Sydney Blach

Film Review #5

May 3, 2010

Om Shanti Om

Om Shanti Om, a Farah Khan film, was released in 2007. The film is a story packed full of drama, excitement, and above all humor and satire. At the start of the movie the audience is introduced to Om (Shah Ruhk Khan), an aspiring film hero living in Bombay as a B-film, “junior actor.” On top of the dream to become a hero (not just a film-star and not just famous, but a hero) Om dreams of marrying the mega-star Shantipriya, commonly referred to as Shanti. Recalling a famous Bollywood moment, Shanti is trapped in a burning field of hay while on set filming a new movie, just like Nargis was trapped while filming Mother India. Remembering that after she was rescued from the fire Nargis married her hero, Om acts as the hero and leaps into the fire to rescue Shanti. Though the love in this case is one sided, Om and Shanti become good friends. There is a connection between the two, allowing for the thought that maybe one day the two would surpass a mere friendship. This is all turned upside-down however when the audience get to overhear, thanks to Om's spying, a conversation between Shanti and her unexpected husband, Mukesh, a corrupt film director who is producing the film Om Shanti Om. Shanti reveals to Mukesh that she is aware of his relationship with another woman, and that she is pregnant with his child. Shanti is seen begging Mukesh to reveal to the public his relationship with her, but Mukesh refuses using the excuse that “No one will fund a married heroine's film” and that he will marry her in front of everyone after the debut of his huge debut film. As it turns out, Mukesh is the corrupt jerk he seems to be and misleads Shanti into believing that he has planned and elaborate wedding for them at the set of his film. This proves to be a con when he sets the place on fire, locking Shanti inside. Om is a witness to all of this and attempts to save Shanti from the fire once again, but this times is beat and killed by the Mukesh's comrades that he sent to make sure Shanti doesn't survive. While attempting to find help, Om is hit by the car of the famous Kapoor, who is on the way to the hospital as his wife is in labor. At the same instant the Kapoor baby is born, Om dies, and Kapoor decides to name his new baby son, “Om.”

Fast forward about twenty-five years and the audience is introduced to Om Kapoor, the very famous movie star, who goes by the name “OK.” It is here that the comedic relief of the film is introduced. Many comments about Bollywood are made such as the mother as an overly dramatic character, Shah Ruhk as the same character in every film, the fact that you have to be a Kapoor or a Bacchan to be an A-list actor rather than a B, and the ridiculous stories that are written by directors.

Om, as well as the audience realize that Om Kapoor is a reincarnation of the old Om when OK's dad has a party for him to celebrate his winning of the film-fare award. Here he is introduced to “Mike” and told that “Mike” is a largely successful Hollywood director and would like to work with OK. The trick is that “Mike” is actually Mukesh. When Om realizes this, he has a recollection of all the events from his past life, of Shanti, and of his family. He then reconnects with his family, and schemes up a master plan to get back at Mukesh and avenge the death of Shanti.

In order to do so, he searches for a Shanti look-alike, finding Sandy, and tells Mike he has the perfect place for the set of the film they will make together. He takes Mike to the burnt down set of Om Shanti Om and immediately starts playing with Mike's head, using Sandy to make him believe he is seeing the ghost of Shanti. As the film is wrapped up the master plan is set into place, though none of Om's plans actually work out. Instead, there is a divine intervention and Shanti really does appear as a ghost, killing Mukesh under the chandelier that he claimed he would marry Shanti under but instead buried her dead body underneath.