DON - The Chase Begins...
“Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, na mumkin hai.”
What begins now are the comparisons, where SRK is pitted up against Amitabh Bachchan, music directors Shankar-Eshaan-Loy are up against Kalyanji-Anandji, and Farhan Akhtar is up against history.
Read on to find out if the new film will achieve the same success as its predecessor.
Director Farhan Akhtar dares to recreate one of the biggest blockbusters of the late ‘70s. The original Don released in 1978 had superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the lead, then beauty queen Zeenat Aman as the female counterpart, a seductive dance number by cabaret queen Helen, was complimented with evergreen music by Kalyanji – Anandji, had trademark dialogues penned by the hit duo Salim & Javed Akhtar, and was directed by Chandra Barot. All in all, it was a pure classic of its time.
Don – The Chase Begins, is a film of this time. It has today’s superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, now beauty queen Priyanka Chopra, a dance number by the hot and sassy Kareena Kapoor, music accented by Shankar-Eshan-Loy, and contemporary director Farhan Akhtar. It’s a film of today’s day and age, in which case if there’s any director capable of transitioning the old to the new, its chic director Farhan Akhtar. Be it Dil Chaata Hai or Lakhsya, he caters to today’s youth.
Farhan Akhtar is incapable of making a bad film. There’s always something to appreciate in his films as he presents his cast like no other.
Don definitely earns marks on distinction. Many can chose to compare it to the Big B great, however it’s not so comparable, because it’s different. Akhtar’s creative senses have infused a cutting-edge touch to the experience; sharp intelligence devices, superior action sequences, palatial settings, state-of-the-art cinematography, and unconventional performances. It’s a different product all together. The core of the film remains the same, but this version of Don has its own twists and turns.
Don was a film that contributed to making Amitabh Bachchan the legend he is. It’s not child’s play to fill those shoes. Shah Rukh Khan, while not your typical action hero, still has the wits to be a decent fit. His arrogance and grandeur become his strength to play the part. As Don he’s competent, but overacts in parts; evidently trying too hard to fill the shoes. As Vijay he’s in sync but inhibited by his ‘cool guy’ image to fully dive into the character. Perhaps his attempt to make his impersonation of Don larger than life and strong dialogue delivery will still make him memorable to audiences. He’s no Amitabh Bachchan but he is Shah Rukh Khan who deserves credit for taking the risk and putting himself in a position where comparison and flak from media are inevitable. Thumbs up for effort.
Priyanka Chopra is in form on all levels. She has a solid hold on the action bits and is confident throughout. Arjun Rampal serves the purpose of his role, but is unable to match the footsteps of Pran. Om Puri isn’t fully utilized. Isha Koppikar plays a miniscule part and is average.
Booman Irani is excellent. He’s one actor who swims above and beyond the shadow of the past DCP D’Silva, played with flourish by Iftekhar, and creates his own image.
Kareena Kapoor is sexy and seductive but has nothing on Helen. For a present day film, her costume is more dated than Helen’s, failing to give spice to the cabaret.
As for the music Shankar-Eshan-Loy have pepped up the beats and made them more danceable. The background score is where they really earn credit. The theme of Don adds zest to the otherwise slothful pace.
Aesthetically Don is a slick film, but its painfully slow at parts. While the old Don was slow as well, in the new version it was expected the editing team would pick up the pace. Instead, the film hits a lull and can be a tedious watch. But what makes up for the cons of the entire film is the end. The plot is well conceived and executed. However, if you know the end, then its only an average watch.
The current generation has most likely not seen the previous Don. For them this will be a trend-setting action flick that doesn’t fail with cheesy special effects but is closer to the polish of a Hollywood film. For those that can refer to the classic, it won’t come close to the time-honored film, but the newness will still be a treat. Farhan Akhtar and his team of actors and technicians have done the best they could to do justice to the original.
Don – The Chase Begins, gets off to a running start with Ritu Mahindru's 3 stars.