One went expecting quite a bit from Dostana considering the lineage of the movie house backing it and the stars acting in it. Mr. Reliable Critic, Rajiv Masand who is normally spot on with this ratings, seems to have fuffed up on this one.
So lets get down to some of the main aspects of the movie:
The Story/Plot: This is somewhat refreshing, comic, entertaining and well enacted. well, at least until half time. Two Hot men(Abhishek and John) wishing to find fresh accommodation, find a lovely penthouse up for rent. The main hitch - No single guys or baba’s only baby’ss(?) permitted by an over the top Sindhi aunt(Sushmita Mukherjee) and the very attactive landlady(Priyanka) so they conjure a gay relationship and all is then hunky-dory with Ms. Pretty lady. Then follows a somewhat predictable storyline - both fall in love with her but since she thinks they are both devoted to each other she does’nt pay much heed to either them as a potential boyfriend and treats them as just good friends. Thereafter enter some cliched charcters, Boman Irani as the Gay Editor(too enthusiastically gay), Mother dear from London, Kiron Kher(too hammingly in denial) and the other usual suspects.
Then enters the new mag editor in the form of a young and suave appearing Bobby Deol(boot polish shiny outfits to literally kill designer for) with his disarming style and a sob story of his own which thaws initial bad vibes between Priyanka and him. Time for Interval break and thereafter the film just about loses the fuel to sustain the momentum of the first half. Very precidictable fare follows with each of the trio wanting to crystalize thier love for the beautiful lady. After a lots of tosses and turns one finally(and most thankfully) arrives at the climax which though little un-predicatable, doesn’t somehow gell with that last gay kiss(totally unconvincing). All seems to be settled and ends well and we are left with the’and they lived happily after’ catch line as if to say than one can so easily and suddenly realize their new bent of sexual orientation.
(Is KJ trying to bail or absolve himself out here thru this suggestion?.I wonder.)
The Cast and Characters: Abhishek is first rate and has more than lived up to his role. Priyanka looks a million bucks and acts it too. She seems to have come into her own recently. John Abraham disappoints and is very un-convincing as a gay. He looks very hot but thats about it. Bobby Deol - well, what can one say. Why the glazed deadpan look throughout? This one is a total miscast. Wardrobe too isn’t happening. Boman Irani( a very close copy to the fashion editor from Devil wears Prada) does his gay job well and does convince, excepting for the dinner scene. With him one wonders what he’ll attempt next. Kiron Kher, though confined to hamming most of her part, is yet convincing and funny. She has some of the best lines in the film. Sushmita Mukherjee is a character who the film could have done without. One thinks that due to his sindhi inclinations this character has been added by Mr. Mansukhani to re-live some of his fond pappad times.
The Music: This one scores totally. Some very catchy tunes. I think Desi Girl and Maa Da Ladlaa are going to become very, very popular all over India very soon. The song sung by Amanat Ali(saregama contestant) is also very good.
The Sets and Locale: Miami is just fab with all its art deco buildings. All outdoor scenes have freshness to them. However some of the indoor sets dont somehow carry it off especially the office, the nighclub etc. One hoped to see more of the famed Miami broadwalk in the film.
Final Post Analysis: All in all a decent effort. The subject of gay relationships is a fresh one and could have been handled far better than it has. At the end of it one is still left with the notion that it’s not really ok to be gay although the last words(And they lived happily after) do give some small glimpse of hope. The First half does sizzle with some great fun scenes and situations but the second half simply fizzles out. One wished Mr. Tarun M could have taken the cue from some recent English films like "There’s something about Mary’ where 4 guys vie for a single lady’s attention and yet all end’s well as also from the’Bird Cage’ which deals with Gay life with a lot of humor and maturity. One feels that at some point the director just wanted to finish the film to get back to some hot’ Sai Bhaji’ at home.