Revisiting Shah Rukh Khan's 'Fan' on film's 7th anniversary
There are quite a few films that do not draw an audience upon their release and fail at the box office but are immortalized in the hearts of cinephiles for eternity. After all, commercial success is not always the best judge of art. One such movie is Shah Rukh Khan's Fan (2016), which completed seven years of its release on Saturday. Let's revisit it.
SRK delivered one of his best performances
One of the most memorable aspects of the Maneesh Sharma directorial was, obviously, the double role played by SRK. Thanks to the prosthetics, makeup, and Khan's as-consistent-as-ever acting, several people initially wondered whether the role of Gaurav (the fan) was played by someone else! It was in direct contrast to superstar Aryan Khanna, but trust SRK to nail two diametrically opposite roles completely.
'Fan' underlined obsessive nature of love for celebrities
Fan is also a special film since it sheds light on parasocial relationships, which refers to the dangerous side of celebrity obsessions. We all have our favorites in showbiz, but many times, several people tend to forget that, at the end of the day, celebrities are mortals and have chinks in their armor. In Fan, Gaurav forgets that and eventually meets a tragic end.
Do you listen to 'Jabra Fan' even today?
Music and dance have always been the heart of Hindi films, and Fan was no different. Its most memorable song, which rules playlists even today, is Jabra Fan, written by Varun Grover, composed by Vishal-Sheykhar, and sung to perfection by Nakash Aziz. The song encapsulates the passionate emotions one feels for their favorite actors and defines the Delhi vibe—consequential to both Gaurav and SRK.
Scenes where Gaurav fools authorities are especially thrilling
Another reason that makes Fan worth watching is the several themes captured in the movie. It is emotional, thrilling, and high on power-packed performances. Though it is eventually marred by a shoddy second half, SRK's acting is its major redemption-worthy aspect; the scenes where Gaurav wreaks havoc in his favorite superstar's life have immense repeat value. You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
