The 70s-style poster of Om Shanti Om

It’s creating ripples across the Internet. Shah Rukh’s rippling six packs that is. And not just SRK’s newly-acquired abs, even the trailer(s) of Farah Khan’s mammoth Diwali release Om Shanti Om has been the talk of the virtual world. No wonder the official film website has been getting record hits ever since it was opened for Netizens.

So what do the promos of the much-awaited film reveal? Well, lots really. Not much hide and seek here. “He was a junior artiste” says one of the title cards. And that’s Shah Rukh completely fashioned in 70s style with tight floral shirts, looking quite a buffoon really. “She was a star” it reads about debutante Deepika Padukone, who looks almost ethereal in most of the frames.

And they fell in love because the whole “kayenat” (universe) wanted it. But things go horribly wrong as Shah Rukh as Om dies in a blaze. The voiceover (SRK himself) then sets the tone for things to come — “Jab tak sab theek na ho picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.” Shah Rukh is reborn as Raj: “one lifetime is not enough” for such an epic love story. This is, of course, the cool SRK, long hair, super muscles and all. The big question — is Deepika too reborn or in true Karz style does she just grow old — remains unanswered.

The Karz hangover is all over the place. Besides the title, of course, which is borrowed from the superhit Laxmikant Pyarelal track sung by Kishore Kumar, Shah Rukh’s 70s’ character Om is said to have died on the sets of Karz. So, he must be reincarnated. Not just that, even the dare bare Shah Rukh song is called Dard-e-disco, not far from the Dard-e-dil number in Karz sung by Mohammed Rafi.

But the rest of the promo makes it very evident that this is no remake and it’s actually a film set in filmdom. The songs are lavishly shot with huge sets erected in studios.

After A.R. Rahman refused to score the music owing to a problem over publishing rights, the Vishal-Shekhar duo has picked up the baton and seems to have done a good job with the music for the movie. One track has been guest composed by Pyarelal of the L-P duo.

Om Shanti Om has been shot by Manikandan, the man behind Main Hoon Na frames, and edited by Farah’s husband Shirish Kunder. The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade and a whole lot of stars in guest appearances. Om Shanti Om takes on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya on Diwali Friday, November 9.