Laali (Preetika Chawla) is a flower seller at a traffic signal in Mumbai. One day, Shahrukh himself stops by at the signal momentarily and compliments Laali on her pretty looks. “Khoobsurat hai tu,” he says and from then on these three words become the gospel truth for this petite basti dweller who has a jealous and possessive lover - a bookseller named John on the same signal - to contend with.
A rebuked John sees himself as a lovelorn Devdas pining for his Paro who’s lost in the daydreams of Shahrukh Khan. There’s also a feisty bar dancer who sees herself as Chandramukhi and tries to woo the devastated Devdas.
SBKHT begins on a shocking note and then settles into a slumberous pace as the characters are established. What stands out the most in the film is the authenticity with which Deshpande captures the grime and squalor of a basti. The story does seem disjointed at times as a number of aggressive characters are thrown in - a cop, a local don and a journalist.
Among actors Preetika stands out with her dreamy-eyed act. Deshpande plays the gangster. Shahrukh has a fleeting cameo. The film gets a tad repetitive in the second half.
SBKHT is at best an optimistic experiment. At worst, it’s a dull film that leaves you bored.
