STORY: An alien lands on earth but loses his remote to go home. Does 'PK' return - and as he navigates the human world, what does he gain and lose?

REVIEW: Arriving on earth, an alien (Aamir) is immediately robbed of the only thing he's wearing, the remote via which he can go home. Knowing nothing of human ways, language, clothing or lies, the alien searches desperately for his remote, his antics bizarre enough for people to ask if he's 'pee kay' or drunk. One day, 'PK' meets Jaggu (Anushka), a TV reporter who helps him. Can they find PK's remote, now with god-man Tapasvi ji (Shukla)? And do PK and Jaggu also find love?

PK is as much a philosophy as a film. It takes the 'stranded alien' theme, familiar from classics like ET, but tells the tale equally from the lonely alien's eyes - at times, evoking the beautiful story The Little Prince - as from his human narrator's. Starting with the alien's desperation, PK captures the fears and falsehoods humans weave around faith. When PK decides to pray for his remote, he's bewildered about whom to and how to pray. PK features brave scenes - money extracted at temples, coconuts offered in confusion at a church, god-men doling out tortuous advice - and strong lines, including a Muslim girl bravely asserting, "Itna chota nahin ho sakta hamara khuda, ki use hamare school jaane pe aitraaz ho." Capturing faith whipped into hate, PK's sterling message, directed sensitively, stands out.

As does Aamir Khan as the wide-eyed alien bemused by human life, a paan-chomping Chaplin from outer space, liked by rustic Bhairon Singh (Sanjay Dutt in a warming cameo). PK's simplicity contrasts with Jaggu's complicated life, heartbroken after she thinks her Pakistani boyfriend Sarfaraz (Sushant) ditched her in chocolate-box Belgium. Tapasvi warned Jaggu's father (Parikshet Sahani) that her Muslim lover would betray her - does PK prove him wrong?

Anushka presents a sprightly show while Boman Irani stands out as a TV channel head. Some supporting acts and special effects could've been sharper though while at points, editor Raju Hirani should've been sterner with director Raju Hirani in trimming tighter scenes. Between gods, frauds, love and bombs, there are multiple threads here. Some distract, others impact, like PK hilariously dazed by humans hiding when they make out - except when they announce it with band-baaja on their wedding day.

PK is no satire -- it's a bit too toothless for that -- but it is a rollicking mainstream entertainer with ambition to evoke some introspection, says Raja Sen.

How must it feel to look at life through really wide eyes?

Cynicism is always easier than sincerity, and few filmmakers can nail the latter quite as consummately as Rajkumar Hirani, an old-school teller of fables who specialises in giving his audiences lumps in their throats.

His are comforting films, ones with their edges sanded off and their seams showing, films unashamedly lacking in subtlety because he chooses to paint only in broadstrokes.

We can all stand around and point fingers at the indulgently laboured way he makes a point, but the fact remains that PK is a ridiculously effective film, a triumph you are likely to walk away from with a gladder, lighter heart -- and, perhaps, a moister handkerchief.

Aamir Khan plays a visiting alien, a head-nodding explorer out for a recce of our planet. 

He's buff and eager and comes from a planet where they don't need clothes, and seconds after landing here, one of us steals his intergalactic transmitter, the remote to signal his ship from home.

Thus is the naked feller stranded and stumped, hunting for his amulet with merely a boombox for cover and company. God help you, say the folks he confounds with his bug-eyed questions, sending him for answers toward temples, mosques and churches.

Madness, as you rightly imagine, ensues.

His tale is being told to us by a girl called Jagat Janani, who, for sanity's sake -- and possible Jackie Shroff fanhood growing up -- calls herself Jaggu.

Jaggu's a plucky girl who has just joined a Delhi-based television news channel.

Still a rookie (and thus still armed with the kind of eager-beaver enthusiasm not yet decapitated by actual time in a newsroom) Jaggu chances upon the alien and, reasonably enough, considers his story more newsworthy than one about a manic depressive dog.

The alien, PK, looks at life as laterally as an aborigine given a copy of the New Yorker, and his uniquely coherent perspective enchants Jaggu.

This is all run-of-the-mill stuff, really, an old trope that could easily be taken from, say, Ron Howard's classic Splash (right down to the nakedness), that of a disarmingly naive outsider taking us at face value.

But the telling is in the details, with Hirani and co-writer Abhijat Joshi giving PK enough genuine insight to keep us hooked.

They do hammer their points home in overlong fashion, however, perpetually taking several scenes to illustrate what a clever set-up and punchline could do in two shots.

This foolproofing, it appears, is very much a part of Hirani's process.

The background score is used in the style of a seventies melodrama, all orchestras set to swell; characters hear things which then echo around in their heads; and there is a fond reliance on age-old cinematic cliches like characters going to a performance only to imagine themselves singing and dancing on stage.

It's all cinematic saccharine, but then, given that Hirani takes the opportunity to aim some potshots at organised religion and its gatekeepers, is the familiar a worthy method to sneak in a message?

A spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down?

Either way, religion -- not God -- is the enemy here, and while PK doesn't load up the cannons quite as potently as Umesh Shukla's OMG Oh My God did a couple of years ago, it musters up the drama in much more stirring fashion. 

And its protagonist is quite extraordinary.

Aamir Khan is exceptional in PK, creating an irresistibly goofy character and playing him with absolute conviction.

He laughs at his goblin-ears and walks around with his eyes on high-beam throughout the film, but his transformation isn't restricted to the physical -- though I must single out and applaud the skittish way he runs, his arms straight by his side with his palms stuck out, reminiscent of Steve Carrell in Little Miss Sunshine when his character was running toward automatic doors, willing them to open fast.

That, there, is the impressive thing about Khan in this film, taking a few one-shot gags and stretching them feature-length so strongly and gamely that he wins us over with sheer heart.

It is this heart that really counts in a Hirani movie.

There is a passage where we see Khan's PK going desperately from god to god, mosque to church to temple, seeking the way to his precious remote, festooned with more talismans than Saurav Ganguly's arm.

In lesser hands this would smell like an empty exercise in audience manipulation, a cheap and easy means to unearned applause.

But it's striking how Hirani and Khan layer it on with visible earnestness, giving us something unexpectedly remarkable in the sight of that megastar immersing himself hungrily in our diverse, demanding rituals.

The rest of the cast is in fine nick.

Anushka Sharma is suitably spirited and full of beans, Boman Irani makes for a fine boss who has felt the ire of a trident before, Sanjay Dutt is wonderfully droll, Sushant Singh Rajput is very likeable indeed and Saurabh Shukla, playing the antagonistic godman, is great at being a pompous god-invoking gasbag. 

But this is an out-and-out Aamir film, and he soars.

PK is no satire -- it's a bit too toothless for that -- but it is a rollicking mainstream entertainer with ambition to evoke some introspection, one with compelling moments and some genuine surprises.

Including a humdinger of a last scene.

Make one more, Mr Hirani, make a sequel and take us to the planet of the naked. (We promise not to stare that hard.)

Right from the inception of talkies in our county, Hindi cinema has been segregated as per the era's, starting with social messages and mythological era of the 40s followed by the musical era of the 60s, the dramatic era of the 70's, action era of the 80s followed by the romantic era of the 90s. These era's were termed as per the genres in which the maximum films were made. Despite of having multiple names these films had one thing in common and that was, they all represented popular Hindi cinema. But, with the entry of the millennium era, we witnessed multiple genres and the popular Hindi cinema started to take a back seat. In times to come, these years might be referred to as the remake's era as the entertainers were mostly restricted to remakes or multi-starrer projects lacking over the conviction factor and most importantly, mass entertainment. Thankfully, there are few filmmakers like Rajkumar Hirani who still believe in giving us popular entertainers which caters to both, classes and masses. His movies are not just plain entertainers made to woo it's targeted audience as they have been extremely high in terms of its content and proved that popular entertainers also can be made with good message attached to it. The man who believes in quality and not quantity takes long time in making a film and thus after a half decade, he comes back with his latest offering 'PK'. There's lots of curiosity and expectations riding on 'PK', especially after the master director's record breaking last release, '3 Idiots'. Thus, let's find out whether 'PK' will be another great cinematic experience for good cinema lovers or might find hard to overpass the mammoth test of high expectations and comparisons.

(In order to avoid the spoilers and not ruin your cinematic viewing experience, would not reveal anything related to Aamir Khan's character from the film).

'PK' is the story of a young T.V reporter Jagat Janani alias Jaggu (Anushka Sharma), who is in search of a good story for her channel. Jaggu meets a strange looking person who is popularly known as PK (Aamir Khan). PK is in search for God and his quest seems perfect ingredient for Jaggu's T.V story. While in accomplishing PK's quest, Jaggu starts to know everything about PK and what happens next is what the entire film is all about.

The story idea is interestingly amusing and will keep you engaged throughout the film. There's lots of curiosity related to Aamir Khan's character in this film and as soon as the film starts your answers are revealed.The writers (Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani) do not waste your time in dragging the curiosity level and right from the first scene of the film keeps going on their set track. The first half of the film is totally engaging and entertaining with Anushkha- Sushant first meet followed by introduction of Saurabh Shukla, Aamir Khan using stickers in temple, Aamir sharing his story to Anushka in jail, Aamir talking about clothes and money, Aamir-Sanjay track, Aamir buying god stature followed by his first time visits to temple-church-mosque, Aamir's plea to god over the religions, Aamir asking Boman about condom, Aamir questioning Saurabh Shukla over wrong number to god, Aamir's example to Parikshit Sahani, Anushka talking about her father, Aamir's battery dance, Aamir-Saurabh's face off and many more scenes in the finale portion. Yes, there is strong reminderance of Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal's 'OMG - Oh My God!' in the second half of the film due to which the whole uniqness is diluted. 'OMG' dealt with this topic in a very debatable manner, while out here it was treated in an emotional manner and should have been bit more impactful and less preachy. Nevertheless, the movie is very high on the Rajkumar Hirani quotient and has lots of comical, lovable and emotional scenes which will give you a great cinematic viewing experience. The camera work is good and goes well with the flow of the film.

Music has been an integral part of the Rajkumar Hirani's films, as the songs are placed as the part of the screenplay of the film. In 'PK' also the songs are brilliantly placed enhancing the flow of the film. 'Chaar kadam' is sweet and romantic, 'Tharki chokro' is entertaining and 'Love is waste of time' is overwhelming. 'Bhagwan Hai Kahan Re Tu' is outstanding in terms of its lyrics, music, direction and expressions of Aamir Khan. 'Nanga Punga' is wasted in the end credits and should have been shown in the film. 'PK dance theme' is foot tapping. Director Rajkumar Hirani comes up again with a non conventional subject and presents it in a total entertaining manner just like all of his earlier films. His way of presenting the whole story is highly engaging and will be loved by good cinema lovers. The only problem is the high expectations and comparison with his last work '3 Idiots', in front of which the movie is a bit let down. If only, the similarities with 'OMG' wouldn't have been there the movie would have been another masterpiece. Keeping aside these minor issues the movie is a perfect treat for good cinema lovers and will satisfy your quench only after repetitive viewing. Only an ace director like Rajkumar Hirani can pull up a tale like 'PK'.

Aamir Khan is simply outstanding in this movie. He raises the bar of acting with almost every film of his and in 'PK', he is at par with Rajkumar Hirani for being the best reason to watch this movie. Aamir's smile, cute expressions, body mannerisms and every minute detailing enhances his character and works in favor of the film. You will connect to sadness and joy due to his flawless performance in every scene of the film. Anuskha Sharma has a great role and does full justice to it. This is till date her finest performance. Sushant Singh Rajput looks cute in his part. Saurabh Shukla was good, but should have been more better. Sanjay Dutt is enjoyable and one does wish to see more of him in such types of films. Boman Irani and Parikshit Sahani do their part with grace. Cameo by Ranbir Kapoor is welcomed.

Final Verdict: So bol meri "FILMI KHOPDI" iss film mein kitna hain Dum?

Dum? Well, this movie has all the creative dum required for a good film and will add up in the list of elite films from our Hindi cinema. The minor comparisons and expectations might dilute the viewing experience as well as the financial output of the film on a small basis. Nevertheless, it's a must watch for all Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and good cinema lovers as due to them you will surely get intoxicated with the goodness of popular Hindi cinema.

Rajkumar Hirani makes a splendid comeback! He hits it off with a bang in `PK`. Released at the end of the year, this Aamir Khan starrer is sure to take away all the brownie points.

No other movie could have been better than `PK` to release at such a time when our society is going through such upheavals.

The makers kept the plot in wraps, even though the movie was so much in news ever since the release of its first sensational poster. And now I know why it was such a good idea.

Be sure that only Aamir Khan can pull off such a brilliant script which is entertaining and sensitive at the same time. I wouldn't reveal much of the plot and spoil the fun because spoilers would ruin the experience of watching a story with a concept as brillliant as `PK`.

Known by only his initials, `PK,` is played by Aamir who has a curious take and view on the society. The transistor becomes his identity and he is not seen anywhere without it.

His innocent questions on the existence of God and to fathom the age-old rituals and blind belief on the system often lands him in trouble. But that doesn't dampen his spirits to continue his quest for an invaluable possession that was stolen from him.

And in that journey, moving from town to town, fate brings him to Jagat Janani aka Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) who plays a sassy journalist in the movie.

`PK`, as the society calls him, makes Jaggu his confidante and reveals his secret that he has hidden from the rest. Jaggu, who's trying to move on from a recent heartbreak, starts bonding well with him because of his honesty, quirkiness and innocence.

Learning about his story, Jaggu decides to free his precious property from the clutches of `Godman` Saurabh Shukla. The mannerism and the way in which the duo takes a dig on various self proclaimed godmen in the society and the dark age-old beliefs that blindfolds us is exhilarating.

The importance of the transistor is revealed in the end and its purpose too. The build to the climax is worth the watch.

With a concept as immense as `PK`, the filmmakers have done complete justice to the two and half hours of the story. I am not being biased when I praise Mr Perfectionist Khan. Because without a trace of doubt he has just won the hearts of one and all.

A satire on the political beliefs, religion, superstitions, the rigid mindset of our society and much more. Rajkumar Hirani has tried to bring out the sensitivity of various issues with extreme care through the characters. And each one played his role to the `T`. Be it the Rajasthani friend Sanjay Dutt as Bhairon Singh, the hyper boss Boman Irani, or the lover boy Sushant Singh Rajput as Sarfaraz, their role is not without a purpose. Sushant's short screen time leaves you slightly unsatisfied, wishing we could see him more. Aamir is seen in different avatars which manages to leave the entire crowd in splits.

While Anushka-Sushant's romance is short and crisp, the bond that Aamir-Anushka share is beyond magical. And if you think the storyline is on the similar lines as Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal starrer `Oh My God`, you have been misled. It has a lot more to its story than that.

The movie indeed is a combination of entertainment, humour, glamour, wit and perfect comic relief with a message that is shown throughout the movie. It is bound to compel you to ponder and question certain myths prevalent even today.

`PK` has enough substance to keep you hooked to your seats for the entire run time. If you find your attention wavering in the first half, the second half of the movie will put your doubts to rest. The story only gets interesting and picks up pace towards the end.

The viewers were constantly whistling at Aamir's funny one-liners and the crispy Bhojpuri dialogues. By the end, there were more thunderous claps and whistles--speaking volumes about the content.

There is a big surprise at the end – a special appearance by Ranbir Kapoor. But in which avatar and how? Watch to find out.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra in association with Siddharth Roy Kapur, `PK` is sure to surpass the top grossers of 2014.

For Aamir's exceptional act and the brilliant storyline, it's a 4.5 stars!

Film: PK

Cast: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Saurabh Shukla

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

"Jo darr gaya, wo mandir gaya."

It’s difficult to convince you of our impartiality with such a header, but this is where our job begins. In my defense, I begin by telling you that PK is the most ‘different’ Aamir Khan film you have ever seen. Now, let’s start cracking the code.

PK (Aamir Khan) is not his name. In fact, he has no name. His clan doesn’t believe in alienating people on their name, caste, creed, language or religion. Sounds like the preamble of our Constitution? Well, this is the essence of director Rajkumar Hirani’s PK. And it is high on emotions and full of drama.

Who is PK then? Well, he is a humanitarian, who lives in the hearts of millions. See, I am trying to be as secretive as possible about his distinctiveness. Let’s join threads from the scene all of you have seen in the promos. Of course, the transistor scene. So, here is a guy with unblinking eyes, fluttering ears and toned muscles walking towards the most treacherous of places -- in the middle of a desert. He is in Rajasthan. This man is helpless against people who have no moral qualms in making the earth a worse place than what it already is. But he is a firm believer in all things good, and therefore keeps going and soon finds himself in the middle of a megacity -- Delhi, the national capital.

The second part of his adventures begins in Delhi -- He is intrigued by the rules and ways of this big city. PK explores the big bad world with charming innocence and a lot of wit. All of a sudden, he finds himself pitted against a widely followed godman Tapasvi Jee (Saurabh Shukla), and the only person he can trust in this ‘holy’ war is Jagat Janani (Anushka Sharma), a news reporter.

Let's leave the character details here and get down to the nitty-gritties of the theme. 

First things first. What is the film about? PK is a man’s journey through the paradoxes of Indian society. He cannot understand the meaning of religion, or the rituals most people busy themselves with. He cannot differentiate between a Hindu and a Muslim. He wonders why godmen ask for money. He disapproves the absurdities that make believers against believers. Think it is too much like Oh My God?

PK's problems are no different from those faced by Kanji Bhai. But the undertone is diagonally opposite. If it was atheists versus believers in OMG, PK showcases a tussle between believers of two different streams. Nobody is denying the existence of god (They didn’t do it in OMG either), but they are not willing to follow the norms set by the managers of religion. Yes, this is the term Hirani has used for godmen and it fits to the core.

This is one masterstroke for a simple reason. India is a country that deals with evils such as poverty, lack of basic amenities and religious corruption. In such a scenario, the almighty becomes the only guiding light. It doesn’t ease off your problems but gives you the strength to sail through the bad weather. It may not sound politically correct, but it suits the popular sentiment. That is to find the root of the problems inside the ‘immediate’ domain, inside your ‘local’ society.

Probably this is the cause behind Hirani’s fascination with the Gandhian philosophy. Bapu didn’t invoke the idea of armed repulsion but infused the unarmed masses with the pride of being a rebellion. This worked at two levels. First, it prepared the followers for a long and ruthless battle which would see many of them crushed under the boots of British army. Second, it complemented our old belief that a physically inferior guy can be heard if he can convince others of his pain. PK has characteristics that’ll remind you of the penetrating power of Gandhian philosophy. He is not a naive guy, but he believes in others’ virtues. He gets bitten, cries and then goes back to the work he has been doing, like most of us.

There are some very powerful scenes in the film that will make you cry, uneasy in seat, and even laugh sheepishly at times. In one of the remarkable sequences, PK realises that small pieces of paper with an imprint of Gandhi Jee can buy him carrots. He collects big pictures of Gandhi Jee from adjacent walls and gives them to a vendor only to be scolded back in return. Then he says, “Gandhi Jee ki photo ki value sirf ek tarah ke kagaz pe hi hai.”

In another sequence, he goes to a church and watches people offering wine. Unfortunately, he tries to repeat the same inside a mosque and says, “Lagta hai bhagwan ko nariyal paani me maza nahi aa raha tha.” You can easily guess the result.  

The makers haven’t spared any major religion of the Indian subcontinent. They have shown some Muslim girls being stopped from going to school in the wake of a fatwa. They didn’t know that something drastic will happen in Pakistan just before the release of PK.

The concept exposes the business of fear: It touches on how everybody from the religious leaders to media pundits are utilising fear to further their own business, or even how it is the biggest threat staring at us today. 

Sushant Singh Rajput plays Sarfaraz, a Pakistani who falls victim to the hate game, but ultimately his issue gets resolved because of the open mindedness of some Indians. Didn’t we see #IndiaWithPak trending on Twitter just a couple of days ago? On second thoughts, there couldn’t be a better timing for the film’s release.

The screenplay is linear and full of ‘talkative’ scenes. The story is perfectly paced at least in the first half. The latter part of the second half is extremely dramatic with crying characters live on air and immediate change of hearts but that’s more like giving the story a logical conclusion. Yes, it appears ‘over the top’ but not for more than five minutes, and that are the only dull moments. In PK’s language ‘lull hai’.

It’s Aamir Khan’s show all the way. It’s amusing to see him make an otherwise ‘absurd concept on paper’ plausible. He is the master of disguise and it’s good to see such a ‘projectionist’ on top of his game. PK will always remain among the most cherished characters in his kitty.

Anushka Sharma is radiant and she is growing in stature. She seems confident and holds her fort in front of Aamir. By the way, her lips didn’t look any different to me, don’t know about you. Saurabh Shukla is the spine of the drama and as expected he doesn’t disappoint.

PK is a fun film with proper dose of ‘gyaan’. It’s a film that shouldn’t be missed and it’s brave because it attempts to create a better world. Another winner from Rajkumar Hirani. It would be hard to stop it from owning the box-office as well.

And yes, don’t leave the theatre till the credit rolls. There is a surprise for you.