A cinema hall here resonated with the sound of applause as soon as superstar Shah Rukh Khan made his entry in 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'. It continued, reaching a crescendo towards the end of the film.The film is a hit, the audience and members of the film fraternity say.
'It is a super duper hit', 'Shah Rukh looks so good', 'The songs are great' were just a few of the reactions of those who managed to see the first show of the film Friday.
Retired Major-General Jasbir Lacshar and his wife Triptinder watched the film and both of them felt it is a 'very clean movie'.
'You can go and watch it with your family. The movie is too good. I think it is exceptionally well-made. The overall packaging of the movie is also excellent,' Jasbir Lacshar said.
Set in Amritsar, 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' is the story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh and newcomer Anushka Sharma and how the two of them find love in the backdrop of a dance competition.
The film is Shah Rukh's first release of the year. Apart from this, it is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for 'Mohabbatein' in 2000.
'Rab Ne?' saw a massive opening despite the recent Mumbai terror attack and the business for the film is expected to get better over the weekend.
Roshan Singh, a leading exhibitor in Bihar, told IANS: 'The film has opened to full houses in the cities, the best opening we have had for a Yash Raj Film in the last two years. People have loved the film. Nobody expected 'Rab Ne?' to be such a sweet love story.'
According to Singh, what's working best for the film is the very fact that it is about an ordinary man.
'The film delineates the dreams and aspirations of ordinary people. And the whole idea of putting the couple into a dance reality show is a stroke of genius. Audiences immediately identify and connect with this new medium of getting famous overnight,' he explained.
People from all walks of life have loved the film.
'This is a super duper hit movie and Shah Rukh Khan has proved that he is the real King,' said 22-year-old Gurmeet Singh, a college student.
For Lalita Tripathi, 20, the film was completely 'paisa-vasool' (worthwhile). 'For a change, Shah Rukh has not overacted and he looks very good,' she said.
The response to newcomer model-turned-actor Anushka Sharma is also positive.
While exhibitor Roshan Singh said she is a 'revelation', Neeraj Chauhan, a film buff, felt she has acted very well.
'The way she has danced, it seems as though she is a thorough professional,' said Chauhan.
Filmmaker Vipul Shah of 'Singh Is Kinng' fame says he is not surprised by the warm welcome to the film, as 'after 26/11, Mumbai needed a feel-good film'.