'CHENNAI EXPRESS

'Chennai Express'

Khalid Mohamed

The Rohit Shetty-directed 'Chennai Express', serves as a retrospective of references to Shah Rukh Khan’s vintage hits, the accent being on 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. Come on, why encash the past when the present can be used to evolve as an actor and make quality movies?Believe this, then. 'DDLJ' is used for an antakshari, in dialogue snatches, for the plot’s kernel that a go-ahead is a must from a hostile daddy-oh, and of course there’s the name Rahul. Obviously,  all these elements are meant to evoke a warm glow of recognition. Plus there are references to 'Dil Se', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', not to forget Shetty’s 'Singham', 'Life of Pi' (huh!), and Sri Lanka becomes an opportunity to bring up Sri (read Sridevi).

Unfortunately, blasts from the past neither fortify an actor’s credentials nor do they facilitate fluid story-telling, the self-references being as obstructive as speedbreakers. Plus, in a bid at self-deprecation, the film opens with Khan’s voice-over declaring that today Rahul is 40-years-old, unmarried and thoroughly dominated by a grandpa wearing a Santa Claus-like beard. Okay, point noted. For another squelcher, at a later point, the heroine asks our hero if he’s 50 or 50-plus? Ha, ha, truly what’s age got to do with anything? Chill SRK, no need to get into the Dorian Grey mode for a project which cares a whit for logic and credibility.He could be a puckish Peter Pan for all you care. Because he’s behaving like one, his legendary high-energy levels intact. Ditto that  great gift of making the most howlarious faces this side of a movie camera. Admittedly SRK’s shifts from exasperation and dread to total sobriety are one of a kind, way more appealing than those needless 'DDLJ' recall sprees.

Note how he interacts with four mega-goons in the course of the kick-off train ride. Funny, honestly funny and endearing. However, you do suspect that there’s something amiss. Could his expressive face have been air-brushed in the post-production? Not a whisker can be detected, although he should have looked at least a tad fatigued and stubbled in the marathon process of travelling, fighting, romancing, and what-nought from Mumbai to the South Indian La-la land he reaches. Duh. Incidentally, gushing waterfalls are glimpsed here before they go bone dry as the misadventure progresses. Jaane do continuity yaaro or what?

Anyway, so dear…er…old Rahul has been ordered to immerse his lately departed grandpa’s ashes in Rameswaram. Tsk, because his two entirely nodescript pals want to have fun and feni in Goa. Not done. By some divine cataclysm, the 40-year-old virgin (presumably) must rescue damsel-in-distress Meenamma (Deepika Padukone) from the clutches of four Shrek-like kidnappers, bodyguards, or whatever. How come? She is to be married off by her village godpop (Sathyaraj), you’re informed, to one of the tallest and broadest men (Nikitin Dheer, expressionless) in the world. She no likes.

Next: In the time-tested tradition of road movies from 'It Happened One Night' (umm, 'Dil Hai ke Maanta Nahin' if you like) and 'A Walk in the Clouds' (umm, 'Jab We Met'), Meenamma passes off the stranger encountered on the train as the man she loves. You don’t need to know the rest.The second-half gets synthetically mushy, or ‘emotional’ as they say, topped by a blood-shower of a combat and a speechlet on the atrocities committed on women in India’s 66th Year of Independence. Whoa! This and the constant refrain, “Don’t underestimate the common man!? (once said as “Don’t common of the underestimate man!”) just don’t gel with the rest of the picture. And that’s the main issue actually: The mood keeps shifting from a 'DDLJ' parody to those Rohit Shetty car blasts, background balls of fire, and multitudes of muscular goons who await their turn to be bashed up by the hero. Oof.

Moreover, an oddball scene which pokes fun at a dwarf is in rank poor taste. More: The cliched association of the south with idli and sambhar becomes a drag. Also, you wonder if they’ve got the Tamilian accent for Meenamma right? Fingers crossed that they have. Mithaiwalla associations aren’t likely to be amused by the relentless digs at ‘halwais’. And hawk-eyed viewers are likely to be bugged by the jarring product placements ranging from mineral water to a smartphone whose exact market price is quoted -- a first!

Technically, although Dudley’s camerawork is agile, the colours seem to have been digitally enhanced to a hideous effect. Cars have never looked more citrus orange and landscapes are kitschily overpainted. Steven H Bernard’s editing, with excessive dissolves, and befuddlement with the ‘emotional scenes’ (like the heroine rescuing the urn of ashes), is a major downer.

As for the music score by Vishal and Shekhar, it’s at best serviceable. Like it or not, the post credits number by another composer is way peppier.

Of the acting crew, there’s something warm about seeing yesteryear’s celebrated director Lekh Tandon and actress Kamini Kaushal in the roles of dada-dadi. Baddy Nikitin Dheer is short-changed in a glower-glower role that’s as demanding as sipping a cola. Sathyaraj somehow manages to retain his poise and dignity.Shah Rukh Khan springs no surprises, re-rendering every old trick in the acting book. Indeed, it’s disheartening to see him overact. Gratifyingly, Deepika Padukone sparkles: consistently radiant and restrained in the mayhem. Just for her, the extra half star in the ratings.

                                               Prof. John Kurakar