I’m not exactly a fan of Bollywood movies but I did enjoy the few I have watched, particularly Three Idiots that starred Aamir Khan. And I’ve heard so much about his PK so when I saw it among the in-flight movies during a recent trip, I skipped Twenty and Gangnam Blues and went right to it. No regrets.

 

 

I don’t think reviewing writing about the film would do justice to how wonderful it is. It is socially relevant and yet easy to relate to despite its sensitive plot that touches on religion, ethnicity, racial differences and social classes. Aamir Khan’s films touch a social nerve but they appeal to the general audience because of the humor. Nothing hits the gut more than a jab that you thought wouldn’t hurt but leaves an imprint so deep.

By the end of the film, I was unabashedly crying on my seat, not caring if other passengers could see. And considering this is a Bollywood movie (average of three hours), it was a good thing the flight time was just enough.

On paper, the plot of PK sounded absurd: an alien arrives on the planet and proceeds to look for “god” since he is told he is the only one who can help him return to where he came from. In the process, he discovers so many things about this “god” he is looking for and the people on this planet.

On motion picture, PK is poetic, magnificent and thought-provoking. And since this is a Bollywood movie, don’t forget the song-and-dance sequences.

But it’s the witty script that makes the film memorable. Some of the most hilarious moments in the film are mostly on PK’s confusion on the different gods and religions and their conflicting rituals; yet funny as they may be, they ring true in a world that is full of confusion and conflict.

Here are my favorite quotes from the film:

“Life taught me that there are two gods: one that created us all and the other that people created.”

“Who is Hindu, who is Muslim? Show me where is the stamp? You guys have created the difference, not god.”

“If god wanted to differentiate between people, he would have marked different religions on the body.”

“On this planet, people hide when they make love but fight and go to war in the open.”

“The one who is scared goes to the temple.”

And then there are the innocent quips of PK:

“If people are shy about having sex, why do people celebrate weddings and tell the whole town that they are going to have sex?”

“Just like how people put stickers of god on walls so that no one urinates, I put stickers [on my cheeks] so that no one will hit me.”

“Why then do you make these idols?” (When told by a statue seller that people can communicate directly to god.)

“Who is god after all?”

An interesting trivia about PK is how one pivotal character is played by Sanjay Dutt, who is serving a six-year jail term of acquiring firearms from those involved in the 1993 Mumbai attacks.

Another interesting information is that PK and Three Idiots came from the same director.

Sure, the film has had its share of controversies given ongoing conflicts in the world but that’s what makes it more compelling and a must-watch.

PK has made me an Aamir Khan fan and a friend had given me quite a long list of must-watch AK films. I have a lot to catch up with.