I love stories that explore the dynamic of your biggest believer turning into your biggest enemy. Maneesh Sharma’s “Fan” (2016), starring Shah Rukh Khan, in which he plays the role of both the hero and the villain, is one of the best products in this context.

Other portrayals that come close are the Flash vs the Reverse Flash storyline in comics and the TV show, as well as the MJF vs CM Punk rivalry on AEW. But, in comparison, Fan (2016) is arguably more accessible for audiences worldwide. 

Plot Overview: A Tale of Two SRKs

This Indian language film follows the story of Gaurav Chandna, a young middle-class man from Delhi who runs a Cyber Cafe. He is obsessed with the Bollywood superstar, Aryan Khanna, and has his posters up on the walls of his cafe, as well as in his own room.

​Interestingly, Gaurav also has a striking resemblance to the guy he adores with all his heart. He doesn’t just love Aryan but also acts like him at a local talent show, which he wins. Shortly after the win, Gaurav travels by train to Mumbai to show Aryan the trophy he won by impersonating him.

​Once he reaches Mumbai, he is unsuccessful in meeting him. But he manages to force Sid Kapoor, an actor, to apologize to Aryan for his previous harsh comments. He sends a copy of the video to Aryan as a birthday gift. Aryan instead gets him arrested for his crime, where he is mercilessly beaten.

When Aryan finally does meet him, he tells Gaurav that he is not his fan. Still hopeful, Gaurav asks him for 5 minutes of his time, which Aryan declines and instead asks why he would even give 5 seconds to him? That line shatters him, and he eventually vows to take revenge on him for turning down his fan.

The rest of the movie explores whether he manages to take his revenge or if Aryan’s world can’t be conquered. Since the movie has been out there for ages, you probably know how this ends, but if you ask me, ”Is the ride worth it?” I’ll say, “Yes, definitely, even if you might dislike the ending”.

Fan’s Biggest Strength: SRK’s Dual Role

I think the movie’s biggest Unique Selling Point (USP) wasn’t just seeing SRK in a dual role, with one of them being negative. It was getting to see SRK in a role that reminded us of one of his best performances ever, in “Darr” (1993).

​Even though I don’t watch his work religiously, it was still exciting to see him in that light again. Or I could say his performance as Gaurav Chandna in Fan was the closest we ever got to getting Darr’s Rahul Mehra back. 

Shah Rukh Khan’s Performance in Fan (2016): A Masterclass

Shah Rukh Khan is amazing as both Gaurav Chandna and Aryan Khanna. In my opinion, he has played both roles a little too perfectly. As a result, the audiences feel a lot more sympathy for Gaurav, who is otherwise committing crimes of varying degrees throughout the film.

On the other hand, Aryan Khanna is mature yet egoistic and arrogant, at times. Had a less capable actor played him, the audience might have gone, “Ah! Poor guy! He is just doing what’s best for his family.” But, because SRK sold the character’s arrogance and egotistical nature so well, the audience felt a little less sympathetic towards him.

​One scene that accurately captures SRK’s brilliance is the ease with which he seamlessly shifts between characters. For example, in one of the film’s early scenes, Gaurav is trying to mimic Aryan at the aforementioned talent show.

​But, when he starts acting like Aryan, you notice that he acts like him but there’s still a slight difference between both of them. It’s commendable how he has kept a fine line of difference between his portrayals, while he could have easily started performing exactly like the other character.

Maneesh Sharma’s Direction in Fan (2016)

Maneesh Sharma is in top form here. I love the fact that he chose his characters’ grey instead of black and white. Here, the hero displays negative tendencies while the villain, despite committing different crimes, still cares for his people. The villain is too obsessed with worshipping his idol and then taking revenge on him to focus on anything else.

While Maneesh has done complete justice to the story here, it’s worth mentioning that the ending didn’t land with many. The audience wanted a clean hero and villain, so they knew who to cheer for. He chose to stick to his vision even if that hurt the movie’s popularity. Nevertheless, if his mission was getting the right message across, he certainly succeeded in that.

Production Design and Cinematography in Fan (2016)

The film’s production design is superb throughout. Whether it’s Gaurav being chased by Aryan’s hired muscle or the exciting set piece in Dubrovnik, the production design doesn’t disappoint. One scene I especially loved had Aryan’s men chasing Gaurav in an old hotel. Contrary to what Bollywood often does, the hotel is old and untidy.

Therefore, when Gaurav clings to a window, it breaks all of a sudden. That was an incredibly honest, realistic, and fresh sight in a world where we usually see glamorous shots. So, full credit to cinematographer Manu Anand and production designer Abid T.P.

Fan (2016) Screenplay: Strengths and Weaknesses

Unlike the other areas, the film’s screenplay by Habib Faisal is a bit of a hit or miss, though. On one hand, I absolutely loved how they managed to turn Gaurav to the dark side gradually.

However, in the second half, the scenes did feel a little too simplistic for my liking. For instance, in one of the later scenes, Gaurav (impersonating Aryan) molests one of the female guests at a high-profile wedding.

That leads to a total boycott of Aryan’s show, which felt unrealistic for a star of his magnitude. Surely, there would be some impact on ticket sales, but not a hundred per cent, especially without due process.

​Again, most films take creative liberties or predictable routes in some way or another. It only stands out so much here because the other departments, or even the screenplay on multiple occasions, have been awesome. In other words, the movie works better when it treads along the lines of psychological instead of a spy drama.

Final Verdict: Is Fan (2016) Worth Watching?

You will probably love “Fan” if you are a fan of stories that deal with the transformation from one’s greatest believer to the biggest enemy. It remains one of SRK’s best performances of all time.

Yet, the movie’s biggest achievement is that it skillfully demonstrates how brutal idol worship can be, and how important it is to have & build your own identity.