''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
fantasy romance
Romantic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the chivalric romance genre.
One of the key features of romantic fantasy involves the focus on relationships, social, ...
film written and directed by
Farah Khan
Farah Khan Kunder (born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, w ...
, co-written by
Mayur Puri
Mayur Puri is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, actor and film-maker working in Mumbai. He has written songs, screenplays and dialogue for several movies, including'' Om Shanti Om'' (2007) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan directed by Farah K ...
and
Mushtaq Shiekh
Mushtaq Shiekh is an Indian screenwriter, author, producer and actor. He is mainly known for writing the screenplays of '' Ra.One'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and ''Billu''.
Early life
Shiekh was born in Maharashtra. He also wrote the script for Priy ...
, and produced by
Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan ('' née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian film producer and fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and '' Chennai Express'' under the production company Red Chillies Enter ...
under the banner of
Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
. Spanning three decades, the film stars
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
as Om Makhija, a poor junior film artist in
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
, who falls in love with a secretly-married film actress Shanti Kashyap, portrayed by debutante
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
. Her husband and a film producer Mukesh Mehra, played by
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to ...
, betrays her and murders her in a fire. Om witnesses this and is severely injured while trying to rescue her, resulting in his death as well. Being reborn as rich superstar Om Kapoor in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, he sets out to seek revenge from Mukesh with the help of Shanti's doppelganger Sandy Bansal.
Shreyas Talpade
Shreyas Talpade (born 27 January 1976) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who appears in Hindi and Marathi films. He has appeared in several critically and commercially successful films. He is better known for his role as Shah Rukh ...
,
Kirron Kher
Kirron Anupam Kher (also Kiran ''Indian Express'', 12 May 2002. or, Kiron born 14 June 1952) is an Indian people, Indian politician; theatre, film and television actress; television personality; singer; entertainment producer; and a member of t ...
and
Nitesh Pandey
Nitesh Pandey (born 17 January 1973) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and TV serials. He is better known for his role of Shah Rukh Khan's assistant in ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007).
Career
Pandey began doing theatre in 1990. In 1995, he g ...
appear in the film as well and cameos from many
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
celebrities are seen in several sequences and songs.
''Om Shanti Om'' was produced on a budget of . Farah conceived the film while directing the musical ''
Bombay Dreams
''Bombay Dreams'' is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two ...
'' (2002), which was based on the
Indian film industry
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
. After Shah Rukh rejected the first version of her next film ''Happy New Year'', she was reminded of ''Om Shanti Om''; the film's title derives from a similar titled popular song from
Subhash Ghai Subhash may refer to:
People
* Subhash Agarwal, Indian professional player and coach of English billiards and snooker
* Subhash Awchat (born 1960), Indian artist and author based in Mumbai
* Subhash Bapurao Wankhede (born 1963), Indian politician ...
's popular film ''
Karz'' (1980) which starred
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
as the main protagonist. The soundtrack album was composed by
Vishal–Shekhar
Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...
, with lyrics written by
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 200 ...
. The background score was performed by
Sandeep Chowta
Sandeep Chowta is an Indian music director who primarily works in Bollywood and Telugu cinema. He is also the head of Columbia Records in India. He has also sung some of his songs.
In 2003, he produced an anti substance abuse documentary, titl ...
. The album was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-selling
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
of the year in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
''Om Shanti Om'' released on 9 November 2007 on the occasion of the festival of
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
, earning ₹149 crore worldwide, thus becoming the
highest grossing Hindi film of 2007, in addition to becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film ever at the time of its release. It received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its story, screenplay, soundtrack, production design, costumes and performances of the cast.
At the
55th National Film Awards
The 55th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2007.
Three different committee ...
, ''Om Shanti Om'' won
Best Production Design (
Sabu Cyril
Sabu Cyril is an Indian film production designer. Having worked in 116 feature films and 2500 add films. He has won four National Film Award for Best Production Design, four state awards, six Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction (including sout ...
). At the
53rd Filmfare Awards
The 53rd Filmfare Awards organized by Filmfare, honored the best Bollywood films of 2007. It took place on 16 February 2008 at the Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai.
''Chak De! India'', ''Guru'' and ''Om Shanti Om'' led the ceremony with 10 nominations ...
, it received a leading 13 nominations, including
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
(Farah),
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to th ...
(Shah Rukh),
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...
(Padukone) and
Best Supporting Actor (Talpade), and won 2 awards –
Best Female Debut (Padukone) and
Best Special Effects.
Plot
1977
Om Prakash Makhija is a poor young boy who is a
junior film artist in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
and lives with his widowed mother Bela Makhija and close friend Pappu Master in a small
chawl
A chawl is a type of residential building found in western India, similar to a tenement. Typically low quality housing, chawls are generally associated with poverty. The first chawls were constructed in the early 1700s, as housing for industri ...
in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. He is in love with Shantipriya Kashyap, a beautiful young girl who is a popular
film actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...
in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
. Om often expresses his feelings before Shanti's
film poster
A film poster is a poster used to promote and advertise a film primarily to persuade paying customers into a theater to see it. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. The ...
and desires to meet her.
One night, he sneaks into the premiere of one of her films "Dreamy Girl" along with Pappu in disguise. Later that night, a drunk Om gives an emotional speech to Pappu as he dreams of becoming a great actor. Om and Pappu take small acting roles in films which are
filmed at R.C. Studios, a major filming compound owned by Mukesh Mehra, a charming but egotistical person who is a popular
film producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
.
While shooting one day, Shanti gets trapped in a fire that grows out of control during filming. Risking his life, Om jumps into the fire and rescues her. Shanti is grateful to him and the two become friends. Om lies to Shanti that he is a famous South-Indian actor to impress her. He even puts an act of the filming of his South-Indian film but ultimately tells Shanti the truth upon seeing her true love for him.
Shanti forgives Om and spends a night with him, gifting him a
snow globe
A snow globe (also called a waterglobe, snowstorm, or snowdome) is a transparent sphere, traditionally made of glass, enclosing a miniaturized scene of some sort, often together with a model of a town, neighborhood, landscape or figure. The sphe ...
. However, things take a turn when Om accidentally ends up overhearing a heated conversation between Shanti and Mukesh. He is shocked to discover that they have been married for two years but have not revealed it in public as that will ruin both of their careers. Shanti reveals to Mukesh that she is also
pregnant
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occur ...
with his child, leaving Om heartbroken. He avoids Shanti entirely.
The next night, Mukesh takes Shanti to the set of her upcoming film titled Om Shanti Om and tells her that they will cancel its production and have a grand marriage ceremony over there. Om reaches there to meet Shanti for the last time and return her snow globe but is dejected upon seeing her with Mukesh. He leaves from there and throws the snow globe away.
Meanwhile, Mukesh tells Shanti that his marriage with Shanti and the unborn child will destroy his successful career. In order to prevent that, he lights up the set with fire and locks a horrified Shanti in it, in order to kill her and the unborn child. As he exits the set, Om spots Shanti in the flames and attempts to go and rescue her but is attacked by Mukesh's guards, leaving him severely injured. After they leave, he manages to enter the set but is thrown out of the building by a big explosion. Om staggers on the road as the set burns down with Shanti in it.
Om is left devastated upon witnessing this and suddenly gets hit by the car of renowned actor Rajesh Kapoor. He takes him to a hospital with his pregnant wife Lovely Kapoor who is under
labor
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
. The serious injuries of Om result in his
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
while still reminiscing about Shanti. Rajesh's assistant Naseer asks his surgeon to keep this a secret from Bela and Pappu. Moments later, Rajesh and Lovely are blessed with a baby boy named Om Kapoor.
2007
30 years later, Om Kapoor is shown as a rich young boy who is a
superstar
A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
and is revealed to be the
rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* ''The Re ...
of Om Prakash Makhija. He experiences
Pyrophobia
Pyrophobia is a fear of fire, which can be considered irrational if beyond what is considered normal. This phobia is ancient and primordial, perhaps since mankind's discovery of fire. Usually pertaining to man's comprehendable reaction of fire i ...
and often comes across Bela who believes him to be her son and tries to take him to her house. An aged Pappu tries to make her understand that he is someone else but she pays no heed to him. Om also ignores her and leaves upon thinking that she has gone crazy.
He and his assistant Anwar Sheikh subsequently drive to the abandoned R.C. Studios for the filming of one of Om's films. Om recognizes the place and experiences some flashbacks of his previous life. He even finds Shanti's broken snow globe and is confused. That night, Om remembers the emotional speech he had given to Pappu in a drunken state when he wins the
Filmfare Award for Best Actor
The Filmfare Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1954, presented annually at the Filmfare Awards to an actor via a jury. This is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi (Bollywood) films. The award was firs ...
. As he gives the same speech to the audience, Pappu watches his award function on
TV and realizes that his friend is reborn as Om Kapoor. Meanwhile, a grand party is thrown for Om's success. Om remembers his whole previous life upon being visited by Mukesh, who now works in Hollywood and wishes to make a film with him.
Later that night, he traces Bela and Pappu to the crawl and has an emotional reunion with them. The three plan to avenge Shanti's death by making Mukesh confess his crime.
The next day, Om manages to convince Mukesh to resume the filming of ''Om Shanti Om'' at the same ruined R.C. Studios. He auditions several actresses to find Shanti's look-alike but in vain. However, Om ends up coming across Sandhya Bansal aka Sandy, a ditzy but kind-hearted girl who is an exact
doppelganger of Shanti. He hires her without revealing his plan and ends up firing her as she is unable to act proudly. On Pappu's advice, Om reveals his plan to Sandy who promises him that she will help him according to his plan.
At the inaugural ceremony of the ''Om Shanti Om'' set, Bela scares Mukesh in the disguise of a ghost, and Om and Pappu try to light Shanti's photograph on fire to remind him of his crime. Although the setup doesn't work, the photograph is supernaturally lit by fire which disturbs Mukesh and confuses Om and Pappu. Mukesh is more horrified when Sandy appears in front of him dressed as Shanti in a make-up room. Eventually, he decides to leave for
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
after seeing Shanti in the footage of ''Om Shanti Om'' but Om asks him to wait for some days. He eventually performs the story of Shanti's life through a song in front of Mukesh during the music launch of ''Om Shanti Om''. However, Mukesh discovers Sandy's real identity as her body bleeds due to an injury. Mukesh attempts to chase her but is knocked unconscious by a falling
chandelier
A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...
.
After he regains consciousness, Om confronts him over his crime but Mukesh taunts him that he or his "duplicate Shanti" cannot convict him for the murder as there is no proof for it. Just then, Sandy reaches the scene. She reveals that after the fire in the set died down, Mukesh returned to the place. Shanti was still alive then, but he buried her alive under the chandelier. She concludes that Shanti's corpse will be found under the chandelier, which will be proof of her murder for the court. Mukesh denies her revelation and attempts to shoot her but Om attacks him and a fire breaks out on the set. He shoots him in his leg and is about to murder him but Sandy stops him, saying that Mukesh is destined to die but not in his hands. She looks at the chandelier which falls and strikes Mukesh dead.
The next moment, Om is shocked when Pappu and Anwar reach the scene along with "Sandy". As he glances back at the one in front of him, he realizes that the one who had revealed the proof of Shanti's murder and killed Mukesh was the
ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
of Shanti. She was responsible for lighting the photograph with fire and knocking Mukesh unconscious too, helping him in his plan. Om reunites with Sandy and waves at Shanti who tearfully smiles at him and disappears, having finally attained peace. The film ends with all its cast and crew approaching the set of ''Om Shanti Om'' and the credits roll.
Cast
*
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
as Om Prakash Makhija / Om Kapoor (dual role)
*
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
as Shantipriya Kashyap Mehra / Sandhya "Sandy" Bansal (dual role)
*
Shreyas Talpade
Shreyas Talpade (born 27 January 1976) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who appears in Hindi and Marathi films. He has appeared in several critically and commercially successful films. He is better known for his role as Shah Rukh ...
as Pappu Master (Om Makhija's friend)
*
Kirron Kher
Kirron Anupam Kher (also Kiran ''Indian Express'', 12 May 2002. or, Kiron born 14 June 1952) is an Indian people, Indian politician; theatre, film and television actress; television personality; singer; entertainment producer; and a member of t ...
as Bela Makhija (Om Makhija's mother)
*
Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to ...
as Mukesh "Mike" Mehra (Shanti's husband)
*
Javed Sheikh
Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...
as Rajesh Kapoor (Om Kapoor's father)
*
Asavari Joshi as Lovely Kapoor (Om Kapoor's mother)
*
Yuvika Chaudhary
Yuvika Chaudhary (born 2 August 1983) is an Indian actress who has appeared in Bollywood films such as ''Om Shanti Om'', '' Summer 2007'' and '' Toh Baat Pakki!''. In 2009, she also acted in a Kannada movie, '' Maleyali Jotheyali'', in a lead r ...
as Dolly Arora (Om Kapoor's heroine in ''Om Shanti Om'')
*
Bindu Desai as Kamini Arora (Dolly's mother)
*
Nitesh Pandey
Nitesh Pandey (born 17 January 1973) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and TV serials. He is better known for his role of Shah Rukh Khan's assistant in ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007).
Career
Pandey began doing theatre in 1990. In 1995, he g ...
as Anwar Sheikh (Om Kapoor's assistant)
* Haresh Hingorani as Faizan ‘F’ Khan (director of ''Om Shanti Om'')
*
Farah Khan
Farah Khan Kunder (born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, w ...
as the woman who makes fun of Om Makhija
Cameo appearances
* Kaushik as Himself
*
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
as Himself
*
Sunny Deol
Ajay Singh Deol (born 19 October 1956), better known by his stage name Sunny Deol, is an Indian actor, film director, producer, politician and current Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur (Lok Sabha constituency) of Punjab, India. As an actor, ...
as Himself
*
Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi films, besides television and international films and television. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a producer, Kapo ...
as Himself
*
Jackie Shroff
Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff (born 1 February 1957), popularly known as Jackie Shroff, is an Indian actor and former model. He has been in the Bollywood industry for over four decades, and , has appeared in over 220 films in 13 languages namely Hi ...
as Himself
*
Mohnish Bahl
Mohnish Bahl (born 14 August 1961) is an Indian actor working in the Indian film industry and on Indian television.
Career
Mohnish Bahl debuted with the film ''Bekarar'' in a supporting role opposite Padmini Kolhapure and co Starring Sanjay Dutt ...
as Himself
*
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six ...
as Himself
*
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...
as Himself
*
Akshay Kumar
Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...
as Himself
*
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu Singh Grover (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress and former model. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and English films. Basu is the recipient of numerous accolade ...
as Herself
*
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
as Herself
*
Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood, Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for pl ...
as Herself
*
Ameesha Patel as Om Kapoor's heroine in ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai N.R.I.''
*
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza Rekhi (born Dia Handrich; 9 December 1981) is an Indian model, actress, producer, and social worker who predominantly works in Hindi films. Mirza won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000 after being crowned Femina Mis ...
as Om Kapoor's heroine in ''Main Bhi Hoon Na''
*
Uday Chopra
Uday Raj Chopra (born 5 January 1973) is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter and assistant director in Bollywood. He is the son of the late filmmaker Yash Chopra and brother of Aditya Chopra. His sister-in-law is the actress Rani Muk ...
as Himself
*
Arshad Warsi
Arshad Warsi (born 19 April 1968) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award from five nominations and is noted for acting in varied film genres.
Before making his acting deb ...
as Himself
*
Pooja Batra
Pooja Batra Shah (born 27 October) is an Indian-American actress and model who primarily works in Hindi films. She was crowned Femina Miss India International in 1993.
Early life and background
Batra was born on 27 October to Ravi Batra, an a ...
as Herself
*
Shawar Ali
Shahwar Ali is an Indian actor and model who appears primarily in Bollywood, Tollywood and Sandalwood films.
Early life and career
Sarwar Ali was born and raised in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. His father was a farmer in Bhopal. He shifted to Mu ...
as Himself
*
Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Aparesh Lahiri (born Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri; 27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), also known as Bappi Da was an Indian singer, composer and record producer. He popularised the use of synthesised disco music in Indian music industry and ...
as Himself
*
Feroz Khan Feroz Khan or Feroze Khan may refer to:
* Feroz Khan (actor) (1939–2009), Indian actor and film director
* Feroz Khan Noon (1893–1970), Pakistani politician and 8th Prime Minister of Pakistan
* Feroze Khan (born 1990), Pakistani VJ, television ...
as Himself
*
Karan Johar
Karan Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo in the Hindi Film Industry, is an Indian filmmaker and television personality, who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several s ...
as Himself
*
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films throu ...
as Himself
*
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...
as Herself
*
Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian people, Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chop ...
as Himself
*
Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan ('' née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian film producer and fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and '' Chennai Express'' under the production company Red Chillies Enter ...
as Herself
* Naseer Abdullah as Naseer (Rajesh's assistant)
*
Satish Shah
Satish Shah (born 25 June 1951) is an Indian actor. He is best known for his comic roles in films like ''Jaane bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983), ''Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi'' (1984), ''Sarabhai vs Sarabhai'' (2004), ''Main Hoon Na'' (2004), ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (200 ...
as Partho Roy (film director)
*
Suresh Chatwal
Suresh Chatwal was an Indian film actor who has performed in films as well as television serials. He has acted in Hindi films. mainly as supporting actor. He has worked in movies like '' Mili'', ''Phool Aur Kaante'', ''Kaya Palat'','' Uphaar' ...
as Suresh (Om Makhija's friend)
*
Manikandan Velayutham as the director of ''Mind It''
*
Mayur Puri
Mayur Puri is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, actor and film-maker working in Mumbai. He has written songs, screenplays and dialogue for several movies, including'' Om Shanti Om'' (2007) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan directed by Farah K ...
as Director of ''Apahij Pyar''
* Sanjiv Chawla as Producer of ''Apahij Pyar''
* Priya Patil as Natasha (Om Kapoor's heroine in ''Apahij Pyar'')
*
Malaika Arora
Malaika Arora (born 23 October 1973) is an Indian actress, dancer, model, VJ and a television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008, with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, founding the co ...
as Om Kapoor's heroine in ''Mohabbat Man''
*
Vishal Dadlani
Vishal Dadlani (born 28 June 1973) is an Indian singer, songwriter and music composer. He is one half of the duo Vishal–Shekhar, Front Man and vocalist of one of India's leading rock bands called Pentagram.
As a singer he has sung various h ...
as the director of ''Mohabbat Man''
* Vikram Sahu as Om Kapoor's doctor
* Suhas Khandke as Om Makhija's surgeon
* Sharad as Mukesh's guard
* Yaseen as Mukesh's guard
*
Subhash Ghai Subhash may refer to:
People
* Subhash Agarwal, Indian professional player and coach of English billiards and snooker
* Subhash Awchat (born 1960), Indian artist and author based in Mumbai
* Subhash Bapurao Wankhede (born 1963), Indian politician ...
as himself
*
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
as himself
Special appearances during the "''Deewangi Deewangi''" song (in order of appearance)
*
Rani Mukerji
Rani Mukerji (pronounced ; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Rani Mukerji, multiple accolades, including seven Filmf ...
*
Zayed Khan
Zayed Abbas Khan (born 5 July 1980) is a former Indian actor and producer who appeared in Hindi films. The son of Bollywood actor Sanjay Khan, he has received a Filmfare Award nomination.
After graduating in Business Management at the Montgom ...
*
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan (pronounced ; born 1 January 1979) is an Indian actress. Known for pioneering a change in the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema with her roles in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including a National Fi ...
*
Jeetendra Kapoor
*
Tusshar Kapoor
Tushar Ravi Kapoor (born 20 November 1976), popular as Tusshar Kapoor, is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi films.
Early and personal life
Tusshar Kapoor is the son of Indian actors Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor. His sister Ek ...
*
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
*
Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty; Née Shetty; 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Hindi-language films. Shetty made her screen debut in the thriller ''Baazigar'' (1993) which garnered her nominations for two Filmfare ...
*
Dharmendra Deol
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
*
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...
*
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare A ...
*
Karishma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor (born 25 June 1974) is an Indian actress, who works in Hindi films. A member of the Kapoor family, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards.
Kapoor made her acting deb ...
*
Arbaaz Khan
Arbaaz Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 4 August 1967) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Bollywood, Hindi cinema, in addition to Telugu language, Telugu and Malayalam, Malayalam cinema.
Since making his debut in 1996, h ...
*
Malaika Arora Khan
Malaika Arora (born 23 October 1973) is an Indian actress, dancer, model, VJ and a television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008, with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, founding the co ...
*
Dino Morea
Dino Morea (born 9 December 1975) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films.
Early life
Dino Morea was born in Bangalore to an Italian father and an Indian mother. His mother hails from Kalamassery in Kochi. He is the second of three broth ...
*
Amrita Arora
Amrita Arora Ladak (born 31 January 1978) is an Indian actress, model, television presenter and video jockey (VJ), who primarily appears in Hindi-language films.
Personal life and education
She completed her secondary education from Swami ...
*
Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, film producer and entrepreneur. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and v ...
*
Aftab Shivdasani
Aftab Shivdasani (born 25 June 1978) is an Indian actor, producer and model known for his works in Bollywood and also working for Tamil and Kannada film industry.
Shivdasani was selected as the Farex baby at the age of 14 months and eventually ...
*
Tabu Hashmi
*
Govinda Ahuja
Govind Arun Ahuja (born 21 December 1963) is an Indian actor, comedian, dancer, and former politician, who has appeared in more than 165 Hindi-language film and established himself one of most popular actors in India. Govinda is known for his ...
*
Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three ...
*
Kajol Devgn
Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six F ...
*
Bobby Deol
Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1967) popularly known as Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema and web series. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of veteran actor Dhar ...
*
Preity Zinta
Preity G Zinta (pronounced ; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English literature, English honours and criminal psychology, Z ...
*
Rekha Ganesan
Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 fil ...
*
Riteish Deshmukh
Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh (born 17 December 1978) is an Indian actor, comedian, television presenter, writer, director and film producer. He is the son of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh. He works in Hindi and Marathi cin ...
*
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
*
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan (; born Sajid Ali Khan Pataudi; 16 August 1970) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi films. Part of the Pataudi family, he is the son of actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
Khan ma ...
*
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. In a career spanning over four decades, Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 100 films, ranging from romance to comedy genres, though u ...
*
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta (born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress, entrepreneur and the winner of the Miss Universe 2000 pageant. She was previously crowned as Miss Intercontinental 1997. In her career, she has primarily worked in Hindi films. She is the r ...
*
Suniel Shetty
Suniel Shetty (born Sunil V. Shetty; 11 August 1961) is an Indian actor, film producer, television personality and entrepreneur who is predominantly active in Hindi films he has also worked in tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and kannada films. In a ca ...
Production
Development
In 2002,
Farah Khan
Farah Khan Kunder (born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, w ...
worked as a choreographer for the musical ''
Bombay Dreams
''Bombay Dreams'' is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two ...
'' in London, which she felt presented a "clichéd and outdated version" of the Indian film industry.
[ She thought that the musical would not be successful if released in India.][ She instead thought of a new story, writing her initial thoughts about the subject on ]Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's letterhead while staying in his house. Later in 2006, Farah began to work on her next project, which was tentatively titled ''Happy New Year''. Amid speculations that Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
would star in ''Happy New Year'', the actor rejected the first draft of the film, upon which Farah's husband and editor Shirish Kunder
Shirish Kunder (born 24 May 1973) is an Indian filmmaker. After working as an film editing, editor on 21 films starting with ''Champion (2000 film), Champion'' (2000), Kunder made his screenwriting and directorial debut with ''Jaan-E-Mann'' ...
reminded her of the story she had conceived while in London.[ ''Happy New Year'', which was to mark ]Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most pop ...
's Hindi debut, was put on hiatus and revived more than 8 years later under the same title.
Farah completed writing the first script of ''Om Shanti Om'' within two weeks. She set the first half in the 1970s as she felt the Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
made during that period were much more influential than those made in other periods, particularly the 1980s, which she felt was a period when "the worst movies were made". She also included many references to the 1970s, which were also prevalent in films of that time. She said, "Everything in the first half is about the 70ssuch as the mother who overacts, mouthing clichéd dialogues. Then there are cabarets, badminton and other stuff popular during that era." Shah Rukh's costumes were designed by Karan Johar
Karan Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo in the Hindi Film Industry, is an Indian filmmaker and television personality, who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several s ...
, while Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra (born December 5 1966) is an Indian fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, revivalist based in Mumbai, India.
The founder of the eponymous label, Manish Malhotra, he has been deeply entrenched in ...
designed Padukone's costumes. The rest of the cast had their costumes designed by Sanjeev Mulchandani.
In addition to directing the film, Farah co-wrote the story with Mayur Puri
Mayur Puri is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, actor and film-maker working in Mumbai. He has written songs, screenplays and dialogue for several movies, including'' Om Shanti Om'' (2007) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Shahrukh Khan directed by Farah K ...
and Mushtaq Shiekh
Mushtaq Shiekh is an Indian screenwriter, author, producer and actor. He is mainly known for writing the screenplays of '' Ra.One'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and ''Billu''.
Early life
Shiekh was born in Maharashtra. He also wrote the script for Priy ...
. She was also the film's choreographer. Puri wrote the screenplay and dialogues. He completed the writing process in two months and rewrote the film's second half. Puri created the screenplay by writing his natural reaction to the characters as scenarios. He knew that despite being part of a crowd, junior artists do not want to be recognised as such, ruins their chances of landing a leading role in future. This was used in a sequence involving Shah Rukh and Talpade, who play junior artists. Puri blended different genres together in ''Om Shanti Om'', which he felt was challenging. He used his personal memories from childhood for creating the 1970s. Shirish Kunder was the editor, while V. Manikandan was the cinematographer.
Sabu Cyril was the film's production designer
In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...
. Sabu was first offered the Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
-directed ''Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
'' (2007) at a time when ''Om Shanti Om'' was being planned, but ultimately chosen the latter due to his earlier commitment to Farah for her future project. Farah used two particular dialogues in the film: "When you want something badly, the whole universe conspires to give to you" and "In the end everything will be ok and if its not ok its not the end". These were used as Khan felt that it reflected her philosophy in her life. Farah stated that the film's opening scene was her most favourite in it. In 2008, Puri felt his most favourite dialogue from the ones he wrote would be the Filmfare Awards speech. The film's title derives from the eponymous song from the film '' Karz'' (1980). Om is a Hindu mantra; ''Om Shanti Om'' roughly translates to "Peace Be With You".
The film opens with the grandeur shot of the most famous songs of ''Karz'' that is ''Om Shanti Om'' featuring Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry base ...
and SRK as a junior film artist standing in the crowd.
Casting
Shah Rukh was cast as the lead; he gained six packs for a song sequence. He felt ''Om Shanti Om'' was a "happy film".
Farah was advised by Malaika Arora
Malaika Arora (born 23 October 1973) is an Indian actress, dancer, model, VJ and a television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008, with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, founding the co ...
to cast Padukone as the female lead, who was suggested by Wendell Roddick, under whom Padukone was working. She was cast without a screen test. Khan felt that she was "a beautiful, classic Indian beauty" who fit the role of an actor of the 1970s. She was excited at the prospect of working with Shah Rukh and said, "I've grown up watching hah Rukhand always admired him so much. To get to work with him ... is quite wonderful. It was also fantastic that Farah showed faith in my talent and cast me opposite him."
In preparation for her role, Padukone watched several films of actresses Helen
Helen may refer to:
People
* Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world
* Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress
* Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Helen, ...
and Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
to study their body language. Her character was modelled after Malini and nicknamed Dreamy Girl after her the latter's nickname as Dream Girl. Rampal was approached by both Khan and Shah Rukh at the latter's New Year's Eve party. Rampal was initially reluctant to do the role as he felt it was "too evil" for someone like him. With persuasion from Shah Rukh, he agreed. Rampal wore a mustache in the film which was suggested by Shah Rukh. Shreyas Talpade played a supporting role as the best friend of Khan's character. After the release of ''Iqbal'' (2005) and completing the filming of ''Dor'', Talpade, who attended the same gym as Khan, was called for a narration of what would be ''Om Shanti Om''. He agreed to do the role.[
]Kirron Kher
Kirron Anupam Kher (also Kiran ''Indian Express'', 12 May 2002. or, Kiron born 14 June 1952) is an Indian people, Indian politician; theatre, film and television actress; television personality; singer; entertainment producer; and a member of t ...
, Bindu and Javed Sheikh
Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...
also appear in the film. 31 Bollywood film actors appeared in cameo appearances for the song "Deewangi Deewangi". Other actors were also supposed to play cameos, including Fardeen Khan
Fardeen Khan (; born 8 March 1974) is an Indian actor. He is the recipient of a Filmfare Award (1999) and is the son of the actor, director, and film producer Feroz Khan.
Early life and education
Fardeen Khan was born on 8 March 1974 in Mumba ...
, who was arrested in Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
over a drug case. Dev Anand
Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), better known as Dev Anand, was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema, through a career that spanned over six decades. He was ...
refused as he always played lead roles in his career. Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit Nene (née Dixit; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters, ...
refused due to the promotional activities of ''Aaja Nachle
''Aaja Nachle'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language dance film produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Anil Mehta. The film stars Madhuri Dixit in her first film in five years after ''Devdas'' (2002), alongside Konkona Sen Sharma, Jugal Hansra ...
'' (2007). Ajay Devgn
Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema. Devgn has appeared in over a hundred films and has won numerous accolades, including four ...
refused due to his friend Arjun Rampal
Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to ...
playing the villainous role in the film. Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from lat ...
and Saira Banu
Saira Banu (born 23 August 1944) is a former Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi language films. She was one of the most popular actresses in her heyday in the Indian film industry in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Career
Saira Banu was the ...
didn't appear in the song, despite plans to include them. Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
refused due to his Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...
's wedding to Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebritie ...
, while Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
refused due to ''Taare Zameen Par
''Taare Zameen Par'', also known as ''Like Stars on Earth'' in English, is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film produced and directed by Aamir Khan. The film stars Khan himself, along with Darsheel Safary, Tanay Chheda, Sachet Engineer, Vip ...
'' (2007) on his pending editing. Khan had wanted the three Khans to appear together in a film. Rekha
Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 fil ...
, who appears in the song, carried out 2 days of rehearsal for it. All those who appeared for the song received gifts, including a Blackberry phone and a Tag Heuer watch.
Principal photography
''Om Shanti Om'' was made on a budget of ₹40 crore. The first scene to be filmed was one where Talpade's character tells Shah Rukh's character that he will be a hero; Shah Rukh was an hour late for filming. Farah was pregnant with triplets while filming and experienced difficulties while shooting, she would constantly vomit while directing the film. The film was shot entirely in sync sound; Farah dismissed rumours of Padukone's voice being dubbed. In 2015, however, Mona Ghosh Shetty
Mona Ghosh Shetty is an Indian voice-dubbing actor and dubbing director. She has dubbed in Hindi, Bengali, English, Marathi, and Urdu languages.
Personal life
Mona Ghosh Shetty is the daughter of former voice-dubbing artist Leela Roy Ghosh. W ...
admitted to have dubbed for Padukone in the film. The fake fight scene involving a stuffed tiger was inspired by a similar scene in the film ''Tarzan 303''.[ Old cars owned by actors ]Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
and Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
were used for filming for authenticity.
A number of references to real life was also filmed, including a scene in which Om rescues Shanti from a fire, which was a spoof of Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful film ...
rescuing Nargis
Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...
from a fire on the sets of ''Mother India
''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village woma ...
'' (1957). For a shot involving a Filmfare Awards ceremony, Khan stood on the red carpet of an actual Filmfare Award ceremony and requested actors to dictate dialogues as she stated. The song "Deewangi Deewangi" was shot over a period of six days.[ The song "Dhoom Taana" has digitally altered guest appearances, which included ]Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful film ...
from ''Amrapali
Āmrapālī, also known as "Ambapālika", "Ambapali", or "Amra" was a celebrated ''nagarvadhu'' (royal courtesan) of the republic of Vaishali (located in present-day Bihar) in ancient India around 500 BC. Following the Buddha's teachings, she b ...
'' (1966), Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
from ''Sachaa Jhutha
''Sachaa Jhutha'' (English: "Honest and Liar") is a 1970 Indian Hindi action comedy film directed by Manmohan Desai and produced by Vinod Doshi. The film written by Desai's wife Jeevanprabha, was edited by Kamlakar Kamkhanis. The film starring ...
'' (1970) and Jeetendra
Ravi Kapoor ( ; born 7 April 1942), known mononymously by his screen name Jeetendra, is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He also serves as the chairman of the Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures.
Early life ...
from ''Jay Vejay
''Jay Vejay'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced and directed by L. V. Prasad under the Prasad Productions Pvt. Ltd. banner. It stars Jeetendra, Reena Roy, Bindiya Goswami and Prem Krishan, with music composed by Rajesh Rosha ...
'' (1977). Farah wanted to film Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
for filming a special appearance had made her commit a few days for the role. Due to the uncertainty of her dates, the idea was scrapped.[
In February 2007, a filming schedule was completed in Film City. It was then reported that filming would move outdoors after Shah Rukh completed filming for '']Kaun Banega Crorepati
''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (also simply known as ''KBC'') is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' franchise. It has been presented by actor Amitabh Bachchan ...
''. In October 2007, Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...
finished filming for his cameo appearance; he shot between 10 and 2 in the night for his screen time of about one and a half minutes. Filming of the last sequence and the end-credit song was done in Film City Film City may refer to
* Film City, Mumbai
* Noida Film City
* Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad
* Prayag Film City
The Prayag Film City, also known as the Midnapore Film City or Chandrakona Film City or Bengal film city is an i ...
. Farah continued the tradition of featuring an end-credits song beginning with ''Main Hoon Na
''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language masala film written and directed by Farah Khan in her directorial debut. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan, and follows Major Ram Sharma, who ...
'' (2004).
''Om Shanti Om'' was produced by Shah Rukh's wife Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan ('' née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian film producer and fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and '' Chennai Express'' under the production company Red Chillies Enter ...
under their Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
banner. While Marching Ants handled the publicity design, Gauri was the presenter. Shyam Kaushal, Amar Shetty and Shah Rukh were the action directors. The film's final reel length was 4013.94 ft (1223.45 m).
Music
Initially, A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
was signed in to compose original songs and background score for the film but he opted out after disagreements with T-Series as he wanted them to share the copyrights of music between him and the lyricist. The film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
was composed by Sandeep Chowta
Sandeep Chowta is an Indian music director who primarily works in Bollywood and Telugu cinema. He is also the head of Columbia Records in India. He has also sung some of his songs.
In 2003, he produced an anti substance abuse documentary, titl ...
while the original songs featured in ''Om Shanti Om'' were composed by the duo Vishal–Shekhar
Vishal–Shekhar are an Indian music composer, production, singing and songwriting duo consisting of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani from Mumbai. Known predominantly for their work as music composers in Hindi cinema, Vishal–Shekhar have a ...
with lyrics by Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 200 ...
. One song was composed by Pyarelal of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo. The vocals are provided by KK, Sukhwinder Singh
Sukhwinder Singh (born 18 July 1971) is an internationally acclaimed Indian playback singer who primarily sings Bollywood songs. He is famous internationally for singing " Jai Ho" from the film ''Slumdog Millionaire'' which won an Academy Awa ...
, Marianne, Nisha, Caralisa Monteiro
Caralisa Monteiro is an Indian singer known for advertising jingles and Bollywood songs.
Early life
Caralisa Monteiro was born to Emeline Monteiro, a school teacher at Don Bosco High School, Matunga and Neville Monteiro an opera singer and an ...
, Shaan, Udit Narayan Udit is an Indian masculine given name that may refer to:
*Udit Narayan, Bollywood playback singer
*Udit Narayan (politician) (born 1960), Fijian politician of Indian descent
*Udit Narayan Singh (1770–1835), Indian monarch
*Udit Patel (born 1984 ...
, Shreya Ghoshal
Shreya Ghoshal (born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer and television personality. One of the highest-paid and most well-established playback singers of Indian cinema, she has received four National Film Awards, four Kerala State Film Awar ...
, Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan (pronounced ; born 14 August 1983) is an Indian playback singer. Born in Delhi, she began performing in local gatherings at the age of 5 and made her career debut at the age of 13, with the film ''Shastra'' (1996). During the ye ...
, Rahul Saxena, Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian singer, music director and actor. He has been described in the media as one of the most popular and successful playback singers of Hindi Cinema and Kannada Cinema. He has been honoured by the Govern ...
, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan ( Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kha ...
, Richa Sharma, Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Abhijeet Bhattacharya (born 30 October 1958), better known as Abhijeet, is a Bollywood playback singer. Abhijeet has sung 6034 songs in over 1000 films.
Personal life
Abhijeet was born to a Kanpur-based Bengali businessman turned editor Dhir ...
, DJ Aqeel
DJ Aqeel (born Aqeel Ali) is an Indian DJ and composer.
Biography Family
Aqeel married Farah Khan Ali, who is the daughter of actor Sanjay Khan, and is the sister of the Bollywood actor Zayed Khan, in 1999. The couple have two children.
Night ...
, DJ G, Kiran Karnath, Jackie V, Nikhil Chinapa
Nikhil Chinapa is an Indian DJ, host and festival curator, often credited with popularizing EDM among the youth in India. He is also known as the Father of Indian Dance Music for his various contributions towards revolutionising the outlook of ...
, DJ Nawed and Zoheb. They intended the soundtrack to be a tribute to the music of the 1960s and 1970s, while appealing to newer audiences at the same time. Trade reports predicted the album to be commercially successful. The soundtrack album of ''Om Shanti Om'' was released on 15 August 2007 on CD.
Pyarelal of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo guest composed the title ''Dhoom Taana''. He had stopped composing after the death of his partner Laxmikant, but after Farah Khan requested a song as tribute to the music of the 70s and the 80s, he agreed at the insistence of his wife and daughter. The song was recorded with a 150-member-orchestra and traditional instruments like drums, tabla, dholak and dafli, a trademark of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. He used more than 40 different percussion instruments.
In a soundtrack review, Joginder Tuteja of ''Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides ...
'' gave it four stars out of five and opines, "''Om Shanti Om'' is easily one of the most complete scores by Vishal-Shekhar and Javed Akhtar." Sukanya Verma of ''Rediff.com
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
'' also gave it four stars out of five, applauding the tracks but criticised the "Dark Side" mix. She concludes her review by writing, "''Om Shanti Om'' is an out-and-out musical that captivates with its roaring polyphony and unabashed drama." Aakash Gandhi
Aakash Gandhi is an Indian-American composer, pianist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who is currently based in Mumbai, India. He is widely known for his musical arrangements which blend piano and world elements to create largely instrumental and ...
of ''Planet Bollywood'' gave a rating of 8.5 stars out of 10 and writes, "not only have ishal–Shekharproven themselves in terms of musical ingenuity and quality, they have shown us the confidence, the poise, and the ability to step up to the plate and hit a grand-slam when they're called upon to do so." He further gave them a "standing ovation". Writing for ''AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'', Bhaskar Gupta gave the album 4.5 stars out of five and praises the composers, writing, "Vishal-Shekhar finally delivered a soundtrack that could be deemed their signature offering."
Vishal–Shekhar was nominated for the Best Music Director at the 53rd Filmfare Awards
The 53rd Filmfare Awards organized by Filmfare, honored the best Bollywood films of 2007. It took place on 16 February 2008 at the Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai.
''Chak De! India'', ''Guru'' and ''Om Shanti Om'' led the ceremony with 10 nominations ...
, Producers Guild Awards
The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to honor ...
2008 and Zee Cine Awards
The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema - the democratic way".
They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA went internat ...
2008, winning for Best Composer at the 2nd Asian Film Awards
The 2nd Asian Film Awards were given in a ceremony on 17 March 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The top winner was ''Secret Sunshine'' from South Korea, which won Best F ...
. Vishal Dadlani was alone nominated for Best Lyrics for "Ajab Si" at the Filmfare and Producers Film Guild award ceremonies. Akhtar was nominated for Best Lyrics at the Filmfare and Zee Cine awards, winning at the 9th IIFA Awards
The 2008 IIFA Awards, officially known as the 9th International Indian Film Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the International Indian Film Academy honoured the best films of 2007 and took place between 6 – 8 June 2008. The official cere ...
for "Main Agar Kahoon". It was the highest-selling music album of the year in India, with sales of around 2 million units.
Release
''Om Shanti Om'' created a record of sorts by going in for an unheard of 2000 prints (worldwide) release. This was the highest number of prints (including digital) for any Indian movie at the time of its release. ''Om Shanti Om'' set another record for registered pre-advance booking of 18,000 tickets in a chain of theatres in Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
a few days before the advance booking was to start. A special screening was conducted for Bollywood actors. Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
had reportedly sold the world rights for the film to Eros International
Eros International Media Ltd (also known as Eros India) is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company, based and originated in Mumbai, India. Founded by Arjun Lulla in 1977, it is one of the leading production and distributi ...
for an amount between Rs. 720–750 million. Baba Films, a production and distribution company, had offered a record Rs. 110 million for the rights to the Mumbai Circuit, surpassing the highest amount ever paid for the territory. As a marketing strategy, Amul advertised Shah Rukh.
Nina Davuluri
Nina Davuluri (born April 20, 1989) is an American public speaker, advocate, and beauty queen who hosts the reality show ''Made in America'' on Zee TV America from Manhattan.
As Miss America 2014, she became the first Indian American contest ...
's talent for Miss America 2014
Miss America 2014, the 87th Miss America pageant was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey Sunday, September 15, 2013. Miss America 2013, Mallory Hagan crowned the winner, Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, who served as Miss America ...
was a Hindi Film fusion dance choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan
Nakul Dev Mahajan (born 15 September 1975) is an Indian-American Bollywood dancer and choreographer best known for his choreography on ''So You Think You Can Dance''. He is the founder and artistic director of ''NDM Bollywood Dance Productions an ...
and performed to ''Dhoom Taana''. It was the first time Hindi Film ever appeared on the Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
stage and Davuluri is the first Indian American
Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
to win the competition. ''Om Shanti Om'' was remade into a Japanese musical titled ''Oomu Shanti Oumu''. A book, titled ''The Making of Om Shanti Om'' written by Mushtaq Sheikh, was released after the release of the film. The book gives an insight into the production and happenings behind the camera of the film.
Controversy
One of the leading actors of the film, Manoj Kumar
Harikrishan Goswami (born 24 July 1937), better known by his screen name Manoj Kumar, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for acting and making films with patriotic theme ...
planned to sue the makers of ''Om Shanti Om'' for showing his body double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
in bad taste
''Bad Taste'' is a 1987 New Zealand Science fiction film, science-fiction comedy horror film directed, produced and filmed by Peter Jackson, who also stars in and co-wrote the screenplay, along with Tony Hiles and Ken Hammon. Independent film ...
. Kumar added, "Are the Mumbai police so stupid that they can't recognise Manoj Kumar and lathicharge him in the '70s when he was a star?". Kumar also alleged that Shahrukh Khan is communal. Later, in a press conference, Shahrukh Khan and director Farah Khan accepted their mistake and apologised for the matter. Farah Khan even offered to cut the scene which Manoj Kumar felt was hurtful, but Kumar refused on grounds that, as Farah had stated, "I arah Khanam like his daughter. He said, 'Betiyaan maafi nahi maangti' (Daughters don't ask for forgiveness). I told him that he could've called me and scolded me."[ Later, Kumar said that though this incident was hurtful to him, he wishes to forgive, ignore, and move on, saying that he prefers to "see ]Ram
Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:
Animals
* A male sheep
* Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish
People
* Ram (given name)
* Ram (surname)
* Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director
* RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch
* Ra ...
in everyone and ignore the Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He a ...
."
Before the film's television premiere on Sony TV, Manoj Kumar
Harikrishan Goswami (born 24 July 1937), better known by his screen name Manoj Kumar, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for acting and making films with patriotic theme ...
filed for a stay on the television release, at civil court in Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. On 8 August 2008, he won permanent injunction on the scenes in ''Om Shanti Om'' that lampooned him. The court ordered the producers and Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel, that was launched on 30 September 1995, and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese Sony.
SET India's You ...
, to edit the Manoj Kumar look-alike scenes before showing the film on the channel on 10 August 2008. It also ordered that the film could not be shown in any media—TV, DVD or Internet—without the scene being deleted.
Plagiarism allegations
On 7 August 2008, before its television release, scriptwriter Ajay Monga
Ajay Monga (born 1968) is an Indian scriptwriter and film director. He has written films like ''Corporate'' which starred Bipasha Basu and ''Kay Kay Menon'' and ''Fashion'' both directed by Madhur Bhandarkar.
He has also written a supernatural ...
moved the Bombay High Court alleging that the basic storyline of the film was lifted from a film script he had emailed to Shah Rukh Khan in 2006. According to the petition, "Monga, along with one more writer Hemant Hegde, had registered the script with the Cine Writers Association (CWA) in September 2005. In January 2008, Cine Writers Association (CWA) rejected Monga's appeal at a special Executive Committee meeting. Thereafter, he approached the court to stay the film's screening on television. Though, on 6 August the court rejected Monga's plea for seeking a stay on the television telecast, it directed all the respondents including Shahrukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
, Farah Khan
Farah Khan Kunder (born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed dance routines for more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, w ...
, Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
, Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan ('' née'' Chhibber; born 8 October 1970) is an Indian film producer and fashion designer. She has produced films including ''Main Hoon Na'', ''Om Shanti Om'' and '' Chennai Express'' under the production company Red Chillies Enter ...
(director Red Chillies) and film's co-writer Mushtaq Sheikh, to file their say by the next hearing on 29 September 2008. In November 2008, the Film Writers' association sent a communication to Red Chillies and Ajay Monga that it had found similarities in ''Om Shanti Om'' and Monga's script. The similarities were more than mere coincidences according to Sooni Taraporewala who chaired a special committee that has investigated the case on behalf of the Film Writers' association.
Another allegation of plagiarism
Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
came from Rinki Bhattacharya
Rinki Roy Bhattacharya (born 1942) is an Indian writer, columnist and documentary filmmaker. Daughter of film director Bimal Roy, she was married to Basu Bhattacharya and collaborated on his films. She is the vice-chairperson of the Children's F ...
, daughter of late Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy (12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was an Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as ''Do Bigha Zamin'', ''Parineeta (1953 film), Parineeta'', ''Biraj Bahu'', ''Devdas (1955 film), D ...
, who directed ''Madhumati
''Madhumati'' is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language paranormal romance film directed and produced by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film stars Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar in lead roles, with Pran and Johnny ...
'' (1958). She threatened legal action against Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
and the producer-director of ''Om Shanti Om'', as she felt that the film's second half was similar to ''Madhumati'', also a rebirth saga.
Reception
Critical response
India
''Om Shanti Om'' was received positively by Indian film critics. Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media.
Career
Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
of ''Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000.
The website provides ...
'' gave it four stars out of five and writes, "''Om Shanti Om'' is Bollywood masala in its truest form and also, at its best" but notes, "the second half could've been crisper". Khalid Mohamed
Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editor, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Hindi film actress Zubeida Begum, ...
of ''Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'' gave the film four stars out of five and appreciated the performances, observing how Rampal is "consistently first-rate as the suave villain" while Padukone is "fantastic, so surprisingly assured that you marvel at her poised debut". He notes that "the enterprise belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who tackles comedy, high drama and action with his signature stylespontaneous and intuitively intelligent. Six-pack or no-packs, he's the entertainer of the year in this valentine to the movies."
Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi ( hi, निखत काजमी; 1958/59 – 20 January 2012) was a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from, born Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, who had been writing for ''The Times of India'' since 1987. She died of breast ...
of ''The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' gave the film three and a half stars out of five and writes, "Farah Khan's re-birth saga literally makes an art of retro and paints the seventies pop culture in Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
ish strokes". She called it an "unabashed tribute" to ''Karz''. Raja Sen
Raja Sen (born 10 November 1955) is an Indian film and television director and the winner of three National Film Awards from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the father of actress Rimi Sen.
Career
Raja Sen first received recognition with ''S ...
of ''Rediff.com'' gave it three and a half stars out of five and applauded the performances of Shah Rukh, Padukone and Talpade. He writes, "''Om Shanti Om'' is an exultant, heady, joyous film reveling in Bollywood, and as at most parties where the bubbly flows free, there is much silly giggling and tremendous immaturity." He criticised the dialogues and excessive cameos in the film.
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films released in India in hi ...
of ''News18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
'' gave the film three stars out of five and writes, "Unpretentious and completely transparent in its intentions, ''Om Shanti Om'' is an entertainer in the true sense of the word, mixing up genre elements like comedy, drama, action and emotion to create a heady broth of Manmohan Desai
Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmaker of the 70s and 80s. Desai is now considered one of most influential film director of Bollywood and a pionee ...
-style exaggerated entertainment." He compliments the dialogues "which so cleverly incorporates Bollywood's oldest clichés into these characters' everyday parlance." A commentator for ''Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The se ...
'' felt that Shah Rukh's acting was repetitive and writes, "He needs to curtail his unwarranted superstar mannerisms even in a total masala film like ''Om Shanti Om''", while complimenting the performances of Padukone, Rampal and Talpade.
Sudish Kamnath of ''The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' stated that the film is "an unabashed celebration of willing suspension of disbelief, calling it a "light-hearted tribute to Hindi cinema the way we know it and love it". He praised the performances of Shah Rukh, Padukone and Talpade, while criticising Rampal and Kher. He also praised the various spoofs, especially the ones directed at Manoj Kumar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfar ...
and Abhishek Bachchan. Writing for SantaBanta.com, Subhash K. Jha gave it one star out of five and criticised the spoofs "which keeps swinging from homage to imitation with infuriating artifice", writing, "The mood is one of patronizing and condescension rather than genuine admiration for an era that's gone with the wind".
Overseas
On the review aggregator ''Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
'', ''Om Shanti Om'' holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 17 reviews with an average score of 7.21/10. Tajpal Rathore of ''BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
'' gave it 4 out of 5 stars as well and stated, "Both a homage to and parody of Hindi Films, this cinematic feast delivered straight from the heart of the film industry will have you glued to your seats till the end." Mark Medley of ''National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' gave 3 stars and stated, "The film is a mess for all the right reasons; elements of comedy, drama, romance, action and the supernatural are packed in. But really, the plot is just a vehicle to get from one song-and-dance number to the next." ''AOL
AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo (2017 ...
'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars stating, "The movie consists of all the elements that are essentially called the 'navratnas' of Indian cinema – from joy to grief to romance to revenge. And she mixes these well to cook up a potboiler, which is sure to be a runaway hit."
Box office
''Om Shanti Om'' opened across 878 cinemas in 2000 prints worldwide. The film's net gross (after deducting entertainment tax
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...
) was in India. The film collected $2.78 million in the United Kingdom, $3.6 million in North America, and $6,857,816 collectively from the rest of the world, which resulted in total overseas collections of $13,077,815, the fourth largest of all time as of 2010. As a result of these collections, a worldwide gross of was accumulated.
Home media
In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 750,000 viewers on Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in 2010. This made it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on UK television, above the Japanese anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
film ''Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distribut ...
'' and German animated film ''The Little Polar Bear
''The Little Polar Bear'' (in nl, Lars de kleine ijsbeer) is a franchise about a polar bear cub named Lars who first starred in a number of books written by Dutch author, Hans de Beer.
The first of several animated adaptations of the books is a ...
''.
Awards and nominations
Further reading
*
Footnotes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Red Chillies Entertainment films
2007 films
2000s Hindi-language films
Films about reincarnation
Indian ghost films
Paranormal films
Films directed by Farah Khan
Films involved in plagiarism controversies
Films about actors
Films scored by Vishal–Shekhar
Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award
Films about Bollywood
Cultural depictions of actors
Cultural depictions of Rajesh Khanna