Here’s our struggle.
We’ve just returned from a first-day-first-show outing to FAN (because, let’s face it, what else is there?) – and we are struggling to hold back spoilers.
You see, it’s been a week since THIS happened to us:
And then THIS:
Needless to say, we believe our lives have changed. Just a little bit. Just a whole lot.
Shah Rukh Khan, the be-all and end-all of all that is good, merry and life-changing in the Bolly universe, SAID OUR NAMES! TWICE. Twice! We’ve rejoiced, whooped, shrieked, squealed, passed around the video like moohfali to whosoever cared to watch and basked in true, satiated fandom – and we’re still not over it.
It was probably the culmination of a week of unabated exhilaration that found us booking tickets in a frenzy the minute BookMyShow signalled we could.
We paid, we high-fived, we were in.
Now, here are our two cents. The movie, without leading you on any longer, must be pronounced as ‘psychotic brilliance’. What we mean by that, is that rarely since the early days of Anjaam and Darr, has Khan played such a darkly nuanced character. There are layers within layers – and then some more subterfuge layers. And they lie nestled in the characters of not one – but TWO Shah Rukh Khan’s.
The more the merrier? You bet.
The two of us, high on Shah Rukh Khan and a shared fan consciousness, watched and absorbed in unison.
And yet, somewhere along the way – an hour into the second half – we reached a crossroads.
We went our separate ways.
Urmi’s Take (Jabra Fan 1)
I loved, loved, LOVED the film. What’s with the incessant need to feel everything must tie up (even if untidily) into a happily-ever-after? The fans (not!) who walked out of the theatre, cribbing about the ending were, in my opinion, hoping for an aant-bhala-toh-sab-bhala kind of finale. Let’s face it, it doesn’t happen.
But I couldn’t care less. The movie is Shah Rukh Khan, par excellence – both as Gaurav, the star-crazed fan, and Aryan Khanna, who is basically SRK playing himself.
Shah Rukh carried me through the entire film and didn’t drop me once. No, the ending didn’t disappoint me. It liberated me and set up an open ending where one speculates, regrets and hopes.
It both surprised me (and not), that I related to Gaurav the way that I did. Not simply because he’s a hardcore Delhiite – but because of countless priceless ‘Fan’ moments scattered across the way for you to pick up.
When the camera pans in on SRK taking the high podium at Mannat on his birthday and waving down to screaming, fainting fans, you empathise with Aryan. One face in the midst of thousands.
When Gaurav cuts up photographs of his star, dances to his songs, grows up with a room filled with his cut-outs – you WILL empathise, regardless of whether you’re an SRK fan or not.
FAN is real. Very. It sets you up for hope, love, disillusionment – and hope again.
And I’d watch it again.
Aaqib’s Take (Jabra Fan 2)
During the last couple of years, Shah Rukh Khan got his fingers burnt with Dilwale, Happy New Year, Ra.One, and other forgettable films. Being a fan, it was painful to see him doing such roles after showing finesse in Swades, Chak De..., Kal Ho Na Ho.
Perhaps the list is endless, and so seemed the wait to see SRK back in his original avatar.
And then came FAN.
The movie definitely redeems Shah Rukh, the actor. From the enjoyable first-half to the pacy and complicated second-half, it’s Shah Rukh that pulls the movie through and through. There are quite a few memorable moments – such as the first meeting between Gaurav and Aryan (goosebumps!).
Playing a dual character, you admire him for the nuances in the two personalities he brings to the screen. The passion, aggression and anxiety of the characters – obvious even through the prosthetic make-up. You could relate to both the characters, and that builds up an internal struggle for who’s a better choice.
But the struggle doesn’t lead to a satisfying conclusion. Post the interval, you see the superstar and his fan facing each other, in an already-stretched climax, and then the unexpected happens.
I sat blankly as the credits started to roll. I definitely wanted more in a shorter length.
Will I watch it again? I shall prefer to wait for Raees to see SRK again. Fingers crossed.
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