The beautiful shots of the South Indian landscape distract from the film's saggy middle and while Khan has a knack for selecting the most brain-numbingly infectious songs, it would be a wise move to leave before the traumatic 'Lunghi Song' kicks off the end credits. And what would our cinema be without a little overblown sentiment? The film has the prerequisite soliloquy from Khan, and while these are often overblown, in this instance - even though it shouldn't - his diatribe against those who would devalue their daughters seems to work, resonating as it does with the prevailing mood. Her portrayal of Meena, the spunky South Indian with both backbone and a funny bone, is utterly endearing. Padukone is chameleon-like in her ability to manifest her characters, with all their unique traits and quirks, and her tender expression has you convinced that she is a woman in the first throes of love. The signature moves that first won hearts 15 years ago are all pulled out of the bag with the same winning effect, proving that Khan still has what it takes to charm a world audience. Khan revels in the in-jokes, exploiting our affection for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with some point scoring references. The partnership of Khan and Padukone is dynamite, both stars turning on a charm offensive and delighting with their mischievous comic turns and rib-tickling attempts at Antakshari (song game). The comedy teeters on the edge of being puerile, most notably in an ill-placed scene with a vertically-challenged man, but thankfully it stops short of falling into the precipice of lunacy and finds a palatable balance. It's a comic caper almost in the Tom and Jerry vein, replete with funny sound effects and aided by some seamless editing, but with a discernible, if not entirely plausible, plot line and a burgeoning love story. Rahul must fight cultural differences and his new-found foes to win her hand. As Rahul becomes unwittingly embroiled in her plans, comic encounters ensue and love unexpectedly follows.

About to disembark the Chennai Express, he is waylaid by Meena (Deepika Padukone), a rebellious Tamilian runaway escaping an arranged marriage orchestrated by her power-hungry father.

Thankfully, Chennai Express overrides the lacklustre clichГѓВ©s commonly associated with mass entertainers and is in fact, an unexpectedly enjoyable ride on the Shah Rukh Khan bandwagon.Д¤0-year-old Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan) uses a trip to Rameshwaram for the immersion of his grandfather's ashes as a ruse for a lad's holiday in Goa. One way or another, you may not live to tell the tale. Not merely because cinema such as this, that caters for a mass audience, is prone to being a hari-kari inducing concoction of mindless masala, tawdry songs, overblown heroics and decidedly puerile comic antics, but also because the die-hard fans won't hear a word of criticism directed at their icon. The release of a Shah Rukh Khan film is little short of a global event.

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