Surinder [Shah Rukh Khan], a simple, clean hearted, honest man working for Punjab Power, leads a humdrum life, but the moment he sets his eyes on Taani [Anushka Sharma], his life undergoes a change. She’s flamboyant, fun-loving, vivacious, unlike Surinder. But unforeseen circumstances bring them together.

Director Aditya Chopra chooses a desi plot and weaves a story around an ordinary, middle class couple. The story begins with gusto and the initial scenes between Shah Rukh and Anushka are thoroughly interesting. But the screenplay falters the moment Shah Rukh’s character Surinder transforms into Raj and his personality undergoes a sea-change.

The two make an odd match. She is a good-looking Punjabi kudi with suppressed jubilance, and he – in his full sleeve shirts and loose pants over sports shoes – is as ordinary and clumsy as a man could be. Even though Surinder loves her, he doesn’t express it to Taani, hoping that haule haule she would begin to love him. But that day doesn’t come, and Surinder decides to transform himself into the kind of man his lonely wife would admire – a hip dude in narrow-fit jeans, studded boots and ragged tee-hee shirts.

In his new avatar as Raj, he becomes Taani’s dance partner in a competition. And even as he makes her laugh and relive life, she doesn’t realize that Raj is the same ordinary man she makes toasts for every morning. So the irony of this love story is that the more Taani is drawn towards Raj, the more Surinder loses her. And Surinder cannot be Raj forever.

To be fair to the director, he has penned a nice story with some fine dialogues and situations that keep a perpetual smile on your face. The meek and submissive protagonist (played brilliantly by SRK) may be the story’s underdog, but your heart goes out for him. He is a man who amuses you with his ordinariness. And he evokes sympathy (not the pitiful kind) when you see him locked in a losing battle with his other fictitious half in winning over his wife’s love.

Categories: Movie Review, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
Tags: Anushka Sharma, Movie Review, Shahrukh Khan