Thursday, August 28, 2008

Bollywood's Spoof in 2007

As an all-out entertainer, there is no beating "Om Shanti Om", starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade, Arjun Rampal and Kirron Kher (that's the latest spelling of her name). The first half is a spoof on Bollywood movies in the 70s, which is absolutely hilarious. Shah Rukh Khan may be going through an "unpopular-with-his-peers" phase right now, but this movie is really one of his best in terms of entertainment. There was much talk about how he had developed his six-pack abs just for this movie, showcased in the song 'Dard e Disco', but personally I feel you should keep your eyes shut tight till the number is over.

One controversy related to this movie, which is still raging, is a spoof on yesteryear actor, Manoj Kumar, who has taken umbrage and gone to court seeking to delete the offensive scenes. Sometimes, it's not such a good idea to copy the real onto the reel.

'Om Shanti Om' copies the ending of 'Madhumati', a film of the 50s (1958 to be precise) without giving it any credit. To those who might be interested in the art and craft of Bollywood movie making in the 50s, 'Madhumati' is worth a watch for many reasons. It has amazing music, it stars the great acting talent, Dilip Kumar with Vyjanthimala and is directed by Bimal Roy, who knew his craft so well that he was a legend in his times.

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