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Cast: Shah Rukh Khan & Deepika Padukone
Director: Rohit Shetty
Producers: Gauri Khan, Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapur
Genre: Action/Romantic Comedy
Rating: 4/5
If Romance, Comedy & Action could be incorporated with stylish & good looking VFX Visuals, one would know that it’s a signature Red Chillies Entertainment production. Chennai Express, directed by Rohit Shetty, starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan & the gorgeous Deepika Padukone, has undoubtedly been one of the most anticipated films of this year for obvious reasons which have made audiences anxiously await its release.
The story unveils itself with the protagonist Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) who’s 40 years old, and has lived all his life under the protected shade of his grandparents that parented him, as a result of his actual parents passing away when he was 8 years old. His dreams of being an outgoing and adventurous person had always taken a back seat as he was forced to take over the role of managing his family Mithai(sweets) Store, which is often humorously referred to as Y.Y. Mithaiwala in the film. However, what Rahul does not know is that his life is about to take an unexpected and drastic twist when he accidentally boards the Chennai Express train, where he meets Meena (Deepika Padukone) that changes the course of his future forever.
Rohit Shetty is filmmaker that has often been given credit for his squiry, cheesy, yet entertaining and original comedy through the confines of his style of directing. The same director that made blockbusters like Golmaal 1,2 & 3, and Bol Bachchan Bol, has yet again re-established his vision & style of approaching comedy by working with Megastar SRK for the first time ever. Leading to controversies regarding the authenticity of the accent of Deepika Padukone’s character, Shetty has made it clear that extensive research was done & numerous South Indian crew members were hired to create such a typical character of Meena. One can instantly identify the huge admiration that Shetty has had for SRK & all his previous films as he makes it a point to cast him with a role like Rahul, giving Shah Rukh Khan fans instances of sweet nostalgia to absorb & fall in love once again when he says ‘Rahul, naam toh nahi sunaa hoga’ & re-enacting the all time famous train scene with Deepika Padukone which he had become known for, whilst doing it with Kajol in the blockbuster Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
The role of Meena in the film is perhaps the soul of the script that adds substance to the context in which audiences have understood the character. Shetty has done a commendable job by being spot on with his choice by casting Deepika Padukone for this intensive role. Padukone, herself comes from the South of India in Bangalore, so adapting to the nature, characteristics and body language of Meena came to her with some sense of ease & relativity. Padukone has shown tremendous maturity in her selection of roles recently, but one would agree that showcasing Meena with the perfect South Indian touch, has already made critics and audiences rave about her well earned performance. Hence, Deepika Padukone is yet another Superstar who has found her own niche in being called a ‘Good Actor’.
With any & every film that he does, there are critics, millions of fans and global audiences that impatiently wait in anticipation to watch their heartthrob and the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan on screen. Undoubtedly, SRK’s presence in any film is the biggest promotion in itself, prior to the release. And yet again, SRK has managed live up to sky rocketing expectations, to portray his famous on screen name Rahul, through the eyes of a man that understands the importance of love in life at a later stage, only when his initial journey from Mumbai to Rameshwaram to submerge his grandfather’s ashes have been interrupted by boarding the wrong train. Khan has a natural nack with his timing for comedy, just as naturally and beautifully he opens his arms wide to romance with Deepika Padukone on screen. Having done over 70 films with 22 years of experience, SRK is a cinematographer’s delight, as his every close up and eye expressions speak a strong emotion in enhancing his character.
Within 24 hours of its global release, Chennai Express has already created a tremendously positive impression in generating raving reviews about the film, as it’s well on it’s way to breaking records to join the exclusive 100 Crore club. That being said, the Rohit Shetty ‘Shytle’ of filmmaking has worked once again.
There is just something desirable and ‘to good to be true’ about Shah Rukh Khan, that make his fans and the ones that criticize his choice of roles, watch every film that he features in. I guess some would define it as super Stardom, whilst others are convinced that you just cannot underestimate the power of a common man.
