By Murtaza Ali Khan (@apotofvestiges)
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
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| Fan (2016) - By Maneesh Sharma |
Fan is a 2016 thriller
drama film directed by Indian filmmaker Maneesh Sharma whose previous
directorial ventures include projects like Band Baaja Baaraat and Shuddh Desi Romance. Produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj
Films, Fan stars Shah Rukh Khan in a double role wherein Khan essays the
parts of a Bollywood superstar named Aryan Khanna and his lookalike Delhi-based
fan, Gaurav, who calls himself Junior Aryan Khanna. As the title suggests, the
movie follows the fan Gaurav as he undertakes a train journey from Delhi to
Mumbai with the hope of personally greeting his idol Aryan on the occasion of his
48th birthday. Gaurav purposefully travels without ticket on the
Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani Express just as Aryan Khanna had famously travelled before
attaining his superstardom. Gaurav also makes sure that he stays in the very
room of the very hotel Aryan had stayed the very first time he had come to the
City of Dreams, Mumbai.
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| Shah Rukh Khan as Gaurav in Maneesh Sharma's Fan |
Our Rating: 8.0
IMDb Ratings: 9.0
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Joelle Koissi, Mariola Jaworska
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 142 min
On Aryan’s
birthday, Gaurav is unable to go past the security outside Aryan’s bungalow.
The best he can do is to watch him from a distance just like other fans who he considers
rather ordinary. But, Gaurav is hell-bent on meeting Aryan Khanna face-to-face
so that he can show him the trophy he won while imitating his idol in a local acting
competition. He also wants to treat him with the famous sweets he brought from
the Ghantewala Halwai in Chandni Chowk. When all his efforts of meeting Aryan
go in vain, he orchestrates a master plan to impress his beloved superstar. But, Aryan
doesn’t take too kindly to Gaurav when he learns about what he had done to
impress him. Gaurav feels betrayed and cheated by Aryan’s coldness and takes it
upon himself to teach him a befitting lesson so that no star ever dares to take
his fans for granted. What ensues is an exhilarating game of cat and mouse
between the fan and his once beloved idol. Only this time it is the star chasing
his fan gone rogue.
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| Shah Rukh Khan as superstar Aryan Khanna in Fan |
Fan doesn't back down from taking swipes at the established notions of fandom and stardom. The movie is a reminder of the boiling
passion that drives a fan. It is this passionate following that makes a star out
of an ordinary person. When this ordinary person begins to attain stardom he quickly
begins to take his fans for granted. He feels that they are no longer important.
While the movie encourages the fans to be more than just fans by following more
meaningful pursuits in life, it also warns the stars to be more responsible to
their fans. When Aryan fails to reciprocate the feelings of Gaurav, he discovers
that hell hath no fury like a fan scorned! Yes, the events depicted in the
movie may require the viewers to suspend their disbelief but they nonetheless
prove that fans maketh the stars—that there can be no stars without fans who shower
them with their appreciation and love. At the same time, it reminds us that it is as important for the fans to give stars their personal space as it is important for the stars to respect the fans.
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| Gaurav beholds the collage on his Aryan Khanna wall |
Aryan Khanna is the easier of the two characters that Shah Rukh Khan gets to play in the movie. For, the character of superstar Aryan Khanna is greatly inspired by SRK’s own life. Fan begins by showing a lot of archive footage from the public appearances that Khan made during his early days in Bollywood. We get to hear the bold statements he made about how he sees only himself as his competition. That he wants to rule the Mumbai film industry for many years to come. We get to see clips from his movies and live performances. SRK had come to the City of Dreams a couple of decades back with the hope of becoming a superstar. He was full of self-belief and that’s the only thing that mattered. Since then SRK’s tinseltown dream has only become grander. Carving a successful career in a volatile industry like Bollywood is nothing less than a tricky proposition. It takes the heart of a lion and the mind of a fox to survive the onslaught. SRK, to his credit, hasn't merely survived but has managed to thrive for the last 25 years, becoming a brand in himself. He became the nation's heartthrob in the '90s in spite of doing some highly unconventional movies like Darr, Baazigar, Anjaam, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, etc. In fact, playing the anti-hero became his USP. Although he has only grown in stature since then, his later performances certainly pale in comparison to his work in the ‘90s. Post mid-2000s, he has been coming across as a spent force and his most recent performances have been all about embracing clichés. With Fan, however, SRK fortunately seems to have finally found his lost mojo, interestingly while once again essaying an anti-heroic caricature. It is a rare SRK film sans romance in recent times. It must have taken great courage to take up such a challenge at the age of 50. But, it seems to have paid off well for Shah Rukh Khan. In terms of sheer intensity and flair, this dual performance of SRK (both the fan as well as the superstar) can be placed right next to his turns in Dil Se, Darr and Chak De! India. Kudos to him for carrying the movie entirely on his shoulders!
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| Fans maketh the stars: Hell hath no fury like a fan scorned |
Overall, Fan proves to be
an enthralling cinematic experience that makes us experience a rainbow of
emotions. The movie serves as a powerful example of cinema’s influence society
and individuals. Fan reminds one of famous Hollywood films like Misery and The King of Comedy.
The VFX team of Red Chillies Entertainment needs to be congratulated for ingeniously
enhancing Gaurav’s prosthetic look through special effects. The team seems to
have outdone what it achieved in Ra.One.
Fan also proves to be director Maneesh Sharma’s best work till date. How he
succeeds in completely shifting the movie’s tone at the halfway point is truly
commendable. What starts off as a lighthearted comedy suddenly takes the form
of a dark thriller in the second half; while some of the conventional viewers may
not be able to appreciate this sudden tonal shift, it certainly succeeds in differentiating
the movie from the run-of-the-mill offerings from Bollywood. The movie’s cinematography,
editing and music are also noteworthy. Fan has a lot of memorable sequences but
the scene that stands out is the one wherein Gaurav deceptively enters into
Aryan Khanna’s house and ends up bashing up all his trophies and memorabilia. What
distinguishes a
great filmmaker from an average filmmaker is that just when the former has things under
control, he succeeds in delivering a perfect closure. The ending of Fan is far
from being perfect and may disappoint some but it is an ending that at the very
least can be described as clever. Sometimes, it is more important to be clever
than perfect. Fan is a movie that needs to be watched. After all, we all admire
someone or the other!
Fan Movie Stills
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below. As always your insightful comments are highly appreciated!
References:
Fan (2016) Trailer (YouTube)
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Absolutely luved ur review Murtaza.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bindu... glad you liked it! :-)
ReplyDeleteFan is truly a bold film for Mr. Khan to do at this age .... and exemplary performance with grt direction too. Grt review
ReplyDeleteThanks... nothing but respect for SRK... finally he silences his critics, once and for all!
ReplyDeleteWow... 8/10 by you... 4.5 stars by Raja Sen.. other serious cinephiles approving the film with a 3.5, 4 stars or more, here and there.... the FAN in me is filled with joy. So excited to watch this movie..... :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it as much as I did. Don't forget to share your thoughts!
ReplyDeletenice movie..
ReplyDeleteclick here
Haven't watched the movie yet. Apparently the Shah Rukh has done his part well in the movie, despite a loopholes. Is it similar to Robert De Niro's The Fan (1996) ?
ReplyDeleteThe plot seems very similar...
www.aparnamudi.com
Well, there are similarities but Fan is quite unique. The same can be said of SRK's performances. For, here he plays not one but both the parts.
ReplyDelete