PK Reviews Thread

Rajkumar Hirani, known for his films like 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai series tries to live up to his reputation of telling an engaging tale with a message. Though the storytelling is seamless, PK does seem to lack the punch that his earlier films had. Though the screenplay (Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani) of the film is comprehensive and engrossing, with humorous situations and entertaining dialogues, the narrative does get slow at a certain points. PK however hits the right notes and entertains.

It has become a trend of sorts now that the year ends with a major release by none other than Aamir Khan in the month of December. After the release of DHOOM 3, as we gear up for the Christmas holidays, Aamir Khan brings his new film PK.

Said to be a comedy-drama, the makers of the film have managed to keep the story tightly under wraps, despite the film’s heavy promotions. As already reported in the media, Aamir Khan plays the role of an alien, something that is a relatively new in Bollywood. Add to that, with director Rajkumar Hirani wielding the megaphone as the director after three back-to-back hits, PK has managed to generate tremendous hype prior to its release. However, does the film manage to live up to the expectations, will the past success (3 Idiots) of the Aamir Khan – Rajkumar Hirani combination work its charm in enticing the audiences to the theatres, will PK be a Christmas gift to cherishfor the film loving audiences? Lets analyze.

The film starts off with PK (Aamir Khan), an alien, landing on earth, in the desert of Rajasthan, to study about human begins and life on earth. Arriving stark naked on a earth, PK has a rough start on the planet when his tracking remote, that helps him send signals back to his spaceship, gets stolen. He now has to find the remote to contact his spaceship and till then survive on earth on his own. Unaware of human mannerisms, language or life in general on the earth, PK finds it difficult to adjust. However, fate brings him in touch with Bhairav Singh (Sanjay Dutt) who becomes his dear friend and helps him with life on earth. But destiny takes PK to Delhi. From here on starts a whirlwind story of a stranger in an unknown city of Delhi asking questions that despite their innocence hold a valuable and deep meaning. Aided on by Jagat Janani (Anushka Sharma) who teams up with him on this journey, PK challenges some of the oldest rituals of religionthat are ruling life of people on earth.

As for the performances, Aamir Khan excels in the title role. This is probably one of the most challenging characters that he has played so far and with his stellar performance, Aamir Khan carries the film all the way. His childlike innocence, his Bhojpuri accent and his love for ‘paan’ only adds layers to the character of PK. Anushka Sharma, who has in her previous releases earned quite a bit of critical acclaim, does a good job as Jagat “Jaggu” Janani. She stands shoulder to shoulder with Aamir through the entire film. Sushant Singh Rajput is impressive in an extended cameo. Saurabh Shukla, though good, seems to be underutilized along with Boman Irani who too could have been given a meatier part. Sanjay Dutt, on the other hand, manages to carry off his role as a Rajasthani man with panache.

Music of PK is composed by Shantanu Moitra, Ajay-Atul and Ankit Tiwari and the lyrics are penned by Swanand Kirkire, Amitabh Varma and Manoj Muntashir. Songs like ‘Nanga Punga Dost’, ‘Tharki Chokro’ and ‘Love Is Waste Of Time’ have already gained popularity and they take the story forward in the film. ‘Chaar Kadam’ featuring Sushant Singh Rajput and Anushka Sharma is a soft number that sets the mood for romance just right.

Rajkumar Hirani, known for his films like 3 Idiots and the Munnabhai series tries to live up to his reputation of telling an engaging tale with a message. Though the storytelling is seamless, PK does seem to lack the punch that his earlier films had. Though the screenplay (Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani) of the film is comprehensive and engrossing, with humorous situations and entertaining dialogues, the narrative does get slow at a certain points. PK however hits the right notes and entertains.

Overall, PK that releases during the Christmas holidays enjoys a three week free run at the box office. Despite the film having its share of ups and downs, it is surely a good entertainer. Being a film that deals with the topic of God and Godmen, audiences are bound to draw a few similarities between PK and the previously released Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal starrer OMG OH MY GOD! But while latter dealt with a lay man asking some prominent questions about God and the almighty himself coming down to earth, PK differs with an alien not directly questioning God, but instead questioning the belief system that humans have created to reach God. But with high level of anticipation and a massive release (approximately 5000 screens domestically and 800+ screens overseas), PK is sure to create new box-office records.

On the whole, Aamir Khan’s PK is a solid entertainer that will surely entertain the masses and classes alike. An outstanding film. Go for it.

4.5/5

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22 Comments
  1. Baba 9 years ago

    after wacthing pk, raja sen came out singing
    “tinga tinga nanga punga tinga tinga nanga punga, bhosdi ka madarchudda dost”

  2. Reddemon 9 years ago

    Even if PK is a bad film I dont think many critics will dare to call PK as bad because of RK hirani.
    so we must wait for member/public reviews.

  3. alfa.one 9 years ago

    Just back from the movie. Its an average stuff. OMG was far better.

    • Baba 9 years ago

      that means 250cr+?

      • alfa.one 9 years ago

        yes baba it is possible coz of hirani+AK+holidays and no competition !!

        But if we compare these 2 movies OMG and PK, for me OMG was far far better and engaging.

        1st half of the movie indicate, it is going to be brilliant but nothing of that sort happens. Its a very ordinary movie. I saw it in MP in colaba and the occupancy was around 50 % and it was 3rd show i.e 10.30 AM.

        When I compare it with ETT, it was housefull in the 1st show itself. Dont know about HNY as I saw it in kolkata and that was also around 70% in 1st show.

        • Baba 9 years ago

          i have doubts about its BO. the second half was pissing ppl off. Some of them walked out. This is not a film for everyone. Also the occupancy it seems is low througout. but a film on such topics should work. and aamir khans acting shoudl make them watch this once atleast

  4. sputnik 9 years ago

    Komal Nahta’s Review

    PK

    UTV Motion Pictures, Vinod Chopra Films and Rajkumar Hirani Films’ PK (UA) is a high concept film. It is about a man’s expose on how Godmen misuse religion to fool gullible people.

    PK (Aamir Khan) loses a remote control when a stranger runs away with it. He is devastated as it is the remote control which will help him reach back home. He goes in search of it but draws a blank everywhere because he knows nothing about the man who has stolen it from him. As everybody he meets in this connection tells him, only God can help him, PK tries to get God to help him. In the process, he realises that there are different Gods for different religions and the messengers of God (Godmen) try to connect ordinary mortals to God but more often than not, they fail. He also soon understands the frauds being committed in the name of God, by the Godmen. This realisation dawns upon him when he sees his remote control being passed off by Godman Tapasvi (Saurabh Shukla) as proof of God’s existence, to fool people and to prove that he (Tapasvi) is close to God.

    Jagat Janani alias Jaggu (Anushka Sharma), who has befriended PK and has promised to get his remote back so that he is able to return home, is a television reporter and show anchor. She takes PK to her house. Soon, Jaggu takes PK to Tapasvi’s discourse and prompts him to question his preaching while recording all this on camera for telecast on her channel. She has convinced her boss, Bajwa (Boman Irani), that PK’s story and philosophy are newsworthy and would increase TRPs if aired on the channel. PK sparks off a virtual revolution in people’s thinking, leading to soaring TRPs for the channel, much to the joy of Jaggu and Bajwa. As a result of Tapasvi standing exposed, his followers become so critical of him that their numbers dwindle drastically. The finale, planned by Jaggu, is a live face-off between PK and Tapasvi, for the television channel.

    Both, Jaggu and her boss, have an axe to grind with Tapasvi. Jaggu had been in love with a Pakistani Muslim boy, Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput), but Tapasvi had warned that he would ditch her. Her father (Parikshat Sahni), a diehard disciple of Tapasvi, had, in fact, disowned Jaggu after her affair and ultimate breakup. As for Jaggu’s boss, Bajwa, he had dared to talk about religion, on his channel, which didn’t go down well with Tapasvi, whose men had, therefore, taught him a lesson which was difficult for him to forget in his lifetime.

    Does the face-off between PK and Tapasvi take place on camera? Is PK able to expose Tapasvi or does Tapasvi succeed in proving his credentials? Does Jaggu fulfil her promise by helping PK get his remote control back? Do Jaggu and Sarfaraz patch up and why had they broken up in the first place? Is PK able to return to his home?

    Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani have written a high-concept drama. Their story is very different from the films one sees everyday and although one will be tempted to say that the story has shades of Oh My God! And Koi… Mil Gaya, the fact is that there is very different stuff also on offer. In other words, the story may have shades of the two aforementioned films but there are many unique points also in the film. The duo’s screenplay is extremely entertaining, especially in the first half, keeping the audience in splits right till the interval. The first part is actually full of scenes which are inherently humorous but many of those scenes also have fantastic underlying messages. Since the drama exposes the Godmen and how they fool gullible people in the name of religion, everybody will be able to enjoy and appreciate it to the fullest. The film takes a serious and preachy turn post-interval and it also becomes a bit slow-paced. However, since the preachy portions are those which the common man can completely identify with, he won’t really resent them. The pace picks up in the pre-climax. The face-off between PK and Tapasvi is extraordinary and how it involves Jaggu and her boss also, is supremely intelligent. The scene in which Jaggu speaks to the embassy and what follows thereafter is so outstanding, so wonderfully written and and so very emotional that it will choke the viewers. All that follows after that scene is both, very interesting and very engaging, besides being emotional too. Many scenes in the pre-interval portion and several in the post-interval part are clapworthy. Special mention must be made of some scenes. The scene in which Jaggu slips her purse into the money box of the temple, from which PK has stolen money, just so that she can save him from the temple priests is outstanding and truly heartwarming. The scene in which PK helps a Sardar in need of money, by giving him cash, is simply remarkable not only because it reveals the powers which PK possesses but also because of what Jaggu sees when she follows the Sardar. Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani’s dialogues are veritable gems and deserve full marks. Many of the dialogues are so thought-provoking while being truly funny that they will evoke loud rounds of applause.

    Aamir Khan easily comes up with the best performance of his career so far. If his character is supremely endearing, his performance is truly mesmerising. He acts with such effortless ease that he makes the actually very difficult role look like child’s play! Aamir looks the character he plays. A special mention must be made of two things: his youthful look, which is rather creditable, and his uninhibited performance in scenes showing him stark naked. Anushka Sharma is first-rate in a running role. She proves to be the perfect foil to Aamir Khan and never falls short of expectations while performing opposite him. She looks very fetching. Sanjay Dutt adds tremendous star value and acts ably in a brief role. Sushant Singh Rajput is as natural as natural can be in a brief role. Saurabh Shukla is wonderful as Tapasvi. Boman Irani makes his presence felt with his star power and easy acting. Parikshat Sahni lends able support. As his wife, Amardeep Jha has her moments. Rukhsar Kabir is just too lovely in the single scene (as the telephone operator in the embassy) in which she appears. Brijendra Kala makes his mark. Manavi Gagroo (as Mitu), Rajinder Sharma (as the thief who steals PK’s remote control) and Ram Sethi (as the elderly man in Belgium) provide excellent support. Sai Gundewar (as the ticket seller in Belgium), baby Plabita Borthakur (as Jaggu’s sister), baby Tia Sharma (as young Jaggu), Sachin Parikh (as Tapasvi’s manager), Shaji Choudhary (as Tapasvi’s bodyguard), Vijay Crishna (as entrepreneur), Rohitashv Gaur (as constable Pandey), Gulshan Pandey (as constable), Ashok Vyas (as carrot seller), B.K. Sood (as old doctor in Rajasthan), Reema Debnath (as Phuljadiya), Anil Mange (who enacts the role of Lord Shiva in a stage-play), Arun Bali (as the old Sardar who fools PK), Kamlesh Gill (as the old Sardar’s wife) and Arohi Mhatre, Deepti Rege and Pragati Joshi (all three as Tapasvi’s musicians) lend adequate support. Ranbir Kapoor will draw shrieks of surprise and excitement in a tiny role.

    Rajkumar Hirani’s direction is incomparable. The man shows yet again that he is the master craftsman whom nobody can touch. His narration is almost flawless and all credit to him and to his co-writer too, to tackle such a tricky topic with such élan. Very intelligently, he has repeatedly ridiculed the malpractices in the name of religion while not once poking fun at religion or any God. The best part of his narration is that it caters to all strata of society and all kinds of audience. Music (Shantanu Moitra, Ajay-Atul and Ankit Tiwari) is definitely not upto the mark. There is simply no hit song. Having said that, it must be added that the songs look appealing in the film. Lyrics (Swanand Kirkire, Amitabh Varma and Manoj Muntashir) are very fine. Choreography (Ganesh Acharya, Bosco-Caesar, Stanley D’Costa and Brinda) is fair. Sanjay Wandrekar and Atul Raninga’s background music is pretty effective. Murleedharan C.K.’s cinematography is splendid. Sham Kaushal’s action and stunts are good. Production designing by Acropolis (Rajnish Hedao, Sumit Basu and Snigdha Basu) is lovely. Rajkumar Hirani’s editing is first-rate.

    On the whole, PK is an outstanding entertainer with a strong message relevant to all human beings. It will easily prove to be one of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters, probably, the biggest also. It has all chances to emerge as the first film to cross the Rs. 300-crore mark.

    Link

  5. sputnik 9 years ago

    PK Rediff Review by Sukanya Verma

    Among showmen and whiz kids, game changers and auteurs resides a genial filmmaker, a fairy godmother the disenchanted audience badly needs.

    Rajkumar Hirani could easily be mistaken for that kindly neighbour in one’s building, the sort who greets you in the lift with a warm smile and offers to help you with the grocery bags.

    But mostly he’s the genius generator of best-selling philosophies like jadoo ki jhappi, Gandhigiri and All izz well — persistently seeking some good in a dark world through oddball protagonists driven by curiosity and a desire to repair defective mind-sets.

    It’s the foundation of all his features, be it Munnabhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munnabhai, 3 Idiots and, now, PK.

    Somewhere through the frolic, in playing society’s self-appointed conscience, Hirani has fallen in a monotonous, predictable rut.

    In PK, he tackles the widespread evils of religion-dictated farce in this country, the bizarre rituals it entails whilst acknowledging the distinction of a divine presence from idol worship.

    The Paresh Rawal-starrer OMG-Oh My God, a satire I quite relished — in fact a tad more than PK — raised similar concerns through hard-hitting rationality and an element of mythological fantasy.

    Part comedy, part drama, PK opts to share its genre specification with science fiction.

    To get across his point, Hirani appoints Aamir Khan to play PK, a freakier, flashier version of 3 Idiots’ Rancho.

    The actor, given his newfound comfort in the socially aware, is on the same wavelength as his director resulting in a performance that is flamboyant enough to make a splash.

    One sees a lot more of him than is accustomed to in PK. While it’s not pin-up material, it’s refreshing to see a mainstream star in such an uninhibited space.

    During the course of his quest to return home, filled with madcap discoveries regarding God, fashion, music, language (watch out for one hilarious achha scene), social etiquette and self-defence (who knew Hanuman stickers could come in so handy?), PK bumps into a pixie-hair television journalist Jaggu Sahni with daddy issues (Anushka Sharma) and they join forces to blow off the whistle on a flimflam Godman (Saurabh Shukla is a hoot).

    Before arriving to the story’s simplistic and lacklustre conclusion that points out to Hirani’s chronic weakness — too much sentimentality — PK moves at a buoyant pace.

    Save for the Aamir-Sanjay Dutt track, Tharki Chokro, which feels needless and punctures the narrative momentarily.

    Music, as in the case of most Hirani films, is not a strong point in PK. His fluency shines in storytelling. Even the most mawkish moments scrape through largely on his conviction and his actors’ charm.

    Most of the initial film is centred on Aamir’s unique logic, wherein he uses a cycle lock to safeguard his chappals from temple thieves, pees on the walls of Delhi’s Red Fort (the notoriously picky censor board did not mind?) and tries to barter food for Gandhi’s pictures presuming it’s the man and not the moolah that carries worth.

    Considering how rare it is when the hero and heroine do not romance one another, the dynamics of a high strung Aamir and sunlit Anushka’s animated chemistry are more Lilo & Stitch than, say, Shrek and Fiona.

    Beneath its vibrant bouts of humour, PK mocks at the societal arrangement we have grown apathetic to. Those jokes are ultimately nothing but PK’s sarcasm at the expense of our collective desperation that wagers to chance and dubs it a miracle, rejoices in disparity, exhorts fear and has forgotten their fundamental right to question.

    When PK works, it does with great merit, spunk and surprise.

    When it does not, it meanders, sermonises and guilt trips exactly in the tone of the one it reproaches.

    Rediff Rating: 3.5

    Link

  6. alfa.one 9 years ago

    Critics are bound to give good ratings for obvious reasons. No doubt about good acting and content but 2nd half took nose dive. If we talk about acting then Haoder was power house of actors.

    • Baba 9 years ago

      masand who gave 2/5 to omg now says pk cudnt show much in 2n half bcos omg had already shown those things. to saale madar*** omg ko 2/5 kyun diya tha? bcos it starred akshya, not aamir?

      • sputnik 9 years ago

        Masand has some personal grudge against Akshay. He would have never called any other actor “Jackass”. May be Akshay did not give him an interview or Akshay slighted him somehow.

        His excuse for giving 2/5 to OMG is ridiculous.

        “makes a compelling argument against the commercialization of religion, but the tone of the film is so shrill, the approach so preachy, you feel like you’re being tied down and forced to listen to a sermon for two-and-a-half hours.”

        Raju’s films are also preachy. Even without having watched PK I can tell that there must have been some scenes which are preachy and manipulative because that is Raju Hirani’s style.

        “it never sticks its neck out far enough, choosing instead to go with a cop-out ending, as if afraid to be too provocative.”

        You said in your review PK did not reveal where he stands also.

        OMG was the first movie that mocked these Godmen and Babas but PK becomes brave with testicles for dealing with the same issue?

        • Baba 9 years ago

          pk doesnt take any stand. it touchs the issue and leaves it there. OMG delved deeply into it and gave solutions in the end while being entertaining throughout. pk 2nd half is a big bore

      • alfa.one 9 years ago

        Very true, in fact in OMG paresh rawal and a k were brilliant. These critics r ass lickers.

  7. alfa.one 9 years ago

    The confrontation between pk and Saurabh Shukla should have been impact full but it was so flat that it killed the excitement. Similarly the sequence of rajput I.e Pakistani lover of jaggu was forced just to bring in the emotions.

    Raju has brought I’m every now and then the shaking cars (people having sex). It was like rohit shetty showing flying cars I’m every movie. Bloody height of nonsense.

    • Baba 9 years ago

      there was no reason to strecth the joke about moving cars/sex thing. we get it. and raju hirani has some fetish for male nudity

  8. AAP 9 years ago

    I agree that Pakistani angle was not necessary but how many other Indian films have shown Pakistani ppl as modern and not in black?

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