PK: Laughter for the soul

Director Rajkumar Hirani’s PK is saccharine sweet even as it takes pot-shots at the follies in the name of faith, Deepa Gauri writes

PK puts forth everything the common man asks in unguarded debates, packaged in vintage Bollywood style and wrapped with humour.

The dry innocence with which PK (Aamir Khan) raises several existential questions, which in any other setting could have triggered a ban and even riots, is what makes the film a delight to watch.

Credit goes all out to Aamir Khan, who while looking absolutely dazed for most of the time (and with right reason), delivers a knock-out, methodical performance.

Continuing to deliver feel-good movies that tug at the essential goodness in everyone, director-editor Rajkumar Hirani, here, raises some thoroughly disturbing questions. He also sums up the follies of mankind in four sharp observations.

But he is also intelligent and leaves you no answers. Instead, as with Munnabhai and 3 Idiots, he tosses at you a line – ‘Wrong Number’ – to challenge the social evils around you.

A must-watch for all Bollywood fans, PK, however, doesn’t raise the bar any high. Perhaps it is the simplistic manner in which Hirani puts forth the contradictions in matters of faith, or about packing in everything – from a broken romance to social commentary, racial prejudices, superstitions, bogus spirituality, religious rituals – PK’s emotional core remains as detached as its alien protagonist.

This PK is Jadoo or ET, you name it, not taking on gun-wielding power-hungry evil men. This is an alien trying to find sense in the streaks of madness in humanity. And which other country fits the bill than India with its diversity of customs, traditions, faiths and social orders!

Covering through oft-repeated spiritual arguments, Hirani resorts to addressing a failed romance between an Indian TV reporter Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) and a Pakistani student Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput) as the key plot point, when objectivity would tell you that their love is just a phone-call or Facebook post away.

That, for the sky-high expectations the film puts forth, is a bit of a downer. Two, in taking on spiritual leaders, Hirani brings no added perspective as to why they thrive other than stating they bring hope (often futile) to people. So is empty hope that drives people to faith?

Cut out such connotations and PK is a breezy watch through the eyes of the nude alien (and hence the viral ad of Aamir walking with the radio). This alien is an exalted soul: he points to crows and asks, aren’t they nude, so why not humans? The theatre goes roaring in laughter, as they do through most of the first half.

Aamir dominates the film, and yet gives space to the rest of the cast; Anushka Sharma is effective as the reporter and takes out the screeches and wild gesticulations off her performance; Sushant Singh (and his character) is absolutely loveable while Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani breeze through.

Finally, however, PK is also the immensely talented Saurabh Sukhla’s show. Watch the face-off between Aamir and Saurabh, and you realise that great actors live their roles in utter spontaneity.

With delightful music, will-make-you-dance choreography, fabulous visuals and a tempo that never dips, PK is mind-pleasing entertainer. Just do not dig deeper though. It offers no new answers.

Movie: PK

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani

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