Farhan Akhtar must have taken a leaf out Sanjay Leela Bhansali to script this film. Why? Well Bimal Roy’s Devdas was too simple and he made the audience connect to Devdas easily. And to avoid this Sanjay choose a GRAND setting, larger than life background to make his movie.
Same is the case with DON (2006).
Screenplay and Direction: Farhan Akhtar Chandra Barot’s Don was stylish, and screenplay driven. But when you are making a remake (and that too of a film like DON) you can hardly break free out of it, no matter how much you change the finer elements. So Farhan Akhtar uses SFX, John Wooish (Mission Impossible) and Warchoskish (The Matrix) style of chases and fights.
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And the good thing is that it works. It not only works, this film puts you at the edge of your seats, because – you know the story, you know there will be surprise and yet the surprise works for you (like it does with many Lost and Found stories in Indian Cinema –
Amar Akbar Anthony,
Chalbaaz,
Sita Aur Gita). And not just that, the surprise is too hot… you will ask yourself “How did he do that”.
And that’s why I think Farhan Akhtar Rocks. Yep the film is too long, but you will only feel it when the not so good songs are playing.
Cinematography: Mohanan Excellent. Just Excellent. In Dil Chahta Hai, it was Ravi K Chandran and here is a new find Mohanan. Why don’t others find good technicians yaar? The skyjumping scenes, the lighting when Don re-enters, they work wonders for you, and go nicely with the screenplay.
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy: Disappointing. Yep. Probably the trio have been dwelling too much with Karan Johar, they end up disappointing. Or may be the hype and the pressure of Don got to them. Except the tunes from the old one, the others fail to impress.
Dialogue: Farhan Akhtar & Salim Khan: I don’t know if he is the same guy from the famous Javed & Salim team, but for me the dialogues could have been punchier. Or this is the comparison in me talking. Except when you are taken completely by surprise by the story, the dialogue is just sufficient.
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Art & Production: I’m not sure of the names, but who ever it was, executed it nicely. Not just that, the gadgets used, the whole feel of the movie, the fight scenes, the special effects, even the china, everything is so hi-fi, you only wonder why Farhan had to choose an old tale tell.
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Esha Koppikar, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Chunkey Pandey, Arjun Rampal. Well after seeing the cast, you know who does what and how.
Shahrukh excels as Don, but much better you don’t compare him to Amitabh Bachan (You know who hams and who doesn’t). About the Pepsi girls, lets not talk. Esha Koppikar actually does good. After all she has been in the “company” of “Factory” guys.
Om Puri does best with whatever screen time he has and Boman Irani… Oh my God. He is too good. Forget Munnabhai(s) he will have more films in his bag now.
Don is not “Oh!Great Film”. But it is a very good action film, as long as you won’t compare it to the original one. And if you want to make comparisons, well you can and you will;but, you won’t realize you are in for a surprise.
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