Om Shanti Om- Classic Review

“Om Shanti Om” is the story of a young, B-grade actor trying to make it big in the industry with the lovely lady of his dreams. He sees the love of his life in the hands of death, and then dies himself, but is reincarnated as someone with more power than his previous life. His goal? To avenge the death of his soul mate from the previous life. Shah Rukh Khan, known as the “King of Bollywood”, played this role with such ease. Regardless of his own religious beliefs, it was clear that SRK really took on his character and made it his own, portraying his full potential throughout his first life and then after, in his reincarnation. He also nailed the aspect of love in this film, as every time his character saw the female protagonist, he would melt into a lovestruck fanboy. His efforts to woo the lucky lady were oh-so romantic, that it was almost hard not to fall in love with his character, Om Prakash. Of course, this led to the complete devastation of the viewer whenever things didn’t go his way.

Debuting actress Deepika Padukone was paired with the iconic Shah Rukh Khan in her first film. “Om Shanti Om” made her to be the actress she is now-- reaching Hollywood, just short of a decade after starting. Regardless this, Padukone played her role with such grace. Padukone played the beautiful Shanti, with the glamour that everyone with her stature should have. While there is an age difference between the two of them, their actions complimented each others’. She played a superstar in her first life, a woman with the world in her hand and everything anyone could ever want-- except love. Their chemistry throughout the film was phenomenal, as the innocence of their love was clear as the subtle steps in their relationship advanced. Of course, there were grand acts of love presented in the film, but that’s not what this movie was about. It was about true love, honest love, and innocent love. If there were grand acts of love, then the rejection would be more comedic than heartbreaking. But the way Shanti constantly lets Om down, in a gentle manner, is what truly brings the viewer down.

Throughout the film, the expressions were so clear as well. Each emotion was portrayed properly- the hurt and the betrayal- all of it was definable and clear. It looked as if each actor had truly stepped into their character’s shoes and evolved into that person. SRK was not just acting as Om, but he became Om. Deepika didn’t just pretend to be a superstar, she became Shanti, and that’s what made the performances and emotional outcomes so genuine.

The scenery throughout the “Om Shanti Om” was fantastic, as most of the sets weren’t actually sets, but authentic locations. The city of Goregaon, where the first part of the movie was filmed was so homely, even to people who had never seen it before. However, in the second part of the film everything becomes more rigid until familiarity is eventually found. The colours match each emotion and no set was anything below exceptional. Each colour and each filter from the lens complemented the scene, and the emotion that went along with it. For example, in one of the sadder songs, the filter is a dull blue, allowing for the viewer to see the emotion as well as listen to it. They’re able to feel emotions they don’t even realize, due to the filters on the camera.

Films like these only come along once or twice every decade and until today, I have not seen a more comedic, yet heart warming, romantic-thriller since “Om Shanti Om”. With a love like Om’s and Shanti’s, there is bound to be peace and justice eventually. And just like Shah Rukh Khan says in the film, “if the ending isn’t a good one, there’s more to the story, my friend.” For me, Om Shanti Om gets a 9.5/10. It’s an outstanding film with a strong message about what love is truly like- eternal.