Dostana (2008) Hindi Movie Review By Kalcha

Audience Rating For DOSTANA

(1 votes, average: 1 out of 10)
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FILM: Dostana
LANGUAGE: Hindi
RELEASE DATE: 14, November, 2008
STAR CAST: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Bobby Deol, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani & Others
SINGERS: Vishal Dadlani, Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Saleem, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan, Amanat Ali
LYRICS: Vishal Dadlani, Anvita Dutt Guptan & Kumaar
MUSIC: Vishal - Shekhar
SOUND DESIGNER: Baylon Fonseca
COSTUMES: Aki Narula & Manish Malhotra (Priyanka Chopra)
MAKE UP: Mickey Contractor
DIALOGUES: Anvita Dutt Guptan
CHOREOGRAPHY: Vaibhavi Merchant & Farah Khan (Desi Girl)
EDITOR: Mannan Sagar
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ayananka Bose
STORY, SCREENPLAY & DIRECTION: Tarun Mansukhani
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Amrita Singh Nakai
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Manoj Mittra
PRODUCERS: Karan Johar & Hiroo Yash Johar
BANNER: Dharma Productions

I don’t want to be rude… but I have to confess that I didn’t like KARAN JOHAR’S typical movies. I laughed my way through over-the-top, melodramatic KABHI KHUSHI KABHI GHAM. But I changed my view of Karan, after I watched KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA. That movie had something to say on a much deeper level… and it absolutely doesn’t matter whether someone approves its climax or not. It is a very subjective issue. But karan chose his path very boldly in that movie. I was really curious, how DOSTANA would be handled as it had Gay issue at the core of the movie. But I knew that it is not a serious, but a fun take involving the gay couple.

Strip it to its bones and you will end up with a routine story line where a couple rents a house pretending to be husband and wife… and eventually fall in love. But the twist is… as you all know already… the couple in question here, is gay. And they both fall for the same girl who is their landlord.

• Its hard for me to admit it… but the hamming queen of Bollywood KIRRON KHER is superb. Her comic-hamming that was such a massive hit in OM SHANTI OM carried into DOSTANA and it made me laugh my eyes out. She was mind numbingly funny with her hand gestures in the song where she imagines her son Sameer (Abhishek) with his boy-friend Kunal (John). I simply loved the scene where she accepts kunal as her Bahu/Damad.
• JOHN ABRAHAM is COOL… or rather HOT for the ladies out there. And probably for the first time, John strips beyond the obvious chest cleavage and showcases his butt-cleavage too. He probably has more curves than the dancing SHILPA SHETTY in the first song or for that matter the lead actress of the movie PRIYANKA CHOPRA. As far as acting is concerned, he still thinks that it doesn’t involve his muscles above his neck. But to his credit, he has improved sliiiiiightly ever so sloooowly.
• PRIYANKA CHOPRA has always been a good actress and she does not disappoint. But she had so little to perform… but who cares when we are having so much fun… right? This character is a cake walk for her… fresh from the superb performance in FASHION. She looks sexy too in MANISH MALHOTRA designed wardrobe. But she could not live up to the standards set by BIPASHA BASU in beachwear. And I wish that she doesn’t go the way KAREENA KAPOOR went… to become anorexic.
• But the real show stealer of the movie is ABHISHEK BACHCHAN. He obviously enjoys portraying these light hearted funny roles rather than sword wielding DRONA types. And when someone enjoys something, magic happens. Teaming up with John as mostly his girly partner, Abhishek jiggles to tickle our funny bone. He is a natural when it comes to light hearted comedy.
• STORY, SCREENPLAY & DIRECTION by TARUN MANSUKHANI is mostly entertaining. When you take up a subject that is as complicated as a gay relationship… and also does not want to tread the path of seriousness… it tends to slip into sleaze and offensive jokes. But the beauty of his screenplay is that the movie never presents itself in an offensive manner to gay couples and always stays true to its intentionally farcical to slapstick humour. One would have a laugh riot through most of the first half. Then the pace of the movie slackens in the second half, but never slips in to boredom. This happens as some obviousness creeps in and takes away the zing factor. The most funniest scene for me was the farcical flashback episode of how Abhishek fell in love with John, narrated by Abhishek to Priyanka and her aunt.

John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan & Priyanka Chopra

• Music by VISHAL & SHEKHAR is simply C class. You wouldn’t remember most of the songs as soon as they are done playing. Only, Desi girl sung by SHANKAR MAHADEVAN is hummable and even that too seems like repeated umpteen number of times in Bollywood with an ordinary tune and over-the-top Bhangra beats.
• UNCOOL & DUMB… BOBBY DEOL… when would he QUIT? He is just not made for this business… of acting. Please have the courtesy of informing him whenever possible. most of the uncool moments of the film have one thing in common and that is obviously Bobby Deol.

DOSTANA is absolutely enjoyable… and yeah even with your family… if they are at least living in the 21st century. This movie is for anyone who wanna have a rollicking time with fun and frolic. This is NOT for anyone who hates creative freedom or who is against gay relationship for their own personal reasons. This is also not for those who feel insecure about their own sexuality to even watch something THEIR society does not approve for THEM. All said and done, I know that there are a lot of references that Dostana picks up from… primary one being I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK & LARRY. But it is the novelty factor on an Indian screen that makes it score.