Who starred in the bollywood movie Om Shanti Om?

If you're any fan of Bollywood, OM SHANTI OM is sure to entertain the bejeesus out of you. This movie is joyful and extravagant and at times very funny. It tells of love and revenge, and of reincarnation and redemption.

There's also a bit of film industry spoofing going on. This is only Farah Khan's second turn at directing (after Main Hoon Na, yet another must-see cinema), but she already shows signs of becoming a great director. Certainly she knows how to tell a story, although, to be honest, in this instance, the story is overshadowed by the spectacle.

Despite some tragic and somber moments in the plot, OM SHANTI OM remains overwhelmingly a display of sheer, rowdy exuberance. It's a party caught on film. Plot SPOILERS now.It's Bollywood in the 1970s.

Om Prakash Makhija (Shahrukh Khan) is a lowly, aspiring actor (or "junior artist"), whose resume, at this stage, consists of taking on gigs as an extra in films. He is seriously crushing on reigning Bollywood queen Shantipriya (Deepika Padukone), with whose billboard image he often converses. Om's dream comes true one day when he gets to meet Shanti, and even ends up saving her life.

But Om then stumbles on a secret which makes any notion of romance with Shanti an impossibility. Things take a turn to the sinister when Shanti perishes in a fire deliberately caused by a shady movie producer (Arjun Rampal), and Om, in a desperate bid to rescue her, soon after passes away from grievious wounds. But, nearby, in fact in the same hospital, as Om takes his last breath, the baby son of a famous actor is born.

And the baby's name happens to be Om. You see where this is going, right?30 years later, Om Kapoor (again Shahrukh Khan) has followed in his father's footsteps and has himself become a celluloid superstar. But his priveleged status has gone to his head, making him into a spoiled and selfish brat.

And, mysteriously, he's had a fear of fire all his life. Events unfold to at last make Om recall his past life even as he prepares to make a film, under the patronage of a shady movie producer (yes, that same one from 30 years ago). Then a bubblegum chewing girl named Sandy enters Om's life.

Sandy is a huge fan of his and bears a striking resemblance to Shanti. And, suddenly, Om sees a way in which his beloved Shanti's death can be avenged...SPOILERS end. Bow down to this blockbuster picture if you, in any shape or form, are hooked into Bollywood, and, specifically, into the 1970s Indian film industry.

OM SHANTI OM is simultaneously a fond sendup and a wry homage of that wild and wooly era. For one thing, if you go way back to those days, then you'll enjoy that bit of fun with 1970s actor Manoj Kumar (although, reportedly, Kumar himself wasn't too enthused with all the ribbing). If you pay attention, you might even learn how Govinda might possibly have gotten his screen name.

Myself, since I've started watching Bollywood only about two years ago, I'm sure many inside jokes flew by unrecognized, over my head and unappreciated.OM SHANTI OM reunites Shahrukh Khan and director Farah Khan (MAIN HOON NA and other films), and these two are undeniably the wellspring of the film's energy, enthusiasm, and vision. The general feel here is one of good-natured boisterousness, yet Shahrukh and Farah keep this ship steady and on course. The feel-good nostalgia is tempered by enough contemporary touches in the second half of the film, so that even the younger generations are kept engaged.

Fair warning, though, if you haven't seen any (or a lot) of Bollywood cinema, OM SHANTI OM just may overload your senses and sensibilities.It's near 3 hours long, and packed with many wonderful moments. As when Om first gets a chance to talk to Shanti but is so flabbergasted he can only make weird faces and funny noises; this, even as his voice-over reflects his elegant but unsaid responses to Shanti's questions. Then there's Om pretending to be a big movie star and then having to put on an act when Shanti comes to visit his set.

And those are just two in a busload of memorable scenes. The film does tend to bog down post-intermission, but, still, the second half has its share of highlight bits.