Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone.
So, I watched Chennai Express yesterday at PVR Priya. As soon as I entered the theater, the movie has already started and I heard these words "Mera naam Rahul hai". I thought SRK is back to doing what he does the best; Romance; but no, he was not only up to that. Well, he tried Action and comedy too.
The Plot: Rahul's grandfather has died and he is going to Rameshwaram to dispose off his grandfather's ashes as it was his last wish. This led him to board the "Chennai Express" and the movie is all about that.
A refreshing start: The film started off with introductions of Rahul's family and it was good seeing Shahrukh as a regular guy with a regular life and it was very comforting to hear that he is finally playing a 40 years old character.
Going smooth: The movie was gripping till the time when Rahul boarded the train and left the train and then boarded it again, it was lovely seeing the famous "let me grab you up on the train" SRK scene all over again [that too 5 times in a row]; actually this is Deepika's 2nd time with this kind of scene, she did this in YJHD as well, I guess.
A Sudden downfall: After the Chennai Express crosses a few stations, the movie started to lose its charm, with unnecessary attempts to make people laugh. Something was just not right with the film, which made me feel bored for a good 50 minutes before and after the interval.
Good moments: the fresh start , the references to SRK's previous movies [referencing is Rohit Shetty's typical style and of course keeping the Mahindra Scorpio sales high] and when the first romantic scene happened; a scene where Shahrukh carries Deepika and climbs up to 300 stairs, that was a beautiful scene and was a reminder that Chennai Express falls under the romantic genre as well.
A Good finish: The last few minutes of the film were actually good with the song I was awaiting the whole time "Tera rasta main chhodun na" sung by Amitabh Bhattacharya and the part when they reach Rameshwaram. They did overcome a lot from the time when I was not enjoying it at all.
Action: It ended with a fight scene which was kind of weird, I never like SRK fighting people double his size, watching Salman Khan doing the same is such a pleasure. Overall, the film was a one time watch, the entertainment seeker in me gives it a 3 out of 5, the movie geek in me tells this film was not a piece of good quality and gives it a 2 out of 5.
A final note: Although, I didn't really like Chennai Express, I completely understand its box-office collection. When someone has worked for 20 years in an industry and delivered great performances like the ones in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Baazigar, Darr, DDLJ, Pardes, Devdas, Swades, Chak De India, Don, Rab ne Bana Di Jodi and My Name is Khan, you can't expect people to not go and watch his one bad film. So, what if Chennai express is a one time watch, the population of India is still 1.241 billion.
Movie Geeks Rating: ★★½
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