Nov 14, 2008 05:25 PM
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Walking into the theatre to watch Dostana, I didn't know what to expect.Initial reactions suggested that it was a fun caper, so I felt that at worst it would be a decent entertainer.Dostana offers that and more.
The story revolves around Sam(Abhishek) and Kunal(John)who have to lie that they are gay in order to rent a house.Neha(Priyanka Chopra)shares their flat and in no time the three become thick friends.Trouble starts when both the dudes start loving her.Vying for her attention is Abhimanyu(Bobby Deol)as well.The audience then plays a guessing game as to how the duo will resolve their sticky problem and wait to discover who will ultimately be Neha's beau.
The plot at best can be described as a desi take on'I now pronounce you, Chuck and Larry'.But, incredibly, Dostana does much better than its Hollywood counterpart.Homosexuality is a controversial issue in India and tackling such a subject in mainstream cinema takes a lot of guts.Of course, like most other films like Page 3 and Fashion, many characters are cariacatures which is a bit of a dampener.The strenght of Dostana lies in its many gags and the very many references to Karan Johar's previous films.The biggest drawback has to be the last 20 minutes which turn this entertainer into a typical rona-dhona film.The climax might be innovative but still is kind of stupid and has a certain element of incompleteness in it.
The cinematography of Dostana ranks high up there with most Bollywood films.Shot completely in Miami, every frame is picture perfect.The makeup and the costume team too have played an important role in dressing the actors beautifully which really adds to the appeal of the film.
The music of Dostana has to be one of Vishal Shekhars' best works.After Om Shanti Om and Bachna Ae Haseeno, Dostana is a real winner in the music department.Be it soft numbers like Khabar Nahin or foot tapping songs like Shut up and Bounce, Desi girl and Maa Da Laadla, each song suits the different moods of the film.
Priyanka Chopra puts in a good performance.Kirron Kher is typical and her Punjabi mom act is getting a bit overboard nowadays.Bobby Deol does a decent job.John Abraham pitches in a fine performance as the so called gay partner to Abhishek.Though one would reckon his comic timing was better in Garam Masala, his role in Dostana is a lot more serious and more complex and he has performed it to perfection.
Finally, the movie belongs to Abhishek Bachchan.As Sam who takes the initiative to act gay, Abhishek it spot on with his comic timing.This would surely rank as one of his best performances.For an actor whose had a rough year so far, Dostana proves to be a real trump card.
Dostana is what you would call a paisa vasool entertainer.An innovative and comic take on a sensitive subject is its biggest strength.Sure, we've still not reached the day when we will make a Brokeback Mountain, but this film is definitely a start.
