If you haven't noticed, social media (and the world) has been abuzz about the just-released Rohit Shetty-Shah Rukh-Khan-Deepika Padukone-Vishal-Shekhar film Chennai Express.
Having seen the film, I offer you 5 reasons why you should get your tickets for Chennai Express (and take your friends and family).
1. A Trainload of Music. Even if you have fallen in love with the soundtrack from Chennai Express, you have only experienced a small portion of the music in the film. Even if you have watched the music videos, you will find that in the context of the film they move the story along quite nicely. What you cannot possibly have imagined are the many "additional musical performances" by Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and even Nikitin Dheer.
2. Tracking to Other Films. If you have seen any other major Shah Rukh Khan films, you will probably hear or see some reference to it. Some hilarious moments come from remixes of salient scenes, songs, or sentiments of previous SRK films such Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Rab Ne Bana De Jodi, My Name is Khan, etc. References to Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth are also included.
3. The Journey of Characters. The story has enough twists and turns and unique characters to make the inner journey of each of our characters worth watching. SRK's character Rahul slowly emerges as a true hero and without self-awareness. And while you may think you know how the story ends, you are reminded that people are complex and carry with them their own set of experiences and understandings that they have to work through. The joy of the film is peeling off each of these outer layers until we reach the heart of each character.
4. Engineered for Action. Whether it is a car chase or a fight scene or a 300-step-climb-to-the-temple, it is well-choreographed. And, of course, our hero has the tar beaten out of him in the climax - but manages to find the strength to stand up for what is right. My only regret is that some of the best action sequences were included in the trailers and promotional footage, so I had already seen them.
5. Conducting Comedy. There are numerous LAUGH OUT LOUD moments from start to finish. Even if you don't get all the "in-jokes" or can't understand the differences in languages spoken, you will appreciate the many funny, funny, funny scenes. Shah Rukh Khan has great comedic timing. The situations SRK's character faces offer great opportunities to put his skills to the test and he passes with hilariously flying colors.
You will want to see the film in the theatre to share in and enjoy the audience reactions. It was a high point for me to laugh, clap, and cheer for Rahul and Meena with a hundred other Bollywood fans. And when Rahul explained that while "there are 1,613 languages spoken in India ... but the most important is the language of love" the theater audience erupted in applause.
I don't speak Hindi or Tamil and I was born and raised in the United States. I attended the film with my husband and son who are familiar with a handful of Bollywood films, but are not avid fans. We all enjoyed the film immensely, which is a testament to the fact that Bollywood films have truly come of age.
If you enjoyed this post, you may be interested in our other Chennai Express or Friday Five posts.