I HAVE THE MIC....: October 2006

Would Akshay Kumar be a better Bond than Brosnan? How would a Jerry McGuire look with Shah Rukh in it? Can Amitabh better Al Pacino if he was Hollywooded?
What would happen if our Bollywood actors were put on the International pedestal? How would they look? What would they wear? How would they move?

These questions always haunted me.
The fantasy almost came true.
In a true Hollywood flick style, the 'Don' by Farhan Akthar is an impressive piece of work. The look and feel of the movie ( including the 'green' tone found in a lot of Hollywood action flicks like 'the Matrix' ) induces an exquisite touch. Living up to the expectations, the action sequences pull you right amidst the fighters, as you zip around the corners with the lashing limbs. You zoom on the Malaysian highways in a convertible, crouch under a huge moving truck at a very high speed, jump around swinging legs at goons.
Exciting???

But, before you build your expectations, there are glitches. Nope, not minor ones. They are pretty huge.

The Roma of the movie, the hot than the hottest girls, Priyanka Chopra, is the worst heroine of the recent times. She is dangerously bad. She has the ability to manage her part of the act, but fails miserably to create the necessary chemistry with the hero. She had repeated the same disaster in Krrish, but went unnoticed by the Roshans. She does it again here, but am sure, will go unnoticed by Farhaan. The acting that she does for 'her self' is dangerous to the movie when she does not show the eagerness in her eyes for her lover.
She draws a lot of passion with the liberal show of her skin, but is dispassionate herself.
With a killer physique, she lives up to the action sequences.

The aging hottie, Isha Koppikar, does her act. Though playing the female companion of the Don, she has only a small part to play. The Khallas girl does her miniscule job well, but will not make the heads turn, as Farhaan is not comfortable in unleashing her. He puts all loose attires on her, because he wants Priyanka to be the hotter. Thats unfair, both to Isha and the movie. But, that is life!!!

Boman Irani is his natural self, and does a great job. Though he is made to look awkward in the latter part of the movie. We expected a better job from Farhaan, than to make the obese Boman fight, moving around in the arena like a kid of the early twenties.

Om Puri is a joke here. The great actor is a high ranking detective, but is made to run chasing the Don in some scenes, which is not credible. The old bones would have done a better job in using his head rather than his sagging muscles.

Arjun Rampal looks excellent due to great camerawork, tries to act, succeeding occasionally. He lives his own story, not very much connected to the main plot, in this new version of the 'Don'.

Kareena has a special appearence. Though the initial TV trailers of the movie had her gyrating to a remade song, where a lot of her was promised, the lot of her is shown in that six minute song. Comparisions have been made between her and Helen, of the original Don. But, whom are we kidding??? You would not prefer a sixty seven year old Helen dancing to seduce the new Don. Would you?

The star of the show, the star who steals the show is the King Khan. He is the ruthless killer, the passionate playboy, the daring gambler, the agile fighter, the streetwise strategist, and a lot more. He is the busiest don ever. He has a lot of people working for him, loyals and moles. He has to battle the unending conspiracies dished out to him, and come out a survivor. He has to be thinking all the while, about his enemies' next move, a slip may prove disaster. He is what is expected of him, and more. Just that, he does not exude the class of Amitabh, but wait!!! Haven't you seen Amitabh already??? Why not enjoy this new Don, in a different avataar.

I am sure that you would know the story, enough to repeat it backwards. I would not be discussing that here. I remember that I had watched the Amitabh's Don, during the days of Sunday Hindi movie screenings on Doordarshan, at home, with a plate of 'Bondas' and tea, prepared by mum. I do not remember any part of the movie though. Hence, I sat back and enjoyed the chase. With detachments during some slow moving scenes in the second half, I was occasionally surprised by the strange twists in the plot. The story, I am told, deviates a lot in the second half, from the original Don.
But, I debate to give a higher rating to the movie than the 2.5 stars that the Times Of India awarded to the movie.

To summarise, you can give it a shot.
Watch it for sure, if you have not watched the Amitabh's flick, or do not remember any of it.