Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

'Fan': Insightful And Thrilling

IANS, 15 Apr, 2016 01:10 PM
  • 'Fan': Insightful And Thrilling
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Waluscha de Sousa, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Deepika Amin, Yogendra Tiku, Sayani Gupta
 
Directed by: Maneesh Sharma
 
Rating: * * * 1/2
 
In a star-struck country, where hero worshipping is a norm, "Fan" is an insightful film looking into the obsessive, delusional behaviour of a star admirer and his love for his matinee idol. It is a reality check for both, stars and their fans.
 
Basically, the film is a battle of wills between Gaurav Chandna, the fan, and Aryan Khanna, the star.
 
Delhi-based Gaurav is the reigning heart-throb Aryan's doppelganger and a die-hard fan. It is his dream to meet his idol. So crazy is he that he follows the same trail as his idol to Mumbai and goes to any lengths to protect his star.
 
How he meets his star and the disillusionment that follows, forms crux of the tale.
 
 
The story written and directed by Maneesh Sharma, is uncomplicated, but of course exaggerated and zooms into a noire zone, pushing the boundaries of acceptability. The first half of the film is well-balanced and taut. It is the second half that is far-fetched, and though thrilling, strains.
 
Although treated as a dramatic thriller, the film is more of drama than a thriller. Narrated from Gaurav's point of view, the film brings to fore, the pragmatic issues of stardom and how stars deal with their crazy fans. Your heart bleeds for Gaurav, but at the same time makes you realise that one needs to be rational.
 
The pace of the film though racy, drags in parts, especially in the stretched action sequences, which is well-choreographed.
 
 
With well-etched characters, the performance of each actor is noteworthy. The film belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who in a dual role, is a treat for his fans. In both his characters, Gaurav and Aryan, he is distinct in his sartorial style, speech and mannerisms. With his overt histrionics, sincerity and simplicity, his obsession is palpable. He steals the show as Gaurav. As Aryan, Shah Rukh Khan is merely an extension of himself.
 
Of the rest of the supporting cast, Deepika Amin and Yogendra Tiku, as Gaurav's parents are fairly competent. Waluscha de Sousa as Aryan's wife and Shriya Pilgaonkar as Gaurav's love interest Neha, in small roles make their presence felt.
 
With great production values, the sets are realistic and the locales impressive.
 
Visually, Director of Photograohy (DOP) Manu Anand's images are impressive. He captures the hysteria of the fans and their gawking at their star, with precise acuteness. His frames seamless mesh with the computer generated images. It is in the initial scenes where the shots with grainy images are chaotic and thus, disorienting, but once the narration settles, the visuals are realistic and appealing.
 
Namrata Rao's razor sharp edits are crisp and note-worthy. She aptly layers the visuals and Andrea Guerra's background score to make the film a sound and visual delight.
 
 
Interestingly, despite with no songs in the narration, "Fan" keeps you entertained with Shah Rukh's gusty performance.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

'Bhaiyyaji Superhitt' 50 Percent Complete: Ameesha Patel

'Bhaiyyaji Superhitt' 50 Percent Complete: Ameesha Patel
Actress Ameesha Patel said her film "Bhaiyyaji Superhitt", opposite Sunny Deol, is halfway to completion and will soon be done with a new schedule starting in a week.

'Bhaiyyaji Superhitt' 50 Percent Complete: Ameesha Patel

'Azhar' Was Never Offered To Me: Huma Qureshi

Actress Huma Qureshi, who was popularly tipped to play badminton star Jwala Gutta in the upcoming biopic "Azhar" starring Emraan Hashmi, says it is a "rumour" and the film was "never offered" to her.

'Azhar' Was Never Offered To Me: Huma Qureshi

Sarabjit's Story Needed To Be Told, Says Aishwarya Rai

Sarabjit's Story Needed To Be Told, Says Aishwarya Rai
"When Omung Kumar(director of the film) came to me with the subject, it was an immediate yes. How can we walk away from telling such a story?" she said.

Sarabjit's Story Needed To Be Told, Says Aishwarya Rai

Big B A Super Actor And Now Family: Rishi Kapoor

Big B A Super Actor And Now Family: Rishi Kapoor
Rishi and Amitabh have worked together in hits like "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Ajooba", "Naseeb", "Kabhie Kabhie" and "Coolie".

Big B A Super Actor And Now Family: Rishi Kapoor

Films Should Not Be Termed Male/female-centric: Anushka Sharma

Films Should Not Be Termed Male/female-centric: Anushka Sharma
The actress says films should not be differentiated on the basis of gender as the key to a good movie lies in its storyline.

Films Should Not Be Termed Male/female-centric: Anushka Sharma

Aishwarya Rai Maintains Silence Over Panama Papers Leaks

Aishwarya Rai Maintains Silence Over Panama Papers Leaks
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who launched the trailer of her film "Sarbjit" on Thursday, decided to maintain silence over her name figuring in the Panama Papers leaks for allegedly having links with offshore entities.

Aishwarya Rai Maintains Silence Over Panama Papers Leaks