Writer: Janak

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Watch this if you liked: "Muthu", "Duplicate" & "Om Shanti Om"

Get ready for some mindless comedy, action, drama and romance with "Chennai Express". Just like the film's tagline, "Ready Steady Po" ("Po" is a Tamil word for "Go"), it tells the journey of Rahul (Shahrukh Khan), a Mumbai sweet seller whose grandmother entrusted him with the task of taking his grandfather's ashes to Rameshwaram in India. On the way, he bumps into Meena Amma (Deepika Padukone), who is running away from a fixed marriage set by her Tamil village Don Father (Satrayaj) to Tangaballi (Nikitin Dheer). Unfortunately for Rahul, he is forced to board the Chennai Express train and dragged along to Meena's village on the pretext that they are lovers. This is where all the comedice riots of running and fighting begins.

Even not at his usual best, Shahrukh Khan plays the 40-year-old Rahul without faltering from his usual trademarks as seen in his previous hit films. Deepika Padukone is perhaps the best reason to watch this film as her absurd accent only adds to her charm and her character Meena delivers some genuine laughs. The chemistry between the two leads is there but they really shine when they are talking in singsongs, adding impromptu dialogues to popular Hindi film numbers. Satrayaj makes his first ever Hindi film debut but doesn't do much here and the same goes for Nikitin Dheer, who plays the antagonist in the film.

The strength of the film comes from the steady flow of funny one-liners which evokes quite a number of laughs throughout the film. As the lead hero stretches his hands to help the heroine to board the train in the film, it becomes a full-blown Tamil film with bits of Hindi dialogues and lots of amusing gags along the way. Together with the humorous set pieces, colorful locales and songs, the film is pleasant watch. Its only downfall is the thin plot, slow pace and the songs that are featured in second half only. The film also has many references to Shahrukh's all-time 1995 blockbuster "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", which could bore the audience a little.

Music directors Vishal-Shekhar has given the film a winning soundtrack. The songs have exceptional mixing, full of unusual peppy sounds and experimental music. "Titli" by Gopi Sunder and Chinmayi Sripaada is very soulful while "Kashmir Main Tu Kanyakumari" by Sunidhi Chauhan, Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan provides a good feeling, and "Tera Rastaa Chhodoon Na" by Anusha Mani and Amitabh Bhattachrya is very melodious.

Bollywood audiences who have watched Rohit Shetty's previous films will know that he likes to do over-the-top car action sequences and action scenes. He does not disappoint here, but there are lesser cars flying around this time. As for the cinematography, it excels in providing a South Indian feeling throughout the film. The rural South India is at its best on camera. Not one moment that one will feel that they are watching a Bollywood film.

To summarize "Chennai Express" in one word, it is "entertainment". Rohit Shetty's over-the-top scenes with entertaining comedy work nicely together and make the film a bubblegum blockbuster. Do wait for the end credits where the leads give a tribute to cultural icon Rajnikanth with the foot-tapping and energetic number "Lungi Dance" by Hindi pop singer Honey Singh. A complete family entertainer and definitely worth a second watch.

Cinema Online, 12 August 2013