Bhooom! There goes the surprise around Aamir Khan's role in 'PK' a minute into the movie. But that's not what director Rajkumar Hirani wants to play with. He means serious business by getting into issues, holding hands with the art of satire, like he always does in his movies, and this time he dares to take on self-styled godmen and the image of God fed to us by various religions we've in India.
So, what's PK, with his wide opened eyes and flappy ears, doing here in a new town? PK is curious, innocent, knows no malpractices and even if he does something against the norms of society, he is naive enough not to realise that. What more of a perfect platform Hirani can have to question the practices of religions and the ones who act as mediators between us and The One up there!
PK lands in Rajasthan, naked, and soon he is in possession of a stereo that will be ubiquitous throughout the movie. The pretty TV journalist Jagat Janini aka Jaggu (Anushka Sharma), who has a bit of a past, barges into him in New Delhi. Jaggu, as curious as us to know about PK and how he got this far, probes into his past and learns his story. So do we.
The setting is done and it is fun to accompany PK in experiencing the 'Dos and Don'ts' of our society. Hirani, the auteur, wittingly uses PK's unworldliness to show us how we Indians stay away from sex-related talks in open. The dialogues nail it when PK converses with Jaggu's boss (Boman Irani) at the news channel about a condom.
The situation he is in leads PK to probe our religious (in)discipline. The rituals we mechanically do come under fire and we won't spend much time in agreeing with the lead character's logic. Things get a tad more serious for sometime there and that's when the audience may feel that it's not as fun as you expected it to be.
Mind you, don't bother. Hirani is not done yet. He has got more surprises for you as the movie goes further. Twists and turns follow and the ending has got an even bigger surprise!
Aamir is brilliant in the title role. His hard-work and dedication is out there for you to see. The song sequence 'Thakri Chokro', in which he observes the moves of Bhairon Singh (Sanjay Dutt) and Co. and mimics the dance steps, is a pleasant delight on the eyes. The quirky manner in which his character is portrayed lets him go all out without adhering to any limits.
Anushka, again, has done a fantabulous job as the chirpy Jaggu. She's attractive, very likeable and at her best she when smiles or laughs. (Having said that, I could not help, but take notice of the similarity her lips has to a handlebar moustache in the beginning of the film).
Sanjay Dutt does his job with ease. Sushant Singh Rajput has to look cute in the movie and he just does that. Few cut-shots of Boman Irani, a Hirani regular, looked unoriginal. A minor flaw, that one is, though. Special mention should go Saurabh Shukla as Tapasvi Maharaj. He makes it look like no one can it get it more natural than him on screen.
Music in 'PK' is very '3 Idiots'-ish, with Shantanu Moitra, who set the tunes of the 2009 blockbuster, composing most of the songs here. Visuals of cameraman C. K. Muraleedharan, another usual in Hirani movies, stick to the narrative and focus on the characters.
'PK' it not as fun or eventful as Hirani-Aamir-Vidhu Vinod Chopra's previous outing '3 Idiots' that broke all box office records of Indian cinema in 2009. But it sure is a treat, lives up to expectations and is packed with a strong message. Have fun with 'PK' this Christmas!
Rating: 3.25/5