Film: Chennai Express
Ratings: ***1/2
Directed by:Rohit Shetty
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Niketan Dheer, and Satyaraj
What it's about:The story isn't very different from all the usual boy-meets girl romance. You know from the beginning what will happen. You have seen it many times before but the beauty is that you know whats coming, and you still want it. Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) embarks on a journey to fulfill the last wish of his grandfather: to have his ashes immersed in the Holy water of Rameshwaram. He meets Meena (Deepika Padukone) on the train and while attempting to rescue her from kidnappers gets caught up in her mess. Thus begins his journey to her village, her people, and how her fight becomes his fight. It's a refreshing light-headed cocktail of love and laughs. The director stays true to his style and his audience. It is clean, colorful and comical.
What's good:
This is a treat for all Hindi film lovers. It has it all you'd expect from a big commercial masala film. It has all the ingredients -- big star cast, drama, action, comedy, songs, the car chases and the big finish, all delivered in Rohit Shetty's unapologetic ishtyle. For SRK fans, it is an even bigger treat. The actor returns to what he does best -- romance. But it isn't the sacrificing and soppy love of Jab Tak Hai Jaan. This one is a crowd-pleaser. The film begins with a flashback with Rahul growling like a wild animal, and then he tells just how he got there. Among the things that crop up in Rahul and Meena's misadventures: Her dad's stolen car, a dwarf in the middle of the forest, a walk up 300 steps of a temple and drama at high-seas! SRK is in his elements whether he is beating up a village full of people, romancing Meena, beating up the big baddie or faking bravado when faced with four hefty goons. Deepika delivers yet another fantastic performance. She stays in character throughout and matches her co-star's energy and enthusiasm whether it is singing dialogues or fighting goondas. It's impossible to watch this movie impassively. Chennai Express has the the kind of flourish that makes you smile. Watch out for the crazy references in songs and scenes to Shah Rukh's previous films. Overall, this is a bubblegum blockbuster.
What's not:
There is just too much Tamil in Chennai Express. There I said it. There are long dialogues between actors in Tamil, and while one doe understand what is being conveyed, it is still tedious. This is what it must feel to the rest of India, when they watch Hindi films with an overdose of Punjabi (songs/scenes) in Hindi films.The different being that Punjabi is similar to Hindi, and most people understand it. Not the case with Tamil. While Shah Rukh and Deepika are enough to light up the scene, you begin to miss other familiar faces in terms of character actors, who are always a part of Rohit's other films like the Golmaals, Bol Bachchan and Singham. Here, with all the south flavour, one often wonders if there are south actors in Hindi film or if it is a south film starring SRK and Deepika. It isn't convincing when Rahul suddenly speaks Tamil in the climax, and the very people who didn't understand Hindi earlier now comprehend everything. There is also boos boos like not a single scratch on the car, after it has been repeatedly banged from both sides, the injury on Rahul's lip getting wiped out afterMeena touches it but badi badi film on main aisi chhoti chhoti galtiyaan hoti rehti hain.
What to do:
The sole purpose of Chennai Express is to entertain. And that it does. So grab a bucket of popcorn, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone looks like a film that was executed while the makers were in a goofy mood. The result, we must confess, has turned out to be nothing less than abysmal.
While Shah Rukh’s hamming like no one’s watching, the story flows through the lanes of shoddy dialogues and unnecessary action scenes. The slapstick, mind-numbing comedy makes you stare at the screen with utter astonishment – the shock of enduring one bad joke after the other is worse than consuming a bitter, terrible tasting tonic.
So this is how the torture-inflicting process begins – Shah Rukh (Rahul) is a 40-year-old guy who runs a sweet shop. But life isn’t too sweet for this lad until of course his grandfather passes away and Khan can finally live life on his own terms and give wings to his dreams. And he plans to start his freedom fiesta in Goa – but freaking fate has some other plans. He bumps into this gorgeous Tamilian girl (Deepika as Meena) who has been running away from a posse of fat sickle wielding gundas. Meenama’s dad wants her to marry Tangaballi played by the enormous Nikitin Dheer. But the chick would rather stay single than tie the knot with someone who hasn’t managed to touch the cockles of her heart. And there the hero’s Goa plan takes a U-turn and heads to the beautiful locales of South India.
Instead of chilling on the idyllic beaches of Goa, SRK is now entangled in a murky situation – he wonders why he showed any interest in Meenama at all. Why did he give her a helping hand while boarding the train – typical Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) style? He just needed a plain vacation and what he got instead is a dangerous ride on the Chennai Express. The goons catch hold of him and Deepika and take them to their village where the heroine’s dad – the deadly don is waiting for his daughter only so that he can hitch her up with the hulky Tangaballi. And that gives rise to a series of chaotic hide-and-seek games. And in the process Deepika and SRK fall in love. What does that sound like – clichéd or boring?
There are a few scenes that give us the uncontrollable giggles but that wasn’t enough to hold our interest in the film for too long. Deepika looked lovely and did great justice to her South Indian twang but SRK disappointed with his over-the-top performance. Without a shadow of doubt, DP takes the cake in this one. The film has this disorganised and incoherent quality about it, and trust us you don’t want to be a part of this mess. As the film ends with the super entertaining, feet thumping Lungi dance song, we wonder which was King Khan’s last film, his last performance that totally mesmerised us. Chak De! India (2007)…but that was ages ago, no..?
Read the dna review of the film
While Shah Rukh’s hamming like no one’s watching, the story flows through the lanes of shoddy dialogues and unnecessary action scenes. The slapstick, mind-numbing comedy makes you stare at the screen with utter astonishment – the shock of enduring one bad joke after the other is worse than consuming a bitter, terrible tasting tonic.
So this is how the torture-inflicting process begins – Shah Rukh (Rahul) is a 40-year-old guy who runs a sweet shop. But life isn’t too sweet for this lad until of course his grandfather passes away and Khan can finally live life on his own terms and give wings to his dreams. And he plans to start his freedom fiesta in Goa – but freaking fate has some other plans. He bumps into this gorgeous Tamilian girl (Deepika as Meena) who has been running away from a posse of fat sickle wielding gundas. Meenama’s dad wants her to marry Tangaballi played by the enormous Nikitin Dheer. But the chick would rather stay single than tie the knot with someone who hasn’t managed to touch the cockles of her heart. And there the hero’s Goa plan takes a U-turn and heads to the beautiful locales of South India.
Instead of chilling on the idyllic beaches of Goa, SRK is now entangled in a murky situation – he wonders why he showed any interest in Meenama at all. Why did he give her a helping hand while boarding the train – typical Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) style? He just needed a plain vacation and what he got instead is a dangerous ride on the Chennai Express. The goons catch hold of him and Deepika and take them to their village where the heroine’s dad – the deadly don is waiting for his daughter only so that he can hitch her up with the hulky Tangaballi. And that gives rise to a series of chaotic hide-and-seek games. And in the process Deepika and SRK fall in love. What does that sound like – clichéd or boring?
There are a few scenes that give us the uncontrollable giggles but that wasn’t enough to hold our interest in the film for too long. Deepika looked lovely and did great justice to her South Indian twang but SRK disappointed with his over-the-top performance. Without a shadow of doubt, DP takes the cake in this one. The film has this disorganised and incoherent quality about it, and trust us you don’t want to be a part of this mess. As the film ends with the super entertaining, feet thumping Lungi dance song, we wonder which was King Khan’s last film, his last performance that totally mesmerised us. Chak De! India (2007)…but that was ages ago, no..?
Read the dna review of the film
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