When you fall in love, at one point or another, you’re doomed to suffer heartbreak. It may be a temporary situation and you may end up making amends. But there are times when no amount of apology can save the love that had so much meaning in your life. In fact, that love was what made you- nurtured you and gave you hope. Without that in your life, without that goodness, what do you become then?
FAN is a movie that shows you the downside of fandom. They say you should never meet your idols. Guess what? They were right!
FAN (2016) Movie Plot
The movie opens and we get a peek into Gaurav’s life- a simple boy in Delhi who is obsessed with Aryan Khanna, the superstar. Gaurav has grown up watching Aryan and thus his whole life revolves around emulating the great star. In fact, he even considers himself to be a part of Aryan all because his face bears similarities with him. Gaurav calls himself the Junior Aryan Khanna and every year, partakes in a competition where he naturally emerges the winner for portraying his favorite star.
Over here, it becomes gradually obvious that his love and idolizing of the star is turning into obsession reminiscent of SRK’s portrayal Rahul in Darr. Gaurav doesn’t only want to meet the star on his birthday but share the same life. He too, wants to travel to Mumbai without a ticket, eat the same meals and live in the same room the star had in his struggling days.
Aryan’s birthday comes along and unfortunately Gaurav doesn’t predetermine that there would be hundreds of fans gathered in front of the house, preventing him from meeting face to face with his idol. That doesn’t deter Gaurav who won’t go back to Delhi until he meets Aryan. Later, while having dinner and watching the news, he sees Aryan’s rival- Sid, giving an interview that belittles the superstar.
Angered by his disrespect, Gaurav devises a plan to bring down Sid and make him apologize to Aryan.
After beating Sid up and coercing an apology from him, he sends the video to Aryan, trying to show him the lengths he would go for his idol.
Is Aryan amused? Of course not and he immediately has Gaurav arrested and beaten up.
Later, Gaurav finally meets Aryan but his idol is in no mood to entertain him for even five minutes and rubbishes his claims of being his biggest fan since he crossed all limits when he beat up Sid.
Gaurav is heartbroken, all his admiration for Aryan is demolished in one single remark- Meri life hain, mein usme se paanch second bhi kyun doon?
It would be normal to feel a bit of sympathy for the dejected fan, but you can’t help by being creeped out by Gaurav who has taken his obsession too far. The last shreds of sympathy are wasted away when he leaves prison and goes back home, hellbent on revenge. He had been rejected by his star and he sets about to show Aryan that he really is nothing without his fans.
Like I said before, you should never meet your idols. Not that they would turn out to be the opposite of what you thought or too arrogant about their success, but because they are used to being adored by thousands of people. For them, to give even five minutes to one fan, means being unfair to the hordes of other fans who are just as crazy about them.
The second half is all about Gaurav taking advantage of the fact that he looks like Aryan Khanna. His actions turn sinister as he sets about to ruin the superstar’s reputation by performing acts of boorishness and promiscuity.
It is the latter that shatters Aryan’s reputation who then learns that even after a year, Gaurav had not forgotten his rejection. Unfortunately, Aryan cannot prove his innocence and the police do little to help. It is all up to Aryan to bring down Gaurav himself and does so by having a showdown in Gaurav’s little town. After all, Gaurav too had invaded his home.
FAN Ending Explained
I suppose the ending must have been difficult to write though it was an obvious and systematic one. Gaurav had to die. He had done too many criminal activities to ever reform. Aryan was ready to forgive him and advised him to stop living his life as Junior Aryan and start living as Gaurav, but this rejected fan, knows his life has been destroyed by his own hands and his ego to demand an apology from the star.
He lets himself fall from a tall building, cautioning Aryan that he was doomed to always be connected to his obsessive fan. Time passes and on his birthday, a very disturbed Aryan emerges from the house to greet his fans. His name has been cleared, but he is forever haunted by his one fan who had crossed all his limits for him.
What can I say about the movie? It was a thrilling ride and solely belonged to Shah Rukh Khan who shines and delivers in both roles. It’s not his first time playing an obsessed person, but he does things just a little differently here. He scares you when you are shown a peek into his psychosis.
As Aryan, it does seem that he must derive inspiration from his own life, but he does it excellently.
You know he’s done a terrific job when he plays both parts so seamlessly. You can spot Gaurav a mile away and you know Aryan is different...but they are both the same actor! It’s amazing to see the subtlety of mannerisms in both characters that helps you discern which is which character in each scene.
The characters may be trying to confuse the other characters in the movie as to who they are- Aryan or Gaurav, but as the audience, you know it is Gaurav pretending to be Aryan and vice versa because that’s how effortlessly Shah Rukh has played both roles. Very few actors have managed to play double roles so differently and so perfectly.
This movie is a must watch and no, it won’t ONLY appeal to Shah Rukh’s fans. It’s one of those movies that will leave you gripped in horror and sympathy at the lives the celebrities have to live. It’s not all glamor and lights. Sometimes its dejection and darkness that they have to live with.
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