Directed by Farah Khan, Om Shanti Om (2007), took the Bollyworld (Kaur and Sinha, 2005) by storm when it was released. Aside from being three hours of pure entertainment, this masterpiece goes far beyond the classical tropes of Bollywood cinema. It is a prime example of “ the structure of feeling” that Shaviro refers to as “post-cinematic affect” (2010, p.1), “an ironically cinematic remediation of the post-cinematic mediasphere that we actually live in” (Shaviro, 2010, p.67).

The protagonist played by the “King of Bollywood” (Gopinath, 2017, p.307) Shah Rukh Khan (henceforth SRK), exemplifies the importance of what Shaviro refers to as the “media star or celebrity”, who’s “perturbing presences” and “allure” deeply involves them in the construction of the post-cinematic affect (Shaviro, 2010, pp.8-9). SRK’s iconic “hammy” performances and irresistible affective charge (Gopinath, 2017, p.308) elevate any film he stars in to cult status.

The gamification of cinematic worlds which Shaviro (2010, p.40) alludes to, is also at play in the plot of Om Shanti Om (2007). Indeed, the protagonist is determined to navigate the Mumbai cinema industry in order to win the heart of the woman he loves. This game-like quest narrative is also alluded to when SRK’s first incarnation dies tragically in a fire, only to be reborn as another character, similarly to how players in video games can respawn when they are killed.

Om Shanti Om (2007) is clearly postmodern “remediation” (Shaviro, 2010, p.70)- it is a self-reflective insight into the cinematic industry, the plot itself centred on the making and remaking of a movie, and the lives of the actors involved.

Om Shanti Om (2007) “recalls and repurposes scenes from different parts of film history” (Halskov, 2017, 01.42), in this case specifically Bollywood film history. This is especially present in the recreating of iconic Bollywood performances from the 70s in the Dhoom Taana (Bhattacharya and Ghoshal, 2007)song sequence, and the endless cameo reel of extra-diegetic Bollywood stars during the party scene accompanying Deewangi Deewangi (Shaan et al., 2007). Like Lynch, Khan successfully repurposes iconic motifs, actors and symbols to create something fresh, reflexive and self-aware, yet also “nostalgic” (Halskov, 2017), alluding to classic Indian cinema as well as ancient Vedic themes of karma and reincarnation.

To quote Halskov describing Lynch’s Twin Peaks (2017), I would also conclude that Om Shanti Om (2007) is “a touching meditation on the eternal cycle of life and death, repetition and transformation.”(Halskov, 2017).

Author: Cerys Jones, student ID: 33695258

References:

Bhattacharya, A. and Ghoshal, S. (2007). Dhoom Taana. [Song] India: T-Series. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjUXr560Gu0 [Accessed 27 Nov. 2024].

Gopinath, P. (2017). ‘A feeling you cannot resist’: Shah Rukh Khan, affect, and the re-scripting of male stardom in Hindi cinema. Celebrity Studies, 9(3), pp.307–325. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2017.1411202.

Halskov, A. (2017). Returning, Recycling and Remixing: Cut-up and Collage in Twin Peaks: The Return – 16:9 filmtidsskrift. [online] 16:9 filmtidsskrift. Available at: https://www.16-9.dk/2017/11/twin-peaks-the-return/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2024].

Kaur, R. and Sinha, A.J. (2005) Bollyworld : popular Indian cinema through a transnational lens. New Delhi ; Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Om Shanti Om. (2007). [Film] India: Eros International.

Shaan, Narayan, U., Ghoshal, S., Chauhan, S. and Saxena, R. (2007). Deewangi Deewangi. [Song] India: T-Series. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzLG6OqOcn8 [Accessed 27 Nov. 2024].

Shaviro, S. (2010). Post-Cinematic Affect: On Grace Jones, Boarding Gate and Southland Tales. Film-Philosophy, 14(1), pp.1–102. doi:https://doi.org/10.3366/film.2010.0001.

Twin Peaks. (2017). Television Series] USA: Showtime.