I once hated Om Shanti Om

First things first, if you have friends who say they don’t like Om Shanti Om, they are pretentious as hell, and you should stay away from them. I was one of them as well.

But now, I am desperate to write about this movie because:

1. I love it sooooo much (slightly more than average due to Deepika Padukone <3).

2. It was the movie that brought me back to Indian Cinema after avoiding it altogether for years (story for another day).

This movie is also a great example of how a director’s experience shapes and influences the film. How Farah Khan failed three times but hit it out of the park that one time so well because of the life she has lived—not to mention, while being pregnant.

Now, Farah Khan has made 4 movies in total:

1. Main Hoon Na: Watchable

2. Om Shanti Om: Extremely Watchable

3. Tees Maar Khan: First Half Watchable

4. Happy New Year: Unwatchable.

We will talk about each movie, but before that, we have to talk about Farah Khan’s life and the common theme binding her movies.

Farah Khan’s Life

Farah Khan, unlike us, was born close to cinema. Her Wikipedia says it all:

Also, she has had a long career in choreography since 1986, while her first movie came out in 2004 (18 years). It would be an understatement to say she knows more about Bollywood than most of us.

Farah Khan's Movies Are Parodies

This was pointed out to me by my friend and flatmate, Vardan. I dismissed it at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

From 2000–2004, Bollywood made 15 movies related to patriotism. Farah Khan must have noticed this trend, or while just watching these films, she thought of making an almost parody version of them, and Main Hoon Na was born.

Om Shanti Om has a different story, which we’ll get into later, but it doesn’t take a lot of brains to understand that it’s a parody of Bollywood.

From 2006 to 2010, Bollywood made 10 heist-related movies. And what came out in 2010? — Tees Maar Khan. And Happy New Year, which I don’t even want to talk about, is again a parody of heist films (maybe she just wanted to try again).

Now that we’ve understood her life and the general theme, let’s get into each movie one by one.

Main Hoon Na

If you’ve seen Main Hoon Na, you wouldn’t call it an abysmal film. I think the story is, by all means, perfect. It has a serious patriotic undertone, a message of peace, and a complex dive into infidelity. At the same time, it has some good jokes to keep the movie light, and the songs are so perfect(and promotes colorism, apt for the time)

What goes wrong then?

While watching Main Hoon Na, I’m confused about when to take it seriously and when not to. The serious undertone is missing as soon as Ram enters the college. The dynamic between Sanjana and her father is never explored properly but given closure abruptly after the attack on pussy(I meant Percy). The same goes for Laxman and his father—I still don’t know whether he hates his father or has forgiven him or what (I blame his acting too). The mom also forgives Ram, but what about her husband? —again, it was kept slightly vague.

One more thing is the Bollywood slip-up that happens — Dhanno on the rickshaw when SRK is chasing the bad guys. There’s a reflection of Gabbar on the windshield when the villain arrives in his car. The random background violonists whenever the hot teacher is arriving. It’s a parody of patriotic movies, so Bollywood references don’t quite fit. But due to the life that Farah Khan has lived, she couldn’t keep herself from referencing them.

Tees Maar Khan & Happy New Year

I think both movies face the same problem. They both have great stories and great first halves, but the second half is like an omelet flip gone wrong.

I am, again, confused about whether to take it seriously or not. It’s not evident. Also, how am I supposed to feel for the villagers? How am I supposed to feel about Charlie’s father? There’s not much for me to root against, and that’s why there’s no reason to root for the characters. The seriousness of the movie dies a brutal death in the second half.

I think great comedy movies work because they are good at balancing out the serious undertone. Think of movies like Hera Pheri and 3 Idiots as good examples. You instinctively know when to take it seriously and when to laugh. 3 Idiots is on the more serious side, and Hera Pheri is on the more comedic side. So, it’s not about the amount of comedy but how easily the audience receives it.

I do remember Sheila Ki Jawani, and I do watch Happy New Year if it shows up on Zee Cinema randomly when I’m at home (it’s my guilty pleasure because of the script), but I’d never convince anyone to watch this film. These small good elements are just not enough.

The Magnum Opus - Om Shanti Om

Om Shanti Om has a great script, great music, a great villain, and of course, Deepika Padukone. What makes it Farah Khan’s best work is that she rectifies all the mistakes she made in her other movies:

1. Instinctive Comedy: You know that the first half is mostly comedic, and only the end of the first half is somewhat serious. The second half is mostly serious with a slight funny undertone. The point is that everything is instinctive; the comedy doesn’t feel misplaced. I just know when to take it seriously and when to enjoy the comedy.

2. Farah’s Bollywood Obsession: The movie is about Bollywood, so every reference feels natural. It fits well, and Farah Khan had much more material to play with, and she chose the right ideas for the right scenes. Most people won’t like this movie if they aren’t aware of Bollywood, just like I didn’t at first. But then you watch it again, and it melts you.

Another factor that makes this movie great is how the idea came to Farah Khan. She was working on a play called Bombay Dreams, a musical about a guy who makes it as a star in Bombay from the slums. Farah Khan, who was born and raised in cinema, knew that it was far from reality. You have to be reborn as a star’s son to become a star. She started with that small joke and then built a great script around it.

You can argue about the logic of the movie, but then I’ll give you examples of Pinocchio, Life of Pi, and other movies that don’t make logical sense. How was his father inside the whale’s belly in Pinocchio? Sometimes, logic won’t open your mind enough to see the movie for what it is. That was my mistake and why I didn’t like it the first time. I was too logical to see a story about rebirth, and I was definitely an idiot.

Don’t Be An Idiot

Don’t be like me. When you watch a movie, go in with an open mind, and you’ll see the film differently. Otherwise, you’ll just miss out on good cinema. I watched Om Shanti Om a second time with an open mind, keeping my biases aside, and with a lot more context about Bollywood, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I’m glad I didn’t miss out.

Another lesson here is that every piece of writing or creative endeavour is autobiographical in nature, directly or indirectly. So whenever you’re trying to create something, look back at your own life, look back at what you’ve lived, and look back at what you like and what you don’t. The more your creative expression comes from your experience and taste, the better it will be.

Also, experience won’t come from being closed-minded. Sometimes, give a chance to things that make you cringe and seek out new experiences, so that your expression remains fresh.

Farah Khan lived and breathed Bollywood, and Om Shanti Om was her way of celebrating and reflecting that world. One day, you’ll express your experiences and celebrate them through the life you’ve lived. So, make your life and your experiences varied and worth it.

And cut!

Thanks for reading and share it with your Bollywood-obsessed friends.