Review of Fan (2016) by Shreehari H — 12 Jan 2017

The very nature of celebrity culture is one that begs for a closer , more layered introspection.

Director Maneesh Sharma of Band Baaja Baaraat fame recognises this fact well, which is why his latest film, Fan, casts a cynical spotlight on the dark side of obsessive passion and its often tragic repercussions.

The underlying concept of the film - that of the biggest movie star in this nation playing both the worshipper and the worshipped - is one that merits applause for its ingenuity.

Do the privileged few in society pay enough attention to the very same followers who are responsible for shaping their legend? Do we fail to take enough control of our own lives even as we doggedly obsess over the lives of our superstars?

Is there, indeed, more to being a fan than meets the eye?

These are some of the themes that the film chooses to explore.

Fan sometimes requires a complete suspension of disbelief, especially post intermission.

There are a few sequences that are largely contrived in nature- especially the long elaborate chase down the streets of Dubrovnik that left me rolling my eyes in skepticism.

But this is a film that is largely salvaged by Shah Rukh Khan's miraculous performance.

Indeed, Chak De India's Kabir Khan has been consigned to the history books - this is the benchmark that his career might just be remembered by.

For three decades now, the Pied Piper of Bollywood has made an entire nation sway to the allure of his beats.

I count myself amongst the enchanted.