Shah Rukh Khan is Rahul, an unmarried businessman in his forties.  Raised by his doting grandparents, he runs a chain of successful candy shops in Mumbai. Rahul is a little arrogant, self-centered, and sheltered. When Grandpa dies one day before his 100th birthday, Rahul feels the need to break free from his routine and change his life.  He wants to go to Goa to party, but Grandma wants Rahul to fulfill Grandpa’s last wish and spread his ashes in Rameshwaran, a holy city at the southern tip of India. When Grandma insists on seeing him off, Rahul decides to deceive her by getting on the Chennai Express and getting off at the very next stop, but fate has other plans for Rahul.

First, he gets off the train but forgets to take the ashes. When he gets back on the train to retrieve them, the train leaves the station. Hesitating before jumping off, he sees a beautiful girl running to catch the train so he extends his hand to help her aboard. After the girl is aboard, Rahul graciously helps four very big men aboard, thereby losing his chance to get off the train. He soon discovers that the girl, Meena (Deepika Padukone), has run away from home to avoid an arranged marriage with Tangaballi (Nikitin Dheer). Her father, boss of an entire of region in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has sent the big boys to bring Meena back; Rahul; who by now has witnessed some of their misdeeds, has become their prisoner as well. Will Rahul ever see Mumbai again?  Will Meena be forced to marry Tangaballi? To find out you will have to “Get on the train baby!”

From insensitive and full-of-himself to sweet, sensitive, passionate, courageous, and in love, Shah Rukh Khan has mastered this type of character in many of his films. He may have been in charge in Mumbai, but he is way out of his depth in Tamil Nadu. Playing the common man, Rahul learns to face his fears and do what is morally right. SRK fans will enjoy catching references to his previous films, and an ending that is classic Shah Rukh Khan.

Deepika’s Meena is stubborn, independent, and resourceful. She brings dignity to the role of a traditionally raised girl who loves her family but has a mind of her own. Her many facial expressions add a subtle sweetness to both comic and dramatic scenes. Director Rohit Shetty clearly makes the point that Meena is not inferior to Rahul, but his equal, and sometimes his better.

You will enjoy watching SRK dance to the catchy “1234 Get On The Dance Floor”, the colorful “Kashmir Main, Tu Kanyakumaari” (I’m from the North, you are from the South), and the slower more melodious “Titli” (when she falls in love), and “Tera Rasta Main Chhodun Na” (when he falls in love), and don’t miss the fun “Lungi Dance” at the end credits.

Chennai Express is a full on masala movie, meaning it has action, drama, comedy, and romance. At its heart, Chennai Express is about having your world turned upside down, having to deal with the unfamiliar, meeting new challenges and different ways of thinking, finding strength within yourself to deal with change, finally making better choices, and discovering a deeper more meaningful life as a result. Chennai Express is a great introduction to Bollywood.