As I left the cinema having watched the film, I found myself conflicted about my feelings. There is so much to admire here, but it’s evident the filmmakers think they’ve made a smarter film than they actually have. Still, Fan works for the most part. And anyone who – like me – had grown tired and disappointed with Shah Rukh’s unwillingness to step out of his comfort zone will have reason to be a fan again.

Fan is an out-and-out Shah Rukh Khan show, in which the star proves again that he can greenlight roles completely out of his comfort zone, and deliver.

Take a bow, Shah Rukh Khan.

Not only for a phenomenal, genuinely groundbreaking performance but for being bold enough to give us the sight of a boy wearing painted-on abs while aping you dancing in a song where you, according to rumour, wore painted-on abs. For a glimpse at a worn out 50-year-old man — massaging his temples, and stretching at the lines on his face — before turning on the high-wattage smile and stepping out to market his myth. 

Fan delivers what it promised in the trailers. Logic may not be its strong point, but Shah Rukh most definitely is; he’s back in his elements after a long time. Watch it for him.

While Khan’s acting prowess will keep you glued to the film, Maneesh’s brand of crisp and tight storytelling holds the plot together.

Fan works for the most part because it has the fabulous SRK act as a ‘young’ star-struck boy. His energetic performance is worth the price of the ticket – if not more.

The action’s glorious but stretches while the naivete of Gaurav’s parents (Deepika and Yogendra), unaware of their only child’s feelings, seems slightly unbelievable. Yet, ending with a Baazigar-esque twist, Fan makes you feel Darr all over again.

Watch it – you’ll know why you’re SRK’s Fan.

For all the promise it shows, “Fan” ends up as a disappointment for its unwillingness to explore the complicated, at times unfathomable relationship between an actor and his fans, and for reducing it to an average thriller.

Fan is a not a great film, it is a brave film. Watch it still for Shah Rukh Khan’s outstanding portrayal (an extra star only for him).

In all, understanding exactly what goes on in the mind of an obsessed fan or a troubled superstar is not easy. ‘How can someone do this for a star?’ is a question that has plagued a lot of us at several points in our lives. Maneesh Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan hand-deliver that mindscape – of both the fan and the star – on the screen. And brilliantly.

Shah Rukh Khan performs brilliantly in a film that is flawed conceptually.

FAN has a brilliant first half, but loses track in the second hour, only to pick up again towards the pre-climax. The writing should’ve been tighter, while the absence of music [it’s a songless film!] may also prove a stumbling block, but what works, and works big time, is the terrific act by SRK as the fan. And that’s enough reason for you to watch this thriller!

It’s a shame that such an awesome plot suffers from such inept execution. Alas, that too in a film where Shah Rukh Khan has outdone himself as an actor.

Whether you are a fan or not, watch this one for a side of SRK you have never seen before.

SRK is on top of his game and so is director Maneesh Sharma. Some of his decisions are real aces. The no song-and-dance approach really adds to the film’s experience. The background score as well as the cinematography add to the director’s vision. Even though the film is two and a half hours in length, it feels breezy. This is definitely a taut film. It takes a fresh concept and adds the right amount of zing to it. You could argue with the formulaic approach, but the usual thrills and spills don’t rob the story of its impact. Both the star and the fan have their grey shades. And that’s what makes Fan a smart film.

Somewhere along the line, when Aryan decides to tackle Gaurav on his own, and meet his parents, the plot loses a bit of its sting. Here is the superstar. He has a lead to the one doing mischief in his name. All he has to do is send the cops on his trail.

Up until that point, the plot was moving beautifully.

At the end of the day, it’s up to King Khan to save the film from itself, and, for the first time in years, the man delivers.

This movie is not just about a Shah Rukh Khan fan. It is also for a lot of his fans, who have been pining to see him the way he is in this film. After a considerable gap, the real SRK is back with a fabulous combination of two roles; one playing a young, ebullient fan reminiscent of his vulnerable younger days and the other playing the superstar that he’s today, with the charisma and power of his personality all intact.

Director Maneesh Sharma whose garbled take on love sex and live-in relationships inShudh Desi Romance had my mind boggled and my head rattled , lends a lucid heft to the drama in Fan. Though the climax is not as strong as the rest  of the film we come away from Fan with far more happy thoughts than we did from Shah Rukh’s other recent films.

It’s an intriguing journey that Manish Sharma weaves, but one that, unfortunately, doesn’t end well.

Though Fan is far from being perfect, it urges us to think about issues relating to stardom, fandom, idolatry and public expectations from famous people without overtly appearing to do so. It is suspenseful without beating drums and clanging cymbals around its many twists and turns. Much of its appeal lies in the fact that the central characters are not stereotyped. Besides, when Shah Rukh Khan decides to go real and understated, it always makes for compelling viewing.

Fan is a good entertainer, not an outstanding one. Its first half is enjoyable but the post-interval portion is less entertaining and the climax is a big letdown. It will, of course, make profits but a long run at the cinemas is ruled out. Business in multiplexes and cities will be better than in the single-screen cinemas and small centres. Classes will like the film more than the masses.

The film grippingly explores the dichotomy of stardom – the star and the fan dependant yet exclusive- but only just. But perhaps as ‘fans’ of the medium of cinema, we will always want more! 

After all of that, sitting through two Superstar SRKs over two and half hours could seem like a chore or bore—if you’re not a fanatic yourself, or at the very least, merely interested in watching a film. Sure there’s a lot of the usual narcissism going on. To be fair, the fears were almost wholly unfounded. The picture keeps you glued to the screen for the most part. It certainly leaves a genuine and real impact.

All in all, even if you aren’t SRK’s ‘Jabra’ Fan, you are bound to become one after watching his bestest performance till date. To make it sound a little filmy, I will end by saying, ‘Rehne De Tu Nahi Samjhega’!

Fan is a riveting story, well-told, sans any song and dance. And if you thought Shah Rukh Khan has forgotten how to act (refer to his recent work), think again. Just when critics were tempted to write him off (as they are doing to Aryan Khanna in the film), he’s back with a performance that deserves applause. Way to go, Gaurav (I mean Aryan) (No wait, SRK)!

Make no mistake, this is SRK’s best film in the last five years, especially after the likes of Happy New Year and Dilwale. However, this could have been a much better flick, if the makers could have toned down certain sequences and made it a more realistic one. Nevertheless, watch the film because you wanted SRK to do something different, and he delivers exactly that! SRK, I am still your Jabra fan… this film, not so much!

It is to Shah Rukh Khan’s credit for taking on a fairly risky subject, and allowing such self-deprecating material (he is known for his comment on performing at weddings) in the script. But this is no ordinary Shah Rukh Khan film. Here the superstar is visibly thrilled to tackle this complex role (roles, actually) and relishes them with passion. He’s wonderful as the superstar who faces trouble from the most unexpected source, and is even better as the fan who is so obsessed, he cannot differentiate between right and wrong.

This film goes against the construct of a Yash Raj film. It has Shah Rukh Khan, but not a single song. It has a shaadi, but it’s only peripheral to the story. It has a psychotic stalker but he doesn’t believe in self-harm. It feels like a tribute to King Khan but SRK hasn’t been more unlike himself in any other film. So, should you invest in such a risky watch? If you’re an SRK fan, you don’t care for approval. But even if you aren’t, this one’s a thrilling watch.

Fan is certainly not a perfect film, but it’s a unique, performance-oriented thriller that explores the twin themes of obsession and identity, more so the latter than the former. Shahrukh Khan fans will watch it anyway to see him essay the roles of the person and the mirror reflection. Viewers who aren’t his fans should go to see him push this swivel mirror and confuse you with the revolving images into doubting what is real, and what isn’t.

It’s rarely that I have seen an audience step out of the theatre so sombrely after a Shah Rukh Khan movie. Perhaps in the mood and flow of the film which isn’t quite as light-hearted and feel-good as SRK starrers are preordained to be. Fan is completely out of SRK’s comfort zone. There is hardly any romance, not a single song, little to laugh about. Instead there is plenty of action, chases and unbridled emotions of the very dark and serious kind – in a film that’s all about a fan’s pursuit of the star and then the star trying to hunt down the fan.

Watch this if you are a die-hard fan of Khan, but don’t expect an unpredictable thriller. The key here is to manage your expectations and you will walk home smiling at having seen an engaging drama about a stupid fan and a faultless superstar.

Overall, Fan proves to be an enthralling cinematic experience that makes us experience a rainbow of emotions. The movie serves as a powerful example of cinema’s influence society and individuals.

FAN will drag in the first half, but it’s in the second half that the thrills come. The climax is a lesson in itself for fans! Bravo, one would say to the superstar Aryan Khanna to his last act. It’s a good one-time watch for people who are not SRK fans, but, well, for the die-hard fans – this is their movie!

It’s a must watch for SRK Fans and his strong critics because, here you will have a Shah Rukh we have not been very used to.

No matter, whether you are a Shahrukh Khan Fan or not, this film is surely a must watch. There are a few flaws but don’t worry at all! Shahrukh Khan’s ‘double dhamaka’ is totally a paisa-vasool and you can easily give it a shot, that too, along with your full family!

SRK keeps it subtle, however, I wish Aryan’s stubbornness and arrogance were further explored, both in writing and acting.
Fan is implausible, unreasonable and unconvincing.

For the first hour of the film, Maneesh keeps the story moving smoothly. But it eventually suffers from over-plotting and a grievous lack of logic.

Khan is predictably effective as Aryan, but he is solid as Gaurav. Stripped of the head tilts and gestures that have made him a latter-day Dev Anand, Khan is menacing as the deranged admirer who loses his balance and goes to extreme lengths to teach his icon a lesson. Khan commands the screen in a movie that is effectively a two-hander despite the presence of minor characters (Waluscha De Sousa as Aryan’s wife, Sayani Gupta as his secretary, Deepika Amin and Yogendra Tikku as Gaurav’s parents).

The entire team has done their homework really well and it shows. It’s a well made film and its SRK who takes it to another level. He reminds you of the rage he portrayed in ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Darr’. Go Go Go watch this one…

One thing’s for sure: Without Khan’s performance, this film would not be even a whit appealing. Without his sheer star presence as Aryan and Gaurav, the film would not be watchable at all. But WITH him, and as the film stands, we will have to watch and see if his real-life fans can take this garbled narrative of a film towards “hit-hood.”