Film: Dostana
Director: Tarun Mansukhani
Producers: Hiroo Johar, Karan Johar
Banner: Dharma Productions
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Bobby Deol, Priyanka Chopra, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani, Sushmita Mukherjee
Rating: 3/5
Dostana can truly be called one of the most entertaining films that one has seen this year thus far. The story is simple but it’s the chemistry and flawless sync between the two lead actors – Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham – that totally works in favour of this movie. Take that away and you’d have had some really mediocre fare.
Moreover, simple yet punchy dialogues with a generous dash of humour will have you in splits more often than not. Add to that the fact that the humour is never below the belt or vulgar.
Dostana is about two ‘normal’ guys Sameer (Bachchan) and Kunal (Abraham), who pretend to be gay so as to get a roof over their heads in Miami. Their flatmate is Neha (Priyanka Chopra) who works at the fashion magazine Verve. The three soon develop a thick bond of friendship until Neha’s new boss Abhimanyu Singh (Bobby Deol) enters the scene. Three guys vying for a girl’s attention and the supposedly gay couple trying all tricks in the trade to make the girl theirs is what Dostana’s about in a jiffy.
The comedy is at its peak in the first half. The plight of straight guys who have to pretend to be gay almost all the time has been showcased well and is fun to watch. Even more is the plight of Sameer’s mother (Kirron Kher) who accidentally discovers that his son is gay! All hell breaks loose then and there’s high octane drama and ‘tantrick’ tantrums. Rib-tickling is the scene where she eventually accepts Kunal as her son’s ‘partner.’
The songs are pacy and for once don’t feel forced. However, the pace and comedy slackens in the second half as the movie needs to reach its happy and gay (pun intended) end. Manan Sagar’s editing could have been sleeker with the trimming of a few scenes where the two guys are wooing the girl. What’s a bit unrealistic and hard to believe is the fact that Neha doesn’t raise an eyebrow to the affection the guys shower on her or for once even doubt their homosexuality.
Bachchan and Abraham with their antics romance the camera and how. Bachchan steals the show and is an absolute delight. Watch him act with gay abandon in a dream sequence where he’s running to John a la total Hindi movie style. A riotous watch! On the other hand, hot-bod Abraham’s performance is a subdued one but he shines nevertheless. At no point do any of the actors overpower each other, rather they complement. The two stud-muffins could well be on their way to becoming official gay icons if they already aren’t.
Chopra is competent, shares great screen chemistry with her co-stars and looks charming as ever. Deol does his bit and comes across as suave. Kher is the quintessential Punjabi mother and carries off her motherly act with panache yet again. Sushmita Mukherjee as Neha’s aunt has some good scenes. Boman Irani plays M as Priyanka’s queer boss and has very little screen time but nonetheless, he does a good job.
Debutant director Mansukhani shows promise and potential. Cliches have been avoided as much as possible. In no way does the movie attempt to give a serious or even a moral take on homosexuality and that in itself has been handled extremely well by the director. The movie’s fun and frolic all the way! Producer Karan Johar knows the pulse of his target audience and his belief in the story and Mansukhani is likely to pay off. It’s about time that more and more big banners give newcomers a chance and add to the talent pool in the industry.
Watch out for the lip-lock in the end and we’re not taking any names!
