Let me begin with a disclaimer..... I am a total Hindi movie buff and appreciate all that bollywood churns out in totality. From K.L.Sehgal’s Devdas to SRK’s KANK, I love them all. I enjoy my 3 hours of cinema experience thoroughly and have NEVER walked out of a cinema hall midway.... even when it was brain thrashing experiences like Toofan, Jadugar and more recently Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi....(Amitabh, Sanju, Ash & Ajay Devgan starrer).
Naya Daur, Mother India, Mughal-E-Azaam, Deewar, Sholay, Shakti, Trishul, Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil Chahta Hai and so many more hold a special place in my heart (like millions of cinema goer’s all over the globe). However, one film which makes me go bonkers is Don - the original Amitabh starrer. The mean, menacing, ruthless Don is my favorite character of all times. Even now when I watch the movie on SetMax (almost once a month) I get goose pimples seeing Big B deliver dialogues like "Yeh Dus Lakh ka sona to main bhool jaunga....lekin tumhe yaad rakhunga".... I have grown up on this thrill and yet every time I see this flick I am on the edge of my seat.
When I first heard Farhaan Akhtar was remaking Don, I thought he had gone nuts. And what was wrong with SRK? Being a badshah is one thing, but doing exactly what Big B did is extremely foolish. He himself knows he’ll not be able to carry it off. And that’s where, SRK and Farhaan have proven me (and many more people) wrong.
The new Don is, in cliched bollywood terms, inspired by the original. While the plot is by and large maintained, the twists added are so tangy that it becomes a new plot altogether. I found myself sitting on the edge of the seat all through the 3 hours. And when I walked out of the hall, I was under the Bruce Lee effect..... when you walk out of a cinema hall and think of yourself to be an incarnation of Bruce Lee and kick any and every object in sight ! I now answer my phone by saying "Don".... and telling my boss "Don ke dushmano ki sabse badi galti ye hai ki woh Don ke dushman hai..." :P
The movie is extremely fast paced and sleek. Style statements, which were trend setters in the original, have been very well adapted. What with SRK wearing his tie under the shirt and Priyanka Chopra’s polka dotted scarf.
So what if a few scenes are copied from hollywood? For a Hindi movie, Don is a trend setter yet again. The car chase sequences - shot in Mumbai and Malaysia - are extremely well done. So is the sky diving sequence. The sleek cinematography and paced camera work give it the required hollywood look. SRK is definitely giving "action stars" like Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar a run for their money.
Shankar Ehsan Loy’s music compliments the sequences very well. So do the songs. From the Yeh Mera Dil remix to Shaan’s wonderful rendition of Main Hoon Don and Udit Narayan’s tribute to Kishore Da’s Khaike Paan.... every song is well done and perfectly executed. Specially the new addition "Aaj Ki Raat" sung by Alisha Chinai, Sonu Nigam and Mahalaxmi steals the show.
The only point where comparisons quickly get drawn is the Yeh Mera Dil number. Kareena Kapoor looks out of place with the dance. She just does not exude the confidence that Helen had. Its a "specialist item number" and maybe Shamita Shetty or Payal Rhotagi would have been a better choice.
Priyanka Chopra does well to become the Indian Carrie Ann Moss. She carries herself very well in the fight sequences. As always Boman Irani, Om Puri and Arjun Rampal do justice to their roles.
But the show belongs entirely to the Badshah of Bollywood - Shah Rukh Khan. He carries off the double role extremely well. He is so full of energy and confidence. If anyone could play Don after big B... it is SRK! There is no doubt about it.
Full marks to Farhaan Akhtar for doing complete justice to a plot which my generation of boys have thrived on.
Don is indeed a trend setter. From what I hear.... there will now be a Don 2..... I just can’t wait to watch that now.
Don = Highly recommended cinema experience! And hey.... don’t miss the begining..... and the last scene....you’ll just love it!