There is no doubt that 'Fan' as a movie is flawed, but the most surprising and assuring fact is that in this film, Shah Rukh isn't. We all have been a little concerned in these recent years. With no brainers like Dilwale, Chennai Express and that abomination of a film with Farah Khan, SRK was more concerned with his status as a superstar, rather than focusing on his acting attributes which is actually what his fans care about. 'Fan' is Shah Rukh's gift to all those lost people, reminding them that he hasn't forgotten his roots. He still can pull off the charm of a teenage, brawling guy from Delhi as well as he can portray the famous superstar, burdened with all the curses that come with it. Gaurav Chanda is the character you fall in love with, the guy who might not share the same passion for his idol as you do, but remind you of the universal wish, "We all want our '5 minutes' with our star." Shah Rukh pulls off one of the toughest characters in his careers with utmost ease and acting brilliance. Gaurav is a character people will talk about as long as Shah Rukh, indirectly what Gaurav wanted.
Aryan Khanna on the other hand is the character I enjoyed more. Shah Rukh pokes fun at his own personal tussles in the Bollywood industry. He displays his transparent yet controversial life for the whole world to see, and judge him, as people have done for the past 25 years. Avoiding the debacle made by Priyadarshan in Billu Barber's Sahir Khan, Maneesh Sharma's Aryan Khanna is closer to life, closer to our hearts and SRK does him a singular justice. Maneesh Sharma as a director did an okayish job; while the VFX and make up were beyond extraordinary, the second half of the film was drawn into 'post interval hell' due to unnecessary action chases and showdowns between Aryan and his fan. It gets pretty annoying at times, because by this time you already know that the film could have been a lot more. The cinematography seems repetitive at times, too many close up and reflection shots. But the focus is always where it needs to be; Shah Rukh Khan.
The irony is, 'Fan' is in fact the answer to all the prayers of Shah Rukh's Fans. To once again dazzle and mesmerize us with his surreal screen presence. We, the fans of SRK, wait for a year long to see him on screen, and we deserve something like 'Fan', he deserves something like 'Fan'. The world deserves something like 'Fan'.
