From back in the day when
Shah Rukh Khan could be silly in a frivolous film. Now it seems that every
film of his is an event. He was already a star thanks to the romantic blockbuster
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995 in which he and Kajol ripped out the
hearts of the Indian audience but he was yet to be a Super Star. That was
only a few years away. So he could still be goofy, act like an idiot and
not be at all heroic. Thus Yes Boss where he plays a bit of a louse and a
total sycophant. So much so that it is hard to root for him to win the girl
in the end.
And what a girl. Seema played by the wonderful Juhi Chawla. Miss India when
she was 16, she became one of Bollywood's more popular actresses in the late
1980s with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. She teamed up in that one with Aamir Khan
and it made them both stars. She is more the girl next door type and had
a knack for light comedy. She really saves this film from too much SRK being
an ass. It really isn't until the final 30 minutes of a 160 minute film when
the audience gets the SRK they bought a ticket for. Yes, he is charming and
amusing and frantic throughout but such a weasly character. The pitch perfect
moment belongs to Juhi when she suddenly realizes that it is Rahul (SRK)
that she loves and the look of wonderment and surprise that crosses her face.
We have all likely sucked up to our boss at times but I kept it to a minimum
because it embarrassed me to do so. Not Rahul. He takes sucking up into another
dimension. It is Yes Boss this and Yes Boss that. Enough to turn your stomach.
He wants to have his own advertising agency someday and he thinks pleasing
his boss will get him that. When he bumps into Seema, he is love struck but
soon learns that she wants to be rich as well. The old fashioned way. Marrying
a wealthy man. When the Boss sees her he is floored as well and he gets Rahul
to help.
Rahul does. The problem is the Boss is married to the stunning Kashmira Shah
whose father owns the business. Rahul both enables and disables the Boss's
plan to seduce her. Even having to pretend to be married to Seema to fool
the wife. It gets complicated but it is Bollywood so there isn't much doubt
about the outcome. 6 songs from Jatin-Lalit. Directed by Aziz Mirza. Johnny
Lever shows up as a warning to all. SRK and Juhi were to appear in nine films
together. The film was a big hit.
