chutzpah and can barely hold your attention. The tribute-to-Bollywood song-dance sequel too seems such a been-there-done-that experience after the glitzy star parade in Om Shanti Om, as do the endless tributes to YRF hits like Dhoom and DDLJ.

Watch it, only for Surinder Sahni ji, a refreshing new take on the Bollywood hero.

link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/moviereview/3829723.cms

Shahrukh khan, Yash and Adi Chopra create magic all over again. And this time the Bangalore girl Anushka Sharma also wins applause for her super acting, teamed with her pretty face and frame. The story is so sensational that it\'s hard to take your eyes off the screen.

Description : Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) who works for Punjab Power in Amritsar goes to attend the wedding of his professor\'s daughter Tani (Anushka Sharma) and when he sees her its love at first sight. They have a circumstantial forced wedding post an accident on the eve of Tani\'s marriage in which her fianc dies. A chirpy, modern, full of zest lass has to get married and go to Amritsar with a reserved, extra sweet, oiled hair, moustached Surinder to fulfill her dying father\'s last wish. Not every one\'s idea of a perfect romantic husband, Tani also is far from being impressed. But she wants to do the best she can as a dutiful wife to keep her husband happy. She enrols herself into dance classes. Surinder, the doting husband, goes to the extent of transforming himself to look like a hero with the help of his hairdresser friend Bobby to win her love. He even dons the role of a dancing cavalier dude. So Shahrukh is Raj with his handsome looks and hip-hugging jeans and shirt for Taniji in the evening at the dance classes and Surinder with his boring tucked in shirts, trousers and canvas shoes who comes home tired after office. Who will she succumb to is the question - the demure loving husband or the romantic flirt? Shahrukh wants to make her happy and is successful, but is not satisfied when he realizes that she is falling for Raj. True love wins over everything else and Tani sees rab (God) in her husband who has kept showering her with his love without any ulterior motives, despite her not reciprocating. A dream role any actor would give an eye and a tooth for and Shahrukh delivers it to the T with his amazing portrayal of emotions in very few words. There is an extraordinary love story in every jodi says the tag line and this love story scores our full points for narration and handling.

Address : Inox, PVR, Fun Cinemas
Review by : Namita Gupta
Reviewed on : 13/12/2008
Rating: 4/5

http://whatson.mid-day.com/cms/listings.php?id=3392&city=Mumbai

Fans love SRK's Lalloo avatar

http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCH/2008/12/13/ArticleHtmls/13_12_2008_103_001.shtml?Mode=1

B.O. update:- 'R.N.B.D.J.' opens to a mixed response

- By Taran Adarsh, December 13, 2008 - 08:17 IST

RAB NE BANA DI JODI was expected to start with a bang, fetching one of the biggest starts of the year, but the film opened to a thoroughly mixed response. The film was good at plexes of Mumbai, Delhi, parts of U.P., Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad [in the range of 70%], but was best in parts of South India. However, the opening was 25% - 30% - 40% outside these centres and at places, even lower at single screens.

The reports are extremely mixed as well, what with the elder crowd patronising the film, but the young crowd as well as the masses hardly being gung-ho. The response on Saturday and Sunday is being watched keenly. Also, will it sustain from Monday onwards, is one question everyone's asking.

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/boxoffice_update/index.html

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Opens Well

Saturday 13th December 2008 17.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was slow to take off in the early shows but made rapid progress through out the day and was running to full houses at the end of the day at the major centres. Smaller centres were much slower to improve. At the end of the day the first day business was around 80-85%. The reports are good and the film is likely to be a huge earner (around 40 crore) for Yashraj films. The first weekend business should come in around the 25 crore nett mark.

Dil Kabaddi grossed around 3.50 crore nett in week one which is okay but due to the release of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi it has very limited shows in week two. FLOP

Maharathi grossed a poor 1.75 crore in week one. FLOP

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye has done fairly well in week two with 1.90 crore business. The film has done Above Average business in Delhi and East Punjab. Overall BELOW AVERAGE

Dostana adds another 2.25 crore to take its four week total to 43.50 crore. AVERAGE

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=624&nCat=box_office_report&PHPSESSID=8735aaf85b1ea65e174168ab42a7250b

Movie Review: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi does not disappoint!

Posted by admin in Entertainment
By Prateek Verma

Probably the weight of expectations proved to be too heavy for the movie. The "dream team" of "Dilwale …" and Mohabbatein" working together was always expected to deliver something out of ordinary. Even the promos suggested that and very quickly rnbdj became one of the most awaited movie of the season.

I won't much give details of the story here but anyone who has been watching the promos can tell you the story. Its about "aam aadmi" shahrukh khan who changes himself completely to impress his wife and make her happy. There is a small twist in the movie though. His wife doesn't know / can't recognize that both the guys are same. But what is a Hindi movie without little stupidity? So we go with the flow and feel protective for Shah Rukh Khan when he is wearing moustache and feel good when he is not wearing moustache but all "Brand Govinda " clothes in sight.

The movie lacks the punch but manages to entertain the audience who had been looking for a "good movie wala weekend" after all the tension filled time. Some notable small things include the performances - both by Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma and the fact that its a very clean movie, a family movie.

Our Verdict: The movie is watchable and paisa vasool as long as you don't expect any path breaking stuff!

http://www.newspostonline.com/entertainment/movie-review-rab-ne-bana-di-jodi-does-not-disappoint-2008121319147

Movie Reviews Featured Item Yes

December 12, 2008, 8:55 am
Brilliant SRK shines in mediocre flick

What a strange movie! If it were possible, I would sue director Aditya Chopra from screwing with audience's emotional quotient. To call RAB NE BANA DI JODI uneven is an understatement that could get you in prison.

First things first - is RAB NE BANA DI JODI a masterpiece like DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE? Nope. Does it have the same zest and joyous energy of DIL TO PAGAL HAI? Nope. Is the heroine the next big thing in Bollywood? Nope. But is the film at least entertaining? YES!

Watch RAB NE BANA DI JODI for Shahrukh and Shahrukh alone. The man carries the film's weight like Atlas bench pressing the earth. Critics, and there are many, have slammed SRK for his repetitive roles and movies, apart from his lack of depth in acting. All that goes to heck as King Khan produces one of the finest performances of his career. His shaking, fumbling, simplicity and innocence warms up the cockles of the heart. As the soft spoken Surinder Sahni, SRK has doled out an unforgettable character.

It is more than obvious that Shahrukh Khan was inspired by a particular participant from his 'Paanchwi Paas' game show. But King Khan takes a step further with the perfect example of a simple, working class bloke in India. Now that I've lavished praises on SRK you'd wonder what is it that is wrong with the film. Sadly, there is nothing else in the film that is even mildly interesting.

Shahrukh Khan attends his college professor's daughter's wedding, and one look at the girl makes his knees weak. Anoushka Sharma, the girl is everything that Shahrukh would want in a wife: pretty, smart, charming and witty. There is a rainbow in his heart for she's getting married.

Things take a U Turn as the groom dies in an accident, and Anoushka and Shahrukh get married at her father's wish. He takes her to his home and the gentleman that he is, makes sure he sleeps in the attic while she sleeps in his bedroom. All that exists in their marriage are quiet dinners and unrequited love.

Shahrukh is heart broken because his wife doesn't love him back. So with the help of best bud Vinay Pathak he devices a plan to win Anoushka over. He clips, dyes and gels up his hair, wears loud snazzy clothes, learns to dance and goes by the name of Raj. He hangs out with her as Raj at Shiamak Davar dance classes the whole day and reverts back to the bumbling Surinder at night. Strangely, Anoushka never realizes that Raj and Surinder are the same person. Bollywood really needs a vaccine for the moustache disguise syndrome (would it be that hard to recognize your husband if he shaves his moustache?)

And things get out of hand as Anoushka falls for Raj after he reveals his feelings for her. What must she do? Stay with her soft spoken husband Surinder or run away with a guy dressed up like a parakeet because he loves her? Watch it to find out.

Even a Swiss cheese has less holes than in RAB NE BANA DI JODI, and we won't even get into that. The tribute-to-Bollywood song-dance sequel too seems such a been-there-done-that experience after the glitzy star parade in Om Shanti Om, as do the endless tributes to YRF hits like Dhoom and DDLJ.

Anoushka Sharma is a huge let down, emotions never register on her face and her dancing skills are questionable too. You never truly fall in love or even mildly pay attention to her. Someone like Genelia would've been a fairer choice for the role. Vinay Pathak is criminally wasted in this film, he makes you laugh with every word he mouths, but is frustratingly pushed to the background. The divine intervention nearing the end is downright laughable - if only this Yash Raj film hadn't gone the Yash Raj way, specially after delivering such a wonderfully different first half.

Director Aditya Chopra makes a disappointing comeback behind the camera. After a very promising first hour, RAB NE BANA DI JODI slips and falls six floors down. The songs are particularly catastrophic, coming from the DDLJ team. Apart from 'Haule Haule' and 'Dance pe chance' the soundtrack and score never engage. Although the cinematography by Ravi Chandran is beautiful. Amritsar's Golden Temple has never look so exquisite. 'Haule Haule' has one long take which is quite brilliant.

Shahrukh Khan sells big, and this time he totally deserves it. The geeky-gawky scooter driving ill fitting grey trouser wearing guy who showers under the courtyard tap is a lovable character indeed! Watch RAB NE BANA DI JODI for King Khan, but if you're looking for a film that is more than just ordinary, keep looking. Well there's still Ghajini to look forward to.

http://www.india.com/entertainment/movie_reviews/movie_review_rab_ne_bana_di_jodi_1925

SRK's 'Rab ne..' redefines love

By: Sarita TanwarDate: 2008-12-13

What it's about: Surinder Sahani is a simple-looking, ordinary middle class working guy. He has a boring desk job in Punjab Power plant. His life changes when he marries the vivacious Taani (Anuskha Sharma) to fulfil a promise made to her dying father. They get married but they live under the same roof as strangers. Surinder loves her but doesn't know how to tell her. He knows what kind of guy she craves, so he transforms himself and woos her as Raj. She begins to fall in love with him but he won't reveal his identity to her because he wants her to love the real Surinder. The final test is when it's time for Taani to chose the man she wants to spend her life with.

What's good: Aditya Chopra steps away from the YRF formula. The leading lady doesn't dress in chiffons, there are no karva chauth scenes, the hero doesn't dress in the latest fashions, zip around in foreign cars, or jive on the Swiss alps. The best thing about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is Aditya Chopra's simple story and the sweet, romantic moments. Action pictures and love stories, two of the most tried-and-true movie formulas, have lately become the most flaccid; however, Aditya Chopra offers something new to the jaded audiences. Surinder and Taani's romance is not about big gestures like a wall in his room full of her photographs, him showering petals on her from a chopper, and him writing her name in blood. The romance is in RBNDJ, is in Taani telling her husband that she will try and be the best wife, it reflects in her packing lunch for him, and making haldi milk for him when he catches a cold. He, on the other hand, gives her space, understanding, and tries to make her happy in ways he knows best. What couple won't connect with that? It tells a generation obsessed with looks that love is not about how he or she looks, it's about what he or she is. The lovers in RNBDJ don't express their love by mouthing heavy-duty dialogues, rolling on top of each other, or looking dreamily looking into each other's eyes. In Rab Ne... the romance is real, as are real, the costumes, the dialogues and the performances. Shah Rukh Khan deserves credit for experimenting with two different characters €" one as a dull guy and a bore, and the other a wannabe buffoon. And he dives into the two character with unmitigated delight and bravado. New-comer Anushka doesn't look or dress like the typical Hindi film heroine. She is like a breath of fresh air, suits the part, and does justice to her role. Vinay Pathak, as the overly loud friend is effective. There are many beautiful moments in the film. Watch out for the scene between Surinder and his friend Bobby when he urges him to reveal his identity to Taani. The song Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai is a winner.

What's bad: RNBDJ is a perfect example of how you can connect with the audiences, even if you offer them outrageous stuff in this day and age like a promise made to a dying father, and SRK's 'double' role €" where a woman doesn't recognise her husband just because he has a moustache and a different hairstyle. There are other clichs in the film like a drunken Surinder talking to a statue dressed like him. The length (two hours and 40 minutes) could easily have been trimmed. The gimmicky song with the five actresses €" Kajol, Bipasha, Lara, Preity and Rani has no impact. The choreography is predictable and dull, with the same old back-up dancers.

What to do: A feel-good film that will make you rediscover love. It's simple, sweet and oddly moving. Watch it with someone you love.

***
Dir: Aditya Chopra
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anuskha Sharma, Vinay Pathak

http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2008/dec/131208-ShahRukhKhan-Rabnebanadijodi-film-review-redefines-love.htm

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Saturday 13th December 2008 20.00 IST
Rony D'Costa

The man who gave us Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is back after almost 7 years. He made the audience fall in love with Raj but with this one he will make you cheer for Raj's alter ego Surinder Sahni.

Surinder Sahni is an average person belonging to the working class. He gets married to the beautiful Taani but Taani does not love him. Like all love stories how Taani falls in love with Surinder Sahni is what this film is all about.

Some minutes into the film you know 'what' the end is but 'how' will it reach it's end is what makes this film interesting. The screenplay works on a very thin plot but Aditya sprinkles all the right doses of comedy, dance and drama from time to time. He moves out of the oft repeated Yash Raj territory like foreign locales, Punjabi shaadi, large families etc & focuses on just three characters- Shahrukh, Anushka Sharma & Vinay Pathak. In fact we don't see Shahrukh's family at all. This is definitely one of the year's best designed screenplays. To take just three actors and make a 2.30 hour film is not a joke. Shahrukh yet again shows how sincere is he towards his craft even after being in this profession for so many years. He proves that stardom is about doing your job well again & again. Anushka Sharma explodes on the screen like dynamite. Now, this is a heroine who reminds you of simple beauty. The kind that yester year's heroines possessed. She excels in the emotional scenes. A very confident & unabashed debut. Vinay Pathak showcases his talent to the fullest. He should be doing more of character roles like these or rather lead roles which have good characters. The song " hum hai rahi pyar ke" is the best choreographed song of the year. It also has the most innovative lyrics. "Haule haule" is another gem of a song, in its melody & the choreography. The art direction in the song is absolutely fantastic. Aditya Chopra has made this film in the wrong time. If he had made it just after DDLJ this film would have been a much bigger hit because at heart it belongs to the old school of cinema. The end credits are to die for.

Final few words: It is aimed for the die hard romantics. It might not achieve the cult status of DDLJ but it will definitely go home with you. Hum hain rahi pyar ke, phir milenge, chalte chalte.

***(Good)

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/reviews.php?page=shownews&articleid=625&nCat=movie_reviews

Rab Ne brings cheers to Yash Raj camp

Indo-Asian News Service
Saturday, December 13, 2008 (Mumbai)

Mumbai is still not in a cinema-going mood after the terror strikes, but movie buffs - and loyal Shah Rukh Khan fans to be precise - could not have given Yash Raj Films' much-awaited movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi a miss.

So if not in droves, they came in sizeable numbers for the first day first show to give the movie a decent and honourable opening in the city.

The opening collections here ranged from 70 per cent to over 80 per cent - and more in other parts of the country. According to initial reports, the collections were cent per cent in many centres in north India, especially Punjab, thanks to rapid advance bookings.

Yash Raj Films (YRF), which has suffered monetary losses after successive failures of its recent ventures, could not have asked for more.

In one quick shot, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi redeemed its prestige. The credit for this, as many in the industry said, should go to the jodi (alliance) of Shah Rukh and the industry's most private filmmaker, Aditya Chopra - the duo that have given one of the biggest hits in Dilwala Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.

The film is Shah Rukh's first release of the year. Apart from this, it is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for Mohabbatein in 2000.

Set in Amritsar, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and newcomer Anushka Sharma and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.

The trade circles, which earlier were a little circumspect in their opinion about the movie's probable box-office fate post 26/11, have now given the movie a thumbs up, saying it has brought a little cheer to Mumbai's prevailing sombre mood.

In spite of not being a run-of-the-mill Bollywood blockbuster, Rab Ne... is attracting audiences all over the country because cinegoers have been missing the nation's darling, Shah Rukh, the whole year and the breeziness he displays on the screen.

"Bollywood masala addicts may find Rab Ne... a low-key affair as it has no pungent sex and the picturesque locales YRF movies are known for, but what has marked it out is that it has identifiable characters and that makes it an intimate movie within the limited scope of the story," said trade analyst V Verma.

YRF has two weeks to cash in on the enthusiasm the movie has generated among the audience before Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini arrives. But by that time, Rab Ne.. would have consolidated its position at the box-office and be declared a superhit," said I M Pannu, another trade analyst.

Reactions to Rab Ne..., however, was not as enthusiastic among some young audience members.

"I know 'experimental' may not be the right word to sum up the movie, but somehow I found the movie to be a tepid fare, lacking in the usual grandeur of a Bollywood movie," said 21-year-old Dipesh Vyas, a college student.

But his friend Sheetal Jain said Shah Rukh made it all up. "Even the new girl, Anuksha Sharma, is good. In totality, I would say the movie is okay " she added.

http://movies.ndtv.com/newstory.asp?section=Movies&id=ENTEN20080076329

SRK's Rab Ne lures people back to theatres

Divya Unny, NDTV Correspondent
Saturday, December 13, 2008 (Mumbai)

Box office figures show that Shah Rukh Khan's new film has done wonders for cinema hall sales after the Mumbai attack, the sales of movie tickets that had dropped down to a mere 30 per cent have risen to 90 per cent thanks to Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Multiplexes in Mumbai are buzzing once again and long queues of people were seen outside the halls to catch Shah Rukh Khan's latest film.

"It was opening day and we saw 80 - 90 per cent seats filled up. There was a lull for couple of days back but now looks like SRK is bringing his fans to theatres," said Rishi Negi, COO, Fame Cinema.

It's been over two weeks since the Mumbai terror attacks, which refrained many film buffs from stepping into multiplexes but looks like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has punched back life into cinema halls across cities.

''We have been waiting for a good SRK film. We are not over the attacks as yet but life has to go on," said a movies buff.

''We can't let the terrorists win. We can't sit at home,'' said a Shah Rukh fan. Crowds are minimal at other films though, so clearly these queues are a response to the SRK magic more than any other factor.

http://movies.ndtv.com/newstory.asp?section=Movies&id=ENTEN20080076302

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi In CI

Saturday 13th December 2008 16.45 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi managed a healthy 18 lakhs nett business on day one in CI. The first day figures for other recent big releases were 22 lakhs for Golmaal Returns, 21 lakhs for Singh Is Kinng, 12 lakhs for Dostana and 6 lakhs for Yuvvraaj. The weekend business for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi should be around 65 lakhs in CI.

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/npages.php?page=shownews&articleid=623&nCat=news&PHPSESSID=495307a2d30090fdd448e1d08343e72a

Indore Barometer First Day Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Saturday 13th December 2008 16.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi did very well at the Indore multiplexes on day one. Below are the first day figures for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi compared with recent big releases Golmaal Returns and Dostana.


PVR

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi-2,39,700

Dostana-2,22,800

Golmaal Returns-1,80,100

Inox

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi-1,72,500

Dostana-96,000

Golmaal Returns-2,13,300

Adlabs

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi-1,81,400

Dostana-1,38,000

Golmaal Returns-1,78,300

Velocity

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi-1,59,100

Dostana-75,500

Golmaal Returns-2,44,000

Totals

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi-7,52,700

Dostana-5,32,300

Golmaal Returns-8,15,700

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/npages.php?page=shownews&articleid=622&nCat=news

Forlorn Husband Makes the Right Moves

By RACHEL SALTZ
Published: December 13, 2008

In the last few years Hindi films have become slicker and faster, full of dizzying camera moves and blink-and-you'll-miss-it editing. The technical exuberance is almost always impressive, but it's starting to seem like its own clich.

How refreshing, then, to settle into "Rab Ne Bana di Jodi" ("A Match Made by God"), a love story that has a different pace and feel than the recent crop of action thrillers. "Rab," which reteams the director Aditya Chopra and Shahrukh Khan, Bollywood's reigning superstar, is "soft, sweet and slow," in the words of one of its songs. It deftly blends comedy, the ruling tone of the new Bollywood, with melodrama, the ruling tone of the old.

Mr. Khan sports glasses and a cheesy little mustache as Surinder Sahni, a shy self-described geek who works for Punjab Power in Amritsar. Surinder is gaga for his wife, Taani (the newcomer Anushka Sharma), who, because of various tragedies in the film's first few minutes, may have lost the ability to love or be happy.

To win Taani's heart — or just to see her smile — Surinder gets an extreme makeover and disguises himself as Raj, a swaggering goofball who favors tight jeans and T-shirts with slogans like "Bad Boy." Raj becomes Taani's partner in a dance competition ("First time in Amritsar!"), and boy meets girl all over again.

Mr. Chopra's 1995 film, "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," starring Mr. Khan, remains a touchstone of contemporary Bollywood, and the two do excellent work again here. The Surinder/Raj dual role seems tailor-made (probably was) for Mr. Khan, who gets to show off his twin talents: he suffers nobly and entertains with panache. And Mr. Chopra demonstrates how a director can master technology without being mastered by it. For him, storytelling comes first. (The plot has its flaws, but they're not deadly.)

"Rab" is suffused with God talk and movie talk; religion and films are how the characters learn lessons about life and love. The best and most joyous sequence here is a song-and-dance number that pays witty tribute to Bollywood and Hollywood styles through the decades. It's a lesson that goes down easy.

http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/movies/13jodi.html

Masand's Verdict: Rab Ne... is contrived

Starring:

Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma

Director: Aditya Chopra

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi directed by Aditya Chopra, is a film that hangs from a threadbare premise that is hard to swallow.

Shah Rukh Khan plays Surinder Sahni, a working-class simpleton from Amritsar who goes in for an image makeover, and poses as a cooler, trendier fellow so he can woo his young, distracted wife Taani (played by newcomer Anushka Sharma). Picked to be partners in a local dance contest, the lady and her husband-in-disguise, Raj, become fast friends, until she finds herself falling for him.

To be honest, even if you are willing to buy into that bizarre premise - that Taani fails to recognize her own husband because he's shaved his moustache, lost the spectacles and picked a funky hairstyle - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is still an exhausting watch because it's such a predictable story, because it recycles the same old clichs, and because the characters are so poorly developed.

It's difficult to get your head around Taani, easily the film's most confusing character, who takes the drastic step of marrying a man she doesn't love on the urging of her deathbed-bound father, when her fianc is killed in a road accident. Never once does she remember or refer to either her fianc or her father in the film. She's progressive enough to think it's cool to be having gol-gappa eating matches with a male friend, but conveniently forgets to tell him she's married.

Going back to the oldest trick in the book to solve all his screenplay problems, director Aditya Chopra drags in Rab, or God to solve the film's decidedly uncomfortable conflict of whether Taani should run away with her lover, who's actually her husband-in-disguise; or whether she should stay with her husband? You see, the message this film delivers repeatedly is that you know it's real love when you see Rab or God in another human being.

Rab, in fact, comes quite handy here and is referred to every few minutes by someone or the other, and very often in long, boring monologues that characters deliver aloud to themselves.

When it's not peddling God and its theories on love, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is really an antiquated love story that is regressive, chauvinistic and plain stupid in parts. Which is sad if you think about it, because stripped down to its basics there is clearly a sensitive idea there - about facing one's insecurities, and about coming to terms with the fact that it's okay to be yourself.

The emotional core of the film is the Surinder character whom Shah Rukh Khan plays with such genuine affection, you miss him dearly when the focus shifts to the loud buffoonery of Raj. Amidst all those silly gimmicks of a sumo-wrestling match and an Om Shanti Om-inspired item song with Bollywood's top heroines, the moments that stay with you are the ones involving Suri. It's to Shah Rukh Khan's credit that Suri stands out in such a messy film.

Newcomer Anushka Sharma appears confident, and is well cast as the spirited Taani, but saddled with an inconsistent character she fails to leave a lasting impression. The same, thankfully can't be said for Vinay Pathak, who's absolutely delightful as Suri's faithful friend Bobby.

Aditya Chopra's return to direction after eight years is marked by a flawed script, which in turn spawns a disappointing film. Where's the smart dialogue and the spirited characters that defined his debut film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge? There's no trace of either in this film.

The problem then, at the root of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, is that much like those artificial sets in the film, the emotions too are contrived.

I'm going with 2 out of 5 and at best an average rating for director Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. If you must, watch it for Suri; he's the only honest thing about this film.

Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)

Box Office: Rab Ne… gets a mixed response

AB NE: YRF's highest weekend grosser ever!

December 15, 2008 7:11:49 PM IST
Bollywood Trade News Network

RAB NE BANA DI JODI, which released worldwide on December 12th 2008, has broken all earlier opening weekend collection records for Yash Raj Films. The film has grossed approximately Rs. 60 Crores worldwide on its opening weekend, and has surpassed DHOOM:2, which is regarded as one of the highest grossing films of all–time.

In the Middle East, RAB NE BANA DI JODI has set a new record altogether as the highest opening film of all–time. The previous highest was DHOOM: 2, which grossed approximately $1.86 million across its entire run. RAB NE BANA DI JODI has grossed approximately $1 million on its opening weekend alone.

The film has also received a grand opening across all overseas markets, including the UK, USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, and other territories in Asia.

RAB NE BANA DI JODI has been appreciated tremendously by audiences across the board and the film's performance promises to continue in the same vein moving forward

http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoop...ver-120807.asp[www.glamsham.com]

SRK rules!

The verdict is out; some loved 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,' others have been way too critical about what is just another Bollywood production, and some (as is the norm) have outright rejected the movie as another well-packaged, emotional potboiler from Aditya Chopra.

There, however, has been a sort of consensus about Shah Rukh Khan's performance, with most critics being liberal with praises about the actor's dual personality act.

Very few have ventured (or dared) to draw out the clumsiness that Shah Rukh Khan brings to the portrayal of Surinder Sahni, which is becoming a trademark of the simpleton act of most Bollywood actors. If you play an 'ordinary guy' – the new Bollywood school of method acting says – act dumb so much that you could be passed on as someone totally out of place in this world.

'Rab De Bana Di Jodi', however, has several moments that are tailor-made for Shah Rukh Khan, and when he is on his turf – of unabashed playfulness or a dollop of self-pitying melodrama – this man takes the crown.

We have come to expect very few surprises from SRK, as an actor (the rare exception being 'Chak De, India'). Otherwise, what one expects of Shah Rukh Khan is the sheer magnetism and infectious enthusiasm that the actor brings to films like 'Main Hoon Na.' He is at his best in clichd Bollywood mode. That is a 'style' that has endeared Shah Rukh to audiences across the world.

Reports from the overseas markets (a traditional Shah Rukh Khan stronghold) are positively upbeat. Dubai, for instance, had its prime cineplexes playing 'Rab De Bana Di Jodi' in at least two theatres, with all shows of the weekend drawing huge crowds of not just Indians but a generous mix of Arabs and other Shah Rukh Khans from the Subcontinent. No wonder, SRK decides to associate himself with a property development that goes by his name.

'Look at the power of one man,' was a passing by comment by one of the happier viewers of the film in Dubai. That is the sort of star power, which is considerably waning in Bollywood. We have actors galore; stars are dwindling in their appeal. And if the trend of multiplex movies (as a response to curtailing budgets in the wake of the global financial crisis) takes stronger roots in 2009, will Shah Rukh Khan be the last true superstar of Indian cinema?


He takes viewers along with him, even when they know that there are limits to the man's acting prowess. Even when he goes over-the-top, there is an endearing sincerity to the man that engages audiences. And as the clich goes, love him or hate him, this is one actor who cannot be taken lightly or with indifference.

So what if the movie is not one of the typical, mindless potboilers but just a breezy, two/ three star worth 'watchable' flick, Shah Rukh Khan's repertoire will continue to shine on!

So, hats off to that 'one man' who continues to retain Bollywood's star charisma and successfully manages to get away with any act – Raj or Surinder!


Source: India Syndicate


http://entertainment.in.msn.com/bollywood/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1762873"][url]http://entertainment.in.msn.com/bollywood/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1762873

Get more real, Suri

By Mayank Shekhar
Posted On Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 02:15:38 AM

Though the camera never closes in on the watch with a gold rim around Surinder Sahni's wrist, you can imagine it as an entry-level product of an HMT or Titan make. On the other wrist is a silver kada or armlet signifying his religion. Surinder, or Suri, wears thick Reebok running-shoes over a pair of grey-brown trousers with pleats below the waist. The label on those loosely stitched clothes could probably read Choice Tailors, or Bedi Tailors, or some such. This is how Shah Rukh Khan brilliantly opens and closes the film at an Amritsar neighbourhood: proud of his middle-class moustache; tentative in his steps, and oddly pursed lips; dutifully employed as a mid-level exec in a company called Punjab Power. In a moment, somehow there in the promo but not in the picture, Suri picks up the phone to address, "Surinder Sahni this side".

Suri says he's never had the great luck of falling in love with "ladies". In fact he'd never known any "ladies", until he'd met his own wife, of course.

You wonder at once if this is a sweet antithesis of mainstream Yashraj NRI flicks about posh labels, London mansions and Lokhandwala emotions. It sort of is. You instantly warm up to the screen each time Suri appears on it. That SRK, the designer-king himself, plays the part-personal, part-parody role, makes the film furiously funny on its own.

And then it becomes everything you thought it wasn't. So fixated are the makers with Raj, their own mid-90s hero.

The film, as the title suggests, is conveniently centred on the simplicity of love, and love for God: "Kuchh rishte hum khud chunte hain. Aur kuchh Rabji hamare liye chunte hain." (We choose some relationships ourselves. And some come chosen by God).


Suri's marriage to "Tani ji" (Anushka Sharma; gently eye-catching) is an accident of circumstances. Arranged marriages for most in India are the beginning of a love affair. Theirs never kicks off. The marriage itself is never consummated. As the heroine's father had always complained to her while growing up, she is everything that his favourite student Suri wasn't. She is full of smiles, joy and love for dancing.

Overnight, without any preparation, boring, super-serious Suri transforms himself into a bulging bicep and a cool dude called Raj. He becomes her dancing mate. She spends days and evenings with him. Yet she never tells him she's married. He repeatedly woos her. At no point does she vaguely wonder if the gentleman before her, but for a cleanly shaven upper-lip and streaked hair, is her husband back home. Or it's her husband sitting next to her as she imagines him dancing in a never-ending medley to celebrate five decades of Hindi films and heroes and heroines.

At some point you're yourself not sure if Suri is actually the common-man with simple aspirations, who balances out our cut-throat world. He appears merely playing that role too. Amol Palekar pulled it off in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Golmaal because the leaps of faith there were fewer, and better explained.

Same person, oppositely twinned, is usually the stuff of super-hero films; the kinds of Clark Kent-Superman, Peter Parker-Spiderman etc.

You feel entirely lost in this fantasy flick, because for most part, it's built around something so intimate and real. It'd be much easier to travel to foreign countries around far-fetched situations with fake heroes.

Suddenly Suri turns into a morbid man who wants to date his own wife as someone else. Damned is he, if he wins; damned, if he doesn't. She truly loves one. Then she loves the other. And then she loves the first one again. The complex idea is frivolously played around with.

Chances are you'd still love Suri. As the closing credits roll, he guides us through pictures of his honeymoon. It's infinitely more alluring than the confused film you'd just watched.

* Fuh-get about it, ** Ho-Hum!, *** Oh, not bad at all, **** Way too good!, ***** Citizen Kane!

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/30/20081213200812130215383752170b2dc/Get-more-real-Suri

Public reaction- Audience gives THUMBS UP!!!!

http://www.srkpagali.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=32314&g2_navId=xf57747ad

Shah Rukh Khan magic creates mini-riot in Ulhasnagar

14 Dec, 2008 06:00 am ISTlINDIATIMES MOVIES

Yes dear friends, only SRK's magic can make miracles happen... And this time, it's a pretty impressive feat, even by Badshah standards. He's actually made the word 'terror' disappear; from the hearts and minds of people - if not in actual terms (now wouldn't that be the day?). While each and every movie released around and after the recent terror strikes in Mumbai have all but paralyzed the movie-going junta in their home-viewership couches, it is the jadoo of the Khan that has 'un-paralyzed' them into action again. Suddenly, fear of visiting public places like multiplexes, cinema halls and malls seems to have take a backset to viewing Shah Rukh's first release in over a year (if we don't count Bhootnaath) - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

The lethal combination of the DDLJ star and director Aditya Chopra, coming together after over seven years (Mohabbatein was their most recent film together) has got the audiences in a tizzy. Add to it a new girl and some dancing sequences and already the theatres are all but full. In fact, trade analysts are surprised at the incredible advance booking the movie has seen. All screens are almost full in advance in the main cities. While in places like Ulhasnagar, one theatre witnessed a mini riot as over 400 people gathered outside demanding tickets. Suddenly the buzz is the need of the audiences to watch their favourite superstar and not stay rooted in terror in the anticipation of an event.

Well, like we said, it's our stars and our movie magic that eventually unites our nation as one whole - and then any kind of 'terror' can simply disappear. Right SRK?

http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3832524.cms

SRK weaves magic at Box Office

Video:

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video.aspx?id=47312