Asoka

Although this Shah Rukh Khan film did not do well at the box office, the film is a real tear jerker. Shah Rukh plays the role of Prince Asoka with conviction and aplomb. The movie begins with an exposition of Prince Asoka's situation as brother to the crown prince. An excellent warrior, Prince Asoka is sent hither and yon to fight the good fight, conquer the enemy, and to eventually be killed and so removed from competition to the throne. However, being such a good fighter and all, it's not so easy to kill the prince. Accordingly, the crown prince resorts to trickery and persuades the prince's mother to convince Prince Asoka to leave the kingdom and live as a commoner.

Prince Asoka makes his way through the wilderness and encounters his true love, Kaurwaki, princess of Kalinga (Kareena Kapoor). Eventually wooing and winning the princess as Pawan (the Wind), Asoka is summoned home by his mother and promises Kaurwaki that he will return quickly. Things do not turn out according to plan and Asoka becomes Emperor and embarks on a legendary killing rampage across India. The final scenes of the movie remind the audience of the frailty of life, the disappointment of accomplished goals, and the human lot of suffering.

Asoka is the story of a legendary historical figure who converts to Buddhism and leaves a humanistic legacy to India. This film provides the backstory to the legendary figure. Shah Rukh Khan is not only convincing, but is able to move the audience to tears. The several beefcake scenes do not detract from the overall excellence and serious purpose of the movie. In spite of the good looks of Shah Rukh Khan and pandering to the salacious interests of the audience, the film tells a good story and communicates a compelling message - the battlefield is the place where the beloved one lies. What cost victory? ...to what end?

Musings on a winter evening: take me to Shah Rukh

Not a movie or book review tonight, not even creative writing. I'm happy. I'm listening to the My Name is Khan audio soundtrack. It's lovely. I wish that I could figure out how to upload a track to the blog, but I don't know how right now. I'm listening to Rang De. Such an uplifting song. I just learned that "Noor E Khuda" means, "God is Light." Oh, yes.

Shah Rukh Khan started tweeting on Jan. 2, 2010, in the morning. Talk about making himself accessible! I was there, well not there, but close enough. I was on Planet SRK when someone mentioned he had started tweeting on twitter! Wow! Such an exodus to that site, in moments twitter was overcrowded with people clicking to follow him. Such excitement. It is so fantastic to think that I can be party to his thoughts of the moment, that I can respond to his thoughts and they'll show up on his screen (in the midst of thousands of others) half way around the world.

He heals my heart. It's not that he's doing anything active in that regard, it's just that having witnessed the corpus of his work - watched every movie that I could find (some 50 - 60 or so), read every book that I have been able to find about him, read and watched his interviews, observed his expressions, his choices, his reputation, his humor, his spirit in action, I can't help but hold him in the highest regard. I started "studying" him to try to figure out why I was so attracted to him, why I felt such love for him. Initially, I couldn't figure it out. It didn't make sense. I'm not a person who falls in love with a celebrity. I've never been a fan of anyone. SRK is different. It's still a mystery to me. But I do love this man and wish all the best for him.

I'm not alone in this. I was one of the first 5000 to follow him on twitter, but in six days, he has 57,614 followers with more to come. He does not just appeal to a segment of the population. His appeal is universal. What accounts for this? People say that he "connects." What does that mean? His dimples? His well-defined abs (attesting to his determination, persistence, and hard work), his smile? I believe Shah Rukh Khan is a charismatic presence. He is gifted with the presence of god. I see god in him. Now, I know this sounds a little balmy. I was a graduate student of theology and comparative religion. I know better than to deify a human. I don't think I'm doing that. Rather, I'm recognizing the presence of spirit - geistes. Parousia, the breath of god.

He has this affect on people. He makes me smile. He makes me laugh out loud. He makes me happy. He brings people together in loving community. I am inclined to say he is ego less, but that is not true. He is not selfish, but he has a strong self. It's clear that he has integrity and strives for excellence. He's a person who pursues virtue in a world too often populated by those who seldom consider the consequences of their deeds and behaviors. Shah Rukh Khan is a wake up call, but not the annoying, alarming, threatening kind. Rather he calls us to be the best that we can be. Calls us to encounter the new day with fresh hearts, clean spirits, and open hands - ready for the blessings bestowed upon us. He refers to his soon to be released movie, but these words could serve to illustrate his influence on me and so many others, "subtle and quiet. with as much noise as sleet caressing water. gentle as love should be" @iamsrk

Kismat Konnection (Hindi 2008)

Kismat Konnection stars with Shahid Kapoor and Juhi Chawla. SRK is the voice of the narrator. This is a cute story about a guy who is at the top of his class in college and just has a streak of bad luck after. He meets a girl, Priya (Vidya Balan), and his luck seems to change. The movie is all about their relationship and the preservation of a community center. Plans are afoot to build a shopping mall on the property, but Priya has other plans and she's the one with luck! More than luck, it's a film about the value of personal relationship and networking, no matter how the relationships happen. The significant person who turns the tide is a "waving friend." For me, this movie was a good reminder about keeping in touch and maintaining relationships.

Gaja Gamini (Hindi 200)

A movie unlike any other, Gaja Gamini is a meditation on women. Without plot, the movie proceeds as a collage of images and scenarios. Madhuri Dixit plays the mysterious woman, Gaja Gamini. Leonardo Da Vinci's muse, Gaja Gamini smiles secretively and personifies women across the centuries. The movie is set on a stage divided by a big black wall. On the one side is reason on the other, art. Madhuri plays five distinct characters. Shahrukh Khan makes an appearance. Some people really like this film and some people really dislike it. It is an art film, the subtitles are poor, only about 1/2 of the dialogue is translated. Much of the dialogue seems to be in couplets, but it's difficult to tell. If one thinks of this film as a play set on stage, fractured into pieces much like theater of the absurd, it's a little easier to accept. While I'm not sure that I'd recommend it, I found it very difficult to follow, it is interesting for what it tries to do and how it tries to do it. The director, MF Husain, is a famous painter and was 85 when he directed this film, supposedly inspired and dedicated to the leading actress, Madhuri Dixit. (The painting at the beginning of this post is by M.F. Husain.)

Pardes (Hindi 1997)

Pardes is a wonderful film about the difficulties of being an NRI and the difficulties of adjusting to a new land. After 25 years, Kishorilal (Amrish Puri) visits his dear friend in India. He becomes enamored of Ganga (Mahima Chaudhry) and decides the village girl would be perfect for his prince of a son, Rajiv (Agnihotri). Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) is commissioned by his adopted father, Kishorilal, to plead the suite of Rajiv. He does so successfully and Ganga agrees to the engagement. She visits America, Rajiv's homeland, for a month prior to the marriage. Rajiv shows his true colors and even Arjun can not put an acceptable spin on his behavior. In the meantime, Arjun and Ganga have gained one another's trust and have fallen in love. The movie is their love story and the troubles attendant upon differences in culture. This is a great little movie with strong Indian values contrasted with shallow American values. There is an awesome scene where Arjun demonstrates his unselfish love for Ganga by clasping a naked blade and running his bleeding hand along it...

Trimurti (Hindi 1995)

The Power of Three in One is the story of Trimurti. Shah Rukh Khan stars as the younger brother, along with Anil Kapoor( the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Slumdog Millionaire) and Jackie Shroff (another long time Bollywood actor). The movie commences with a policeman mother who tries to protect the shrine of the "Mother" for all instead of just the man who has paid for the renovations. To keep the poor from accessing the temple, Kooka (the villain) frames Satyadevi (the mother) to take the fall for killing three policeman. She is sentenced to jail for 18 years and her two sons are left to care for the son newly born in jail. The movie relates the story of the two older boys to raise the younger son, their parting of ways, and their eventual reacquaintance prior to the mother obtaining her freedom. The song and dance in this movie tends to be more religious in nature, devoted to worship of "the mother." The movie is entertaining and Shah Rukh is filled with puppy enthusiasm. His acting is amusing and endearing. He's good as the youngest brother and the other two male leads are also good as the 1st and 2nd brother.

Temptation: As Never Seen Before

A traveling stage show starring Shahrukh Khan, Priety Zinta, Rani Mukherji, Saif Ali Khan, and Priyanka Chopra, Temptation runs for 223 minutes. There are a couple of good bits in this and several slow ones. When the five named above are on stage, the shows has energy and charm; however, when others are on, such as the finalists for the Indian Idol or the choreographer, the show lacks sizzle. Shahrukh's interaction with audience members is interesting. This video is a compilation of his 18 stop world tour, featuring bits from Dubai, Bangkor, Toronto, London, New York, Atlanta, LA, etc. One part of the video featured a little humorous home movie with the six main stars acting, dancing, and singing - that was very entertaining. Many familiar songs, Chaiyya Chaiyya (from Dil Se) being the most memorable.

Dil Aashna Hai (2000)

Three college girls from 1973-1974 get wild and one has a child. All three determine to raise the child and claim maternity. 18 years pass. The girls have given the child up for adoption and are living their separate lives. The movie begins with Karan (Shah Rukh Khan) professing his love for a courtesan, Laila. Laila has been brought up in a brothel and makes her living as a cabaret dancer. While performing at a wedding, she gets a phone call from her "mother." Her "mother" is on her death bed and finally tells Laila the truth that she is not her mother. The movie, Dil Aashna Hai, is the story of Laila's search, abetted by Karan, for her mother. The female cast is very strong. It's a well-told tale and SRK's role is understated. While he is a male lead, there are several male leads with approximately equal parts in this movie. It's really all about the women.

Chaahat (Desire) 1996

One of Shah Rukh Khan's early movies, Chaahat is a story of obsession, except this time, Shah Rukh is the object of obsession rather than being the one who obsesses. Although the movie claims to come with English subtitles, they did not work, it was all in Hindi (I presume.) The film is about a father (Anupam Kher) and son (Shah Rukh Khan) who are singing performers. The father becomes ill and Roop (the son) decides to take him to Mumbai for treatment. In the city, a rich hotelier offers Roop a job as a singer because his sister has fallen in love with Roop. In the meantime, Roop has fallen in love with another woman whom he eventually marries. The hotelier is played by Naseeruddin Shah who also appeared with Shah Rukh in Chamatkar. All three of the male leads are very good in this film. Anupam Kher can be seen in many films and he plays a great dad; he is wise, understanding, and loving. The end of his movie is very violent. Roop gets beat up by the hotelier because he has scorned the sister and she's upset. In spite of a horrendous beating, Roop survives to give back some of the same. The drama and action is intense. I just wish that I could have understood the dialogue....Shah Rukh does what he does best in this film.

Fauji Television serial 1988 with Shah Rukh Khan

Fauji is Shah Rukh Khan's first acting job in front of a camera. A serial about the training of commandos, televised in 1988, Fauji received critical acclaim and made Shah Rukh as star. Fauji is out on dvd, in two volumes; Volume 1 with episodes 1-7, and Volume 2 with the rest. Shah Rukh's role was increased as the series went on because he was so popular. He plays Abhimanyu Rai, an irresponsible light-hearted youth who slowly develops into a responsible soldier. SRK's athleticism is prominent in this serial as is his charm and enthusiasm. The direction and storyline of the serial is naive, low budget, and somewhat silly; yet it is interesting if only to get a view into Indian television culture in 1988 (compare to American television at the time) and to see Shah Rukh Khan's beginnings as a film actor.

Maya Memsab Shahrukh's first movie

A remake of Madame Bovary with Hindi sensibility, Maya Memsaab is the story of a beautiful independent thinking woman who is unable to settle. Deepa Sahi plays Maya, the beautiful, educated, whimsical girl who marries a doctor and then tries to settle down into a middle class life. She has several affairs, one of whom is Lalit Kumar (Shah Rukh Khan), a younger fellow who has developed a crush on her after viewing her from afar. Unfortunately, Maya is looking for romance and stimulation. When all of this fails to satisfy her longing, and her debt has exceeded her ability to pay, Maya takes the only way out, suicide. The movie is an investigation into her death and all is slowly revealed.

I enjoyed this movie. Shah Rukh Khan is good as her spurned younger lover who is then taken up as a play thing by Maya. Her husband and older lover are also good. Stylized as an art movie and the director, Ketan Mehta, stylizing it as a dream, this is a well-acted interesting movie. I'm sure that women can definitely relate. Who of us hasn't fantasized of a way out of hum drum every day existence? The question, though, is can we afford the cost? It turns out that Maya could not afford it. Her house and life was forfeit. Deepa Sahi is very good as Maya (illusion). The movie made me want to read Madame Bovary again. This is a must see.

Chamatkar (1992) Shah Rukh Khan early movie

Chamatkar depends on the supernatural for the movement of its plot. Sunder (SRK) is tricked into relocating to Mumbai by an old school friend. His friend tricks him into mortgaging his home and land in order to go to Dubai, make his fortune as a teacher, and then return to build a new school for his village on his property with all the money he will have earned. Instead, Sunder's luggage and money is stolen and the train he was told to take ends up in Mumbai. A naive villager, with no friends, no money, and no place to stay, Sunder decides to sleep in a cemetery. While there he is accosted by some criminal types who wish to rob him and just when it looks like Sunder's story will be over before it has begun, The ghost of a murdered mob boss, Marco, rises from the grave and comes to Sunder's assistance. God has promised Sunder revenge for his untimely killing upon the enlistment of help from the one man who will be able to see and hear Marcos. Sunder is destiny's child and Marco's only chance for retribution. Sunder agrees to help Marco and they proceed to right the wrongs that were done 20 years previously and are still being perpetuated in the now of the movie.

The dancing and songs in this movie are passable, the special effects involved with the supernatural actions of Marcos are humorous, and the actor who plays Marco (Naseeruddin Shah) steals the show. He's as convincing as one can be in the role and he carries it off with a certain panache. Shah Rukh Khan is a good foil for him. SRK and Naseeruddin have a dance together which is entertaining, the animation during the opening credits is fun, and the underlying story is satisfying. This is a fun film to see if only to see SRK's puppy side. He's so young and new at the game, it appears that he's just learning how to dance. While some of his steps are wooden or awkward, his energy and potential are very evident.

Anjaam (final result)

The most bizarre of the films that I have recently watched with Shahrukh Khan, Anjaam, like Darr is a story of passion and obsession. Unlike Darr, however, the women in this movie are not passive victims to terror, but take a more active role. The real star in this movie is Madhuri Dixit. She plays Vijay's (SRK's) love interest, Shivani. While she achieved critical acclaim for her role as the Courtesan in Devdas with SRK, I think her performance showed more range and acting ability in this film. This is the first film with SRK that I could not find anything to like about the character that he played. Usually there is some redeeming quality that SRK is able to bring out of the character. Vijay is entirely unlikable. He is arrogant, shallow, violent, stubborn, and remorseless. SRK utilizes mannerisms to communicate Vijay's feeling. For example, when Vijay is feeling bothered, he has a right shoulder tic. When he is recovering from paralysis, he uses hand and arm twitches. These are all well and good, but Madhuri's performance provides a strong contrast. Her characterization is more subtle. She doesn't rely on these types of "business" that actors employ, rather her posture, her glance, her timing, her quality of attention to the other characters communicates her motivation and character. Johnny Lever has a gratuitous part in this movie and is very annoying. Every time he came on screen, I found myself having to turn the sound to the lowest setting. In addition, Deepak Tijori plays the murdered romantic lead. He was also the lead in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa where I commented that SRK was much preferable to him, making the premise of that plot unbelievable. I don't blame either of the SRK characters for wanting to bump this guy off.

This movie is filled with violence and made me feel very edgy. In brief, Vijay "falls in love" with an inaccessible woman, Shivani. She makes it very clear that she is not interested in him, yet he continues to pursue her. Eventually, he ends up killing her husband and accusing her of adultry and attempted murder. He is instrumental in her receiving a three year prison term. For Shivani, the innocent victim of Vijay's manipulations, life goes from bad to worse to ... In the end, it is the final result that matters.

Anjaam is a film worth watching as one of the three "negative" roles that SRK played early in his career. SRK has come a long way. I don't agree with critics that say he only plays one role. I think he plays unique characters, but some of the characters that he's been given to play are very similar to other characters that he's played. I think he's a brave actor. He allows himself to appear ugly, foolish, weak, annoying, conceited, etc. There are many actors that would not take roles that portrayed them in a less than attractive light. I have a lot of admiration for this man and his humility.

Devdas (remake with SRK)

Costly to make, with sumptuous costumes and settings, Devdas is a beloved story that has already had the definitive version made in past years with Dilip Kumar. In spite of this, Devdas, with Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai is a classic movie. Aishwarya Rai is a delightful and then heartbroken Paro who does her best to make a life for herself after Devdas. Devdas (Shahrukh Khan) is unable to stand up for Paro against his parent's wishes and abandons her for a directionless life of loss and debauchery. In abandoning Paro, Devdas abandons himself. Devdas depicts a man's loss of self, his compromises, and his ineffectuality. Yet, in the end, he makes the grand gesture. The theme is loss and making the best of what we are allotted in our lives. Very sad, very heart-rending, very beautiful.

Guddu

An older SRK movie about the rift between science/technology and faith/religion, Guddu is a love story about two young people who meet, fall in love, and then experience a tragic accident. Guddhu (Sharrukh Khan) ends up taking his parents to court for the right to make a will. Although this movie has a fairly predicatable plot, characterization, climax, and outcome; nonetheless, it is entertaining and moving.

Veer-Zaara

A favorite love story between a Pakistani and a Hindustani, Veer-Zaara is about star-crossed lovers who are destined to be together. Gender equality, family loyalty, patriotism, and sacrifice are the compelling themes that drive the plot of the movie. With a star-studded cast, including: Preity Sinta, Rani Mukerji, and Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan plays Squadron Leader V eer Pratap Singh with pathos and restraint. This is a Yash Chopra movie with great direction, good song and dance sequences, and fine acting. In a court house scene, Veer reads a poem he has written. It is a great moment. This is my second time seeing the film. It was one of the first Indian movies I ever saw and I didn't know SRK at the time. I just thought it was a great plot and movie and it always stayed with me. I wanted to see it again because now I am familiar with the actors and actresses in the movie and I wanted to see if my opinion had changed. With a fresh appreciation, this movie has become one of my favorites.

Darr (fear)

Another great performance by SRK! Darr is a story of obsession. Rahul (Shahrukh Khan) loves Kiran. He has loved her since college, but he has never told her. In fact, the audience later finds out that Rahul was known as a person who had been in love with a woman and no one at the college could ever find out who the woman was. Kiran is engaged to Sunil and she eventually marries him. During the engagement and marriage, Rahul stalks Kiran, annonymously professing his love. Kiran becomes more and more terrorized. Eventually, Rahul intrudes more and more into the lives of Sunil and Kiran until he is ultimately recognized by Sunil as the stalker. There are several climatic scenes wherein the two (Sunil and Rahul) are beating one another so as to win their lady love. Normally, one would think, audience loyalty would go to Sunil, the beloved of Kiran. However, in spite of Rahul's violence, mistakes, obsession, the audience sympathizes with him. When offered this role and told that the lead man would be beating him, Shah Rukh said, "Let him, every time he pastes me, they (the audience) will hate him. And love me" (Mushtaq Shiekh, Still Reading Khan, 434). So True. Go figure! How does Shah Rukh accomplish this? How does he create that sympathy in the audience for a character such as Rahul?

Don (SRK)

Very slick, modern, gangster movie that is filmed in Paris, Malaysia, and India, Don is a story of the Hindi (can't tell if it's supposed to be a Muslim or Hindu gang...) mafia boss whose slogan is, "Not only is it difficult to catch Don (Shah Rukh Khan), it is impossible." However, in this movie, Don is caught. Vijay (SRK also) is a Don look-alike and the police decide to replace Don with Vijay so as to bring down the crime organization. Vijay steps in...and the plot proceeds apace. After lots of violence, car chases, and intrigue, mistaken identities are revealed (multiple times) and the film ends with an unexpected twist. Quite entertaining - a different role for Shah Rukh. He's good in this, as always. I have not yet found a SRK film that I didn't like for one reason or another. Even though I am (emphatically) not a fan of cop/crime dramas, I enjoyed this one.

King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan by Anupama Chopra

Just finished this very interesting book. Anupama Chopra traces Shah Rukh's childhood roots and then follows his development into a world famous a-list superstar - King Khan. Besides being a fairly comprehensive biography and commentary on the films that Shah Rukh has made, the book also explains some history of the Bollywood industry and gives profiles of actors and directors within the context of Shah Rukh's history and story. (Shah Rukh was educated by the Christian Brothers- interesting connection to SMC, even if obliquely.) The writing style is very accessible, I didn't want to put it down and was sorry when it came to an end. Interesting fact, "From 1990 to 2005, India was the second-fastest-growing country in the world after China. The economy averaged a 6 percent growth, accelerating to 7.5 in 2005"(213).

Shah Rukh began acting in movies in 1992 and continues to the present. He has become the poster boy for this age of economic growth in India. It is said of him that, "Shah Rukh Khan is the face of a glittering new India. He is a modern-day god. On streets in India, his posters are sold alongside those of religious deities. Shrines have been erected in his name. For Indians and the varied non-Indian lovers of popular Hindi cinema, Shah Rukh is bigger than Tom Curise and Brad Pitt combined. Over fifteen years and fifty films, he has straddled Bollywood like a colussus. In the paan-stained studios of Mumbai, Shah Rukh's story, how a middle-class Muslim boy from Delhi became one of the biggest movie stars in the film industry in the world, is legend...The media, in tones that aren't ironical or mocking, refer to him as King Khan" (11).

"But Shah Rukh's life is more than just a dramatic show-biz success story. He is a Muslim superstar in a Hindu-majority country and his life reflects the fundamental paradoxes of a post-liberalization nation attempting to thrive in a globalized world" (11). Finally, "Shah Rukh personified the new millennium Indian who combines a global perspective with local values and is at home in the world" (14).

phir bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

This was the first movie produced by Shah Rukh Khan's newly formed production studio, Dreamz Unlimited, and it was a huge, disappointing, flop. I'd seen Dil Hai Hindustani about three months ago and I didn't remember it as horrible. Accordingly, I thought I'd watch it again this early evening for the second time.

Dil Hai Hindustani is a story about a conceited ace television reporter and his female competition. The film starts out with the theme song playing during the credits and the second song in is SRK singing "I'm the Best!" In Bollywood films, the songs are not always translated to English. This film does not provide sub-titles for the songs. So...I don't know what the lyrics are getting up to. All I know is the music is upbeat and catchy in this film. Upon hearing it the second time I remembered enjoying it the first time and I still found it memorable and engaging. That being said, I can imagine the audience being annoyed at Ajay's ( Shah Rukh Khan's) antics and conceit. He plays over the top for the first third of the film. My bet is that many viewers were lost at this point and simply stopped paying attention or tuned out or left.

It isn't until the second part of the film that Shah Ruhk Khan does what he does best; he plays the man with the heart of gold in a serious fashion. Ajay and Ria (Juhi Chawla) find themselves harboring a terrorist who is not really a terrorist. They record his story and drop their glamorous personas in solidarity with the human pathos of the story. Both Ajay and Ria work together to bring the truth out across a media that is increasingly controlled by the government, mafia, and commercial interests. In the end, Ajay, at great personal risk, rallies the people of India to march on the jail in an effort to stop the hanging of the supposed terrorist.

Some critics say it was a movie ahead of its time and that's why it didn't sell. I think the first half was too over-the-top and the second half was like Swades (which I really liked). Perhaps the disparate tones of the two parts of the movie was just too much for viewers to accept. Also, there was a kind of racist part when Ajay and Rai pretended to be Chinese reporters. The portrayal was very stereotypical and maybe not the most sensitive choice. However, I like it when SRK is exaggerating and I like it even better when he plays a serious part. So, for me, I liked this movie. I liked the music, the direction, the acting, the message, and the implicit social commentary. I also, surprisingly, like Johnny Lever's role in this film. He played the son of a Don and didn't camp it up too much. I thought his acting was restrained and appropriate. All in all, maybe this movie should be re-released to a broader audience, including America. American viewers can definitely relate.