Producer: Farhan Akhtar (DIRECTOR) , Ritesh Sidhwani
Music Director: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa
Lyricst: Javed Akhtar
There is much hype and hoopla surrounding the DON franchise, so naturally the expectations are high. Though I can not predict safely ( like Daruwallah) that this movie will be a block buster, I can safely venture (like Daruwallah) that it will be a reasonable hit.. and certainly a good watch for the whole family. Provided you don’t have in your immediate neighborhood a hormonally hyper, young, fully clothed couple trying to have as much sex as they can with their gloved hands, in full public view, under the gleeful care of cinema attendants .
The movie isn’t as good as the previous two versions and certainly no match to the Mission Impossible’* or ‘Pirate’* series, both of which are dearly loved by my son and us; but it is still a good movie, well made, technically correct and sincere in endeavoring wholesome entertainment for the family (and loving couples forever pawing each other).
The plot is that the Don, Sharukh pretends he wants to deal drugs in Europe. But he is using this ploy as a bargaining tool , all the while he is looking at stealing the plates for printing euros from Deutsche Bank , Zurich. To do so he needs a key held by Bomen presently in prison in Malaysia. So he plans a surrender in Malaysia, so as to be imprisoned and meet Bomen in prison. There he makes Bomen the offer of escape and subsequently a plan of robbing the plates to make untold riches.
All the while, Priyanka the cop, Om Puri the super cop, the European drug cartel, a local goon Jabbar**, ( hired by corrupt bankers) , are also chasing the Don. The plot takes twists, turns, crosses and double crosses.. and after a dizzying two hours you wonder..
‘will the Don make it.. is it sheer coincidence.. or is a criminal genius at work..? ‘* Watch the movie to find out.
Shahrukh is back with the usual exaggerated opinion of his own greatness, and a high sense of self worth perpetrated by perpetually staring at himself in the mirror. His self -confidence is evident from shot one, and he takes the audience for granted from there on. His proprietary smirks, giggles and pouts are all there, whether required or not, and you realize that ‘Sharukh the superstahh’ has a limited inventory of expressions, bodily mannerisms and audible innuendos. He looks aged, jaded, faded, exterminated and expurgated.
Priyanka, the cop , alleged to be still in prohibited love with the Don, has meanwhile acquired a sweaty cleavage and bee stung lips, with no suggestion whatsoever of an inclination towards oral copulation. Or any sex appeal. An extremely incapable looking police associate, Arjun, who fills in as the romantic angle in this movie, lusts after her. She has also become nastier and packs quite a punch for the German mercenaries, who are not out to have sex with her.. but mean serious business. Priyanka in turn lusts after the Don who lusts after his ‘ just delivered mom’ assistant- Lara Datta. Lara conceals everything here, including the stretch marks.
Bomen Irani** plays Second Fiddle and Doubting Thomas to the Don and looks rather unhappy at being relegated . He doesn’t get a chance at being witty or funny, so ends up looking rather sullen and unconvincing.
To make up for Gabbar, they have roped in Jabbar, an intellectually challenged, baseball bat-happy goon, sent to dispatch the Don by an unscrupulous banker. Om Puri appears intermittently, flickering like a used tube light ordered online. Kunal Kapoor**, The hacker, is ethical, very much in love with his much pregnant wife, but with a low libido (since the wife is always sleeping; ).. hence my conclusion that the wife was impregnated by frozen sperm and not some warm, ovulation seeking missile.
The movie is clinical, with no suspense, emotion or involvement. You are watching the impassioned execution of a brilliantly executed robbery by a crafty, wily mind and nothing else. The music by Shankar etc. is mediocre and there are no beauties to fret over. Zurich is beautiful but the cinematographer didn’t pay much attention to that fact. There is no romance or item girl here, except a mail order assistant – Lara Dutta , whose mindless loyalty to the Don could pass off as harmless, platonic infatuation with the ageing boss, borne of the kind of emotions a bride from Bharatmatrimony .com would generate. But the movie is slick, stylish and has a breathtaking pace, with not a single dull moment. I still like to maintain that the movie was predictable and the ending lacked suspense. But the dialogues were witty and sarcastic, and, naturally, the best ones belonged to Sharukh.
The movie has to be watched due to peer pressure, have you been there and done all that..’?
Definitely a single watch – go for it but without very high expectations.
PS:- Why the title of Anna Hazare?
Well, the top German bank has been infiltrated by unscrupulous and corrupt Indians. So we need Anna in berlin. That’s why.