I have had this movie sitting around for a while--Darr:A Violent Love Story. This was one of Shahrukh's early roles--done right after he did Baazigar (according to IMDB, they were both released in 1993). For those of you who don't like it when SRK plays a psycho/obsessed kind of character-this one is not for you. For those of you who don't like SRK playing a not very nice guy-this film is not for you either. But this film is one of SRK's great early films.
When SRK went into the film industry from television, he did not want to play what he called 'chocolate box' heros. Lightweight roles, shallow characters who romance the ladies and have not much else to them. SRK knew he was not the typical looking Bollywood hero--he was short, kind of dark, had a crooked nose and big teeth--hey, this is not me saying this, this what he told Anupama Chopra when she wrote The King of Bollywood.
Shahrukh has great depth in his acting, no matter how much folks might poke fun at the bollywood film industry, many of these actors have great talent. While watching this movie, I was trying to pick out other aspects of the type of film this was--the depth of obsession SRK has with Kiran is showcased by the photos he has in his room. The closeness he has with his dead mother, is a true sign of his mental illness--he often spends hours on the 'phone' describing to his mother all that he loves about Kiran.
Shahrukh still manages to charm people in this film. When his 'girlfriend' marries the love of her life, SRK manages to charm his way into the home of her brother and discovers where the newlyweds are secretly honeymooning. Even when he plays a psychopath, SRK's characters still have charm and grace--he may have stalked his girl and carved her name into his chest, but he still manages to spend quite a bit of time with the newlyweds.
Sunil(Sunny Deol) may be an expert naval commando, but he is kinda slow sometimes--SRK's character drops pretty broad hints about his love for Kiran, but Sunil is so in love, he misses this obsession.
Even though SRK was the newcomer in this film, he won more acclaim for his role as the psycho lover than Deol did in his starring role--I will have to admit, Deol is not one of my favorite actors. Deol is sort of another one of those two note Bollywood stars that folks mock in the west; he has intense, and sweet--that is about it! Sunny Deol has not aged as well as SRK(in my humble opinion)--but he has been doing more directing as of late, and I have seen him in some older stuff-I will have to try to find some of his newer stuff.
After watching this film of obsessive love, it makes me want to go back to revisit Rab Ne Bana di Jodi!! This is where SRK's obsessive love is shown is with a great gentleness and sweetness that make you want to find a Suri for yourself.
Well, namaste yaar, and go enjoy a Bollywood film!
