Simply Being | Simple Being

‘Main Hoon Na’ —– Sigh!

Sangam Uncle managed to make a video tape of this film even though it’s currently running in the theatres. Watched it last night and almost had to use brute force to make Pinch sit through the entire film! He gave the film half an hour after which he was ready to quit…:-)

SRK is his usual not-so-bumbling self, Zayed Khan is quite moronic(I quite liked him in his debut film), Sushmita Sen has picked up the dumbest role in her entire short career and the rest of the cast is plain so-so. Music is quite good, with a qawaali(Sabri Bros, I think) and the title track. Most songs rendered by Sonu Nigam… what a talent!

Pinch and I had a talk about SRK a few days back. According to him, SRK is an actor with great potential, in the legions of Amitabh Bachchan. Plus he is a very smart businessman which is why he’s doing all the films which he knows will only endear him more to the masses. People like me are very few i.e who can’t bear to watch his histrionics any more.

Well, SRK and Amitabh are probably in the same league. BUT, I feel that Aamir Khan, Om Puri, Sanjeev Kumar, Naseer… these guys are far better actors and definitely of a higher calibre than SRK. These guys have each portrayed myriad characters throughout their acting career. They’ve brought a touch of reality and credibility to each character they’ve portrayed. ‘Munna’ from Rangeela or Naseer in ‘Jalwa’ or ‘Maalaamaal’ or Om Puri in ‘Chachi 420’, each role could have been loud, crass and dramatic. But these chaps lent that essential touch of class to each role by their formidable quality of underplay and subtlety. Even if SRK ever goes beyond the ‘Rahul’ roles he plays, even he plays roles akin to Sanjeev Kumar’s ‘Koshish’ or Naseer’s ‘Sparsh’ or even the showy Munna in ‘Rangeela’, he’ll always do it in his inimitable style. THAT is the difference.

SRK brings his style to each character he plays. Not that he has played such diverse characters but even if he goes on to play understated roles, he WILL play them in his distinctive style. Unlike Aamir or the others, who bring the character to themselves… I can’t identify a common strain in the acting styles of any of these guys. Whereas SRK has these unique traits which mark every character he essays.

SRK is larger than all his roles whereas Aamir or Naseer or Sanjeev or Om Puri always place the character as the larger guy.