Starring
The story
PK is a 2014 Hindi-language satire directed by Rajkumar Hirani and written by Hirani with his regular collaborator Abhijat Joshi. Aamir Khan plays the title character, a humanoid alien sent to Earth on a research mission who loses the remote device that summons his spaceship. Stranded, wide-eyed and utterly literal-minded, he is repeatedly told that only God can help him find it — so he sets off across India questioning priests, mullahs, temples and televangelists, asking with childlike innocence why so many self-appointed middlemen claim to speak for the divine.
Along the way PK is befriended by Jaggu (Anushka Sharma), a television journalist whose own bruised love story with a Pakistani man, Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput), feeds the film's argument about faith, prejudice and the fear that fuels both. His chief antagonist is Tapasvi Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla), a fraudulent godman, while Sanjay Dutt appears as a warm-hearted bandmaster who becomes PK's first friend. Rather than mocking belief itself, the film aims its comedy squarely at superstition, blind ritual and those who profit from fear — a stranger's-eye view that lets audiences laugh at customs they had stopped questioning.
Making of the film
PK reunited Aamir Khan with Hirani after the blockbuster 3 Idiots, and Khan again disappeared into a role built from small, deliberate details. He voiced PK in an earthy Bhojpuri dialect learned phonetically from a language coach, gave the alien an unblinking, kohl-rimmed stare achieved with special contact lenses, and let the character's slightly protruding ears exaggerate a naturally odd, out-of-place look. The film was partly shot in Belgium, and its premise — an outsider taking human belief at face value — grew out of years of scripting by Hirani and Joshi.
The tone is classic Hirani: broad, tender comedy carrying a serious social argument, the same formula that powered Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. That balance of satire and sweetness, plus Khan's committed physical performance, is what let the film raise pointed questions about organised religion while still playing as mainstream, family-friendly entertainment.
Music
The soundtrack was a multi-composer effort, with songs by Shantanu Moitra, Ajay-Atul and Ankit Tiwari and lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, Amitabh Varma and Manoj Muntashir. The gentle Sonu Nigam-Shreya Ghoshal duet 'Chaar Kadam' became the album's standout romantic number, while the exuberant 'Tharki Chokro' and the tongue-in-cheek 'Love Is a Waste of Time' matched the film's playful satire.
'Bhagwan Hai Kahan Re Tu,' sung by Sonu Nigam, gave the score its most searching, questioning note — a quiet plea that echoes PK's central theme of a lost soul looking for the divine. The music was widely played on release and remains among the more fondly remembered Bollywood soundtracks of the mid-2010s.
Box office and records
Made on a reported budget of around 122 crore, PK opened on 19 December 2014 on one of the widest release footprints an Indian film had ever managed, spanning thousands of screens in India and hundreds overseas. It became a genuine phenomenon, grossing roughly 770 crore (about US$118 million) worldwide.
In doing so it became the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release, the first Indian film to cross the 700-crore mark worldwide, and the first to earn more than US$100 million globally. It also performed strongly in overseas markets, including a notable run in China, cementing its status as one of Bollywood's landmark commercial successes.
Controversy and legacy
A film this pointed about religion was never going to pass quietly. Hindu nationalist groups and some Muslim clerics protested scenes they deemed offensive, and the teaser poster — showing Khan nearly nude with only a transistor radio covering him — drew obscenity complaints; a petition seeking a ban even reached the Supreme Court, which declined to intervene. Supporters countered that the film attacked exploitation and superstition, not faith itself.
Critically it was strongly praised, winning Filmfare Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Dialogue among other honours, with Khan's performance singled out as one of his finest. More than a decade on, PK endures as a high-water mark for the socially conscious mainstream cinema Hirani and Khan championed — proof that a big-budget Bollywood entertainer could ask uncomfortable questions and still become the biggest earner in the country. Ranbir Kapoor's late cameo as a second alien has kept talk of a sequel alive ever since.
Key details
| Release year | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Language | Hindi |
| Director | Rajkumar Hirani |
| Writer | Hirani |
| Genre | Satire / Comedy |
| Starring | Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma |
Did you know?
- Aamir Khan reportedly chewed a huge number of betel-leaf paan preparations during filming — by some accounts around 100 a day — to keep PK's mouth authentically reddened.
- In the film, PK picks up his earthy Bhojpuri speech by holding a stranger's hand for six hours, 'downloading' the language by touch — one of the movie's most talked-about gags.
- PK's off-kilter appearance took months to develop: Khan wore special contact lenses for the character's unblinking stare, and his naturally protruding ears were played up for the alien look.
- PK was the first Indian film to gross more than 700 crore worldwide and the first to cross US$100 million, and it was the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release.
- The teaser poster of Khan nearly nude with only a transistor radio sparked obscenity complaints; a petition to ban it reached the Supreme Court, which refused to intervene.
- Ranbir Kapoor makes a surprise cameo near the end as a second alien, widely read as a setup for a possible sequel — and the film reunited Khan with director Rajkumar Hirani after 3 Idiots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the movie PK about?
PK follows a humanoid alien, played by Aamir Khan, who is stranded on Earth after losing the remote that summons his spaceship. Told that only God can help him, he travels across India questioning priests, godmen and religious rituals with childlike innocence. It is a satire that targets superstition and those who exploit faith, rather than belief itself.
Who directed PK and who is in the cast?
PK was directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who co-wrote it with Abhijat Joshi and produced it with Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It stars Aamir Khan in the title role alongside Anushka Sharma as journalist Jaggu, with Sushant Singh Rajput, Saurabh Shukla, Boman Irani and Sanjay Dutt in key supporting parts.
How much did PK earn at the box office?
PK grossed roughly 770 crore (about US$118 million) worldwide against a reported budget of around 122 crore. It became the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release and the first to cross both 700 crore and US$100 million globally. It was a major hit in India and in overseas markets, including China.
Why was PK controversial?
Because it satirised organised religion and fraudulent godmen, PK drew protests from some Hindu nationalist groups and Muslim clerics who felt certain scenes were offensive. Its poster of Aamir Khan nearly nude with only a radio also sparked obscenity complaints, and a petition to ban it reached the Supreme Court, which declined to intervene. Supporters argued the film criticised exploitation and blind ritual, not faith itself.
What are the popular songs in PK?
The soundtrack, composed by Shantanu Moitra, Ajay-Atul and Ankit Tiwari, features the romantic duet 'Chaar Kadam' as its standout number. Other well-known tracks include the upbeat 'Tharki Chokro,' the playful 'Love Is a Waste of Time,' and the reflective 'Bhagwan Hai Kahan Re Tu.'
Is there a sequel to PK, and is it linked to 3 Idiots?
PK is a standalone film, not a sequel to 3 Idiots, though both were directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starred Aamir Khan. A PK sequel has been discussed for years, encouraged by Ranbir Kapoor's cameo as a second alien at the end of the film, but no follow-up has been officially released.
Reference: Wikipedia
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