Random Musings

Yes, in spite of what I wrote about my expectations, I had to go and see the new Don anyway. After all, it was Don, it was Farhan Akhtar and it was Shah Rukh Khan. With whatever thoughts I may have had, I had to give them a chance and check the film out. And which I did.

And this is what I felt about it…

That if it wasn’t a remake, it might have been not too bad. As an entertainer.

But because it was a remake, and we had a reference point, we could not help but feel, how it failed to impress!

Amitabh had and has a personality to be a Don. Tall, lanky, smart style of a brisk walk, and that voice – wow – that voice itself, makes such a difference.

Shah Rukh is great for a DDLJ, a KKHH and the like. But a Don NEEDS an Amitabh. Or perhaps an Ajay Devgan (sorry, I keep going back to him; this role would have suited him well!).

Chandra Barot, when he made the first Don, used a rapid pace for the film, at that time. For those times, Don moved almost lighting fast. There was something happening all the time, and perhaps that was the reason for its success. Here, Farhan attempts a similar rapid style, but you get a little lost occasionally.

Boman Irani’s character for example, leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Somewhere in that pace, we miss a few pointers and leaves us with question marks. ** Spoiler – in case you have not see the film ** Like if he was a famous policeman, and whose face would be seen around, would Singhania have not seen it, and known that Bardhan is still around? And then, would it not have been public knowledge, at least with the mafia? Would someone not have attempted to knock him off earlier, then?

The end was the most pathetic one. Obviously it was supposed to be ‘the inspiration’ to make it “different” from the original. But in an over exerted attempt to be different, it turned out to be a terrible one. As you saw people coming out of the theatre at the end of the movie, you saw most heads shaking horizontally, disapprovingly. Thanks to that end.. !

SRK had to say _that_ dialogue like, 10 times in the movie, to get registered, “don ko pakadna…”. Without so many attempts, it would have not been noticed at all, or what?

Again, Kareena is no match for Helen. Bold attempt, but ultimately, did not measure up. The Khaike Paan Banaraswala song turned out to be a group dance of the kind you’d see on Boogie Woogie. In the original, it clearly aided the story and was an amazingly energetic attempt, by the bungling Vijay – the rustic village boy!

As I said at the outset, if there was no comparison to be made, we might have yet come out of the film feeling like we saw a fun entertainer. But with the unavoidable comparison, you have to feel sorry – that it clearly did not measure up!!