PK

Movie Review : PK

Director : Rajkumar Hirani

Genre : Drama / Comedy

Language : Hindi

Released : December 2014

Starring : Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani

My Rating : 7 out of 10

I don’t get to watch too many new Bollywood movies, and whenever I watch, more often than not, I end up being disappointed at the waste of time. I have yet to understand the hype behind most of the big names, be them actors, or filmmakers. A few exceptions being Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, all associated with this movie. So it was imperative for me to see it.

I try very hard to watch any movie with as little information as possible. In the same spirit, I will try to reveal as little as possible in this review. So in case you like to watch a movie without knowing any plot details, your enjoyment will not be reduced by reading this.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, has had both hits and misses in his long successful career. As for his directorial work, nothing will ever come close to the 1989 movie Parinda. As a producer, his teaming up with Rajkumar Hirani has produced wonderful movies. The previous movie "3 Idiots" was phenomenally successful at the box office, both in India and abroad. It was a fabulous movie by all measures, so naturally it raises the expectations when the same team gives us ‘PK’.

Unfortunately, it fails to reach those lofty standards of entertainment. In ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, Hirani masterfully blended Gandhism with humor. In '3 Idiots', beneath the roaring comedy, the undercurrent had many socially relevant themes that made you ponder. In ‘PK’ the formula is similar, mixing entertainment, with a strong social message. Although here, the concoction lacks potency. Because the comedy is laugh-out-loud only in a few scenes, and the social message is delivered in a borderline crude fashion, lacking any subtlety.

The movie is still very watchable. The topic is blind illogical faith in religion, and it’s misuse by the so called spiritual leaders. It’s a very important topic, and very relevant in India. I would say even necessary.  This same topic was quite nicely handled by Paresh Rawal starring ‘OMG’. I don’t think ‘PK’ delivered the message better.

Aamir Khan never disappoints as an actor. He gets most of the screentime. Anushka Sharma lends perfect support. Rest of the cast, including Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani don’t get much opportunity.

The music is forgettable, and the picturization just elongates the movie that should have been at least 30 minutes shorter even otherwise. The length of the movie also makes it repetitive. 

I am fond of movies that are entertaining, as well as thought provoking. Over the years, many directors have made commercial movies that are also socially relevant. BR Chopra had his own style. Hrishikesh Mukherjee did it his way. Bimal Roy was the best in my opinion. Now Rajkumar Hirani has established his own style. Using contemporary comedy to drive home the point. For that he deserves full applause.

I recommend the movie, by saying, “good, but not great”. I think it’s appropriate for older teen agers, and they will also enjoy the movie, as well as agree with it.