Shah Rukh is no stranger to controversy. All through his career, there have been enough incidents in his life that he has been (in)famously associated with, and that have given much fodder to the media. It is worth applauding that
Fan refers some of these incidents and Shah Rukh does not shy away from their portrayal on the screen.
The scene where he talks about giving a slap to Sid Kapoor (SK) was quite reminiscent of the slap he had given to Shirish Kunder (or Salman Khan"both SK). The #AKvsSK could be interpreted as the constant Twitter battle between the fans of Shah Rukh and Salman Khan (SK). At one point in the film, the media talks about Aryan as an ageing star whose films have started to flop, and his position is threatened by Sid Kapoor. This criticism is often heard for real life Shah Rukh whose last few films have not been well received. When Hrithik came on the scene in the early 2000s, everyone started saying that Shah Rukh's career is finished. Shah Rukh is quoted saying that he was afraid to venture out at that time. Later, we see Aryan dance at the wedding of industrialist Bhutiani's daughter, very much like when Shah Rukh danced at industrialist Laxmi Mittal's daughter in Paris.
After all, I am spending a bomb on you. Only you can. Shah Rukh was
paid 300,000 to dance at that reception, an amount that most people won't see in their life time. When Aryan is chasing Gaurav, at many times, Aryan is seen holding his back, and Shah Rukh over the years, has undergone multiple surgeries due to his back injuries. At one point, even the ticker in the news channel shows that someone named Shiv Rawail (also credited as film's assistant director) purchased
Bhubaneswar Bulls, a nod to Shah Rukh's investment in
Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.The whole boycott of Aryan due to the sexual harassment case in
Fan is eerily similar to the recent absolutely rubbish debate around intolerance, where Shah Rukh was quoted heavily out of context, and the nutcases demanded his boycott. When Aryan's show is about to take place, not one person showed up. He is standing all alone in the auditorium, staring at his own abyss, as if his fear has come true. In numerous interviews, Shah Rukh has said that losing the top position is his
biggest fear.
I am scared of losing. I am scared of coming second. I am scared of not making it big. It is fear that drives
him, and he has spent half his
life wanting to be loved. The story and screenplay of the film pay a tribute to Shah Rukh's films and his life. It is some kind of cosmic connection that Shah Rukh's first film was also titled
Deewana"crazy. In fact, the very first scene of
Fan is taken from a sequence of
Deewana, his first film, where Shah Rukh dressed in blue pants and blue shirt does a rollover jump. Gaurav is like the crazy and the passionate lover from
Darr, but his love is for Aryan. There is the tribute to
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and the mandolin. The chase sequences in Dubrovnik at the roof tops reminded me of the race sequence in
Main Hoon Na. The climax is a silent tribute to the epic falling scene in
Baazigar. Shah Rukh has played numerous double roles in his films, such as
Duplicate, Paheli, Rab Ne Banaa Di Jodi, Ra.One, Om Shanti Om and
Don. The film reminded me a lot of
Don. When I first saw the trailer, I felt that eventually, something like the twist in
Don would happen where Gaurav will become Aryan. Although it did not happen exactly, Aryan and Gaurav did end up becoming each other. I cannot think of another star who would has put his real life and his story on screen with such detail.
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