Film Review - Dostana
Dostana Review
iView Author: Dr.Mandar V. Bichu (Sharjah, U.A.E)
Email: drmandarvb@yahoo.com
Dostana
Just as the end credits were rolling I managed to latch on to the name of the publicity firm for Dostana. It was‘Hype’- no kidding, I am dead serious. By the way, the firm has indeed done a good job. With slick promos and clever chat shows this first ever full length ‘Indian Gay Comedy’ has certainly managed to raise the public interest to unprecedented levels.
Just a few days ago, I even read a news report where the chief spokesmen for Indian gay community were fervently hoping that Dostana would bring a change in general public’s discriminatory attitude towards gays! And that they were also planning a special show of the film for the gay community! I can well imagine the horror on their faces now that they have seen the film! Why? Let’s come to that later.
Right from the first frame the camera decides to go into a voyeuristic mode. After showing us a brief glimpse of the deep blue Miami Sea, it decides to cling on to every curve, contour and crevice of skimpily clothed well-sculpted bodies cavorting sensuously to the tune of ‘Shut up and bounce baby’! For the record, a bikini-clad Shilpa Shetty (doing a guest appearance!), an underwear-clad John Abraham (outdoing Salman!) and a (thankfully!) floral shirt-clad Abhishek Bachchan appear in this opening salvo, which sets the exhibitionist tone for an all-baring eye-feast!
The first few scenes once again go all out blaring ‘Oh, it is a sex- comedy’ and come up with further bare body-hugging camera shots and suggestive dialogues, establishing characters of two cool, macho and (straight!) guys Sam (Abhishek)- a male nurse and Kunal (John Abraham)- a fashion photographer. Fate lands them in a soup when they jointly hunt for an apartment and to get one, they pose as a gay couple so that they can stay with a single lady, who turns out to be a hot chick Neha (Priyanka)! Predictably the masquerade soon turns into an unending series of unintentional events taking them deeper and deeper into the quicksand of lies and debauchery! To add an emotional angle, they both fall for the girl, who is now their best friend but pines for another man (Bobby Deol)! What happens next?
The first half of the film works well with this whole ‘Gay’ deception creating all kinds of unusual funny situations, particularly when Sam’s old-fashioned mother (Kiron Kher) comes to know of her son’s ‘affair’ with another man. But the laboured second half where three men try to woo the girl is as lukewarm as the micro-waved pizza. The comedy gets tackier and the emotional stuff gets soapier, making you wish for a quick end. The end does come with a late comic flourish but by then, the film has already been classified as just a passable plush entertainer.
The three main protagonists – Abhishek, John and Priyanka are the life and soul of this film. They all look hot and their fun-loving, easy-going chemistry makes this thin- plotted film enjoyable. Abhishek is the funny man, while the main job of John and Priyanka is to serve as eye-candy for the opposite sex. The guys specially deserve kudos for accepting such potentially dangerous roles and carrying them off with aplomb! And boy o boy, Priyanka simply sizzles in all her stylish dare-bare costumes! Bobby Deol- the proverbial fourth wheel doesn’t come off totally unhinged but certainly appears flat. Kiron Kher as Sam’s mother, Boman Irani as a Neha’s gay boss and Sushmita Mukherjee as Neha’s aunt deliver some good cameos.
Dostana is a comedy intended to shock Indian audiences and it does succeed there. But a better written plot and some sharp editing could have gone a long way in making it a better film. First- time director Tarun Mansukhani pulls no punches and goes all out for ‘in your face’ kinda urban sex-talk and body-show at every possible juncture. He keeps the comic tone loud throughout but fails to give the soul to the emotional scenes. He also makes some blatant eulogic references to his mentor-cum-producer-cum close friend Karan Johar’s ‘milestones’ like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum. In return, Johar (as a producer) provides him with the full-on budget to create a glamorous glitzy NRI-centric film excelling in most technical departments except editing! Vishal-Shekhar’s music provides item-songs in plenty and choreographers Vaibhavi Merchant and Farah Khan then present them strikingly on the silver screen.
Now coming to gay community’s lofty expectations, the less said the better. The film doesn’t do anything to change the stereotypical portrayals of gay community in Hindi cinema. The same old over-the-top, effeminate routines are portrayed by the gay men in the film. But still Dostana gives the gay portrayals in Hindi films- (the comic tracks in Masti and Kal Ho Na Ho and the serious track in Honeymoon Travels immediately come to mind!) a full feature length and that too is not a mean achievement! In addition, the film uses the G- word so many times that it is bound to remove the tut-tut and taboos traditionally reserved for that in Indian audience.
Overall, Dostana as a loud up-market bold sex-comedy succeeds in parts but given its banner, budget and hype, it should have been much slicker and much more sensitive!
Filed Under
PROJEKT iVIEW, Review , Abhishek Bachchan, Dostana, john abraham, Karan Johar, Movie Review, Priyanka Chopra, Review, shilpa shetty
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[this comment has been marked hate and derogatory by readers]
Did I really just read what I thought I did??
Mr Anand Malik…
U know what really causes harm and damage to ’society’ and ‘young minds’??
Such powerful hatred.
Not Karan Johar.
He’s just a film maker. U don’t have to like his cinema.
Agreed, it’s not a great film.
But, ur not really talking about the film, are u?
What we lack more than anything today is compassion, understanding and acceptance.
We point the finger in the wrong direction.
At times, it’s best just to look inwards, Anand.
If anything, ur giving so much powerful, overwhelming importance to something u feel so strongly against, that it ironically serves the purpose u feel the makers set out to do.
The better question would be, why does this film make a particular person feel a certain way.
Only u have the answer to that.
Personally speaking, I found it boring.
And now, i’m wasting my time in giving it importance. Simple.
But, it’s not my concerns whatever Karan does in his personal life.
Who is anyone to judge?
Mr.Anand Malik I am shocked to read what you’ve written.Are you actually living in 2008?Are you aware of whats happening in society? Are you actually a lover of cinema?
I strongly feel that hatred of this kind will lead nowhere.For your kind info in between Kal Ho Na Ho & Dostana , Karan Johar has also made movies like Kaal & Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna- so was there anything regarding gays in them?
And frankly whats your problem with Karan Johar’s private life? Private life is meant to be private.PFC is a forum to talk passionately about cinema not bring in personal hatred about anyone here.
What do the others feel about this?
Anand, as much as i’m trying not to ask u this, I just have to.
Aren’t there enough things to be concerned about in ur day to day life?
I just can’t get my head around how people can feel so strongly about a certain individual who they’ve probably never met in their life?!
Please correct me if i’m wrong.
Have u met Karan?
Has he offended u somehow?
If not, then where does this stem from?
U don’t have to answer that.
But it might be worth a thought…
Besides, how can a film influence ones sexuality???
U either are a certain way or ur not.
Unless those feelings are already lying dormant somewhere in a person to begin with.
And statistically, it’s a ’straight’ world na?
Homosexuals are in a minority?
Ok, well please explain how a straight person will become influenced by a gay person, the ‘minority’, but the majority of straights have not assar on the homosexual person??
Homosexuality is THAT powerful??
Mere ko pata hi nahin tha!
the problem with anand malik is he isnt willing to accept people who aren’t like him..
and that is the problem with MNS, Shiv Sena, Bajrang dal, and Jehadi Terrorists.. also.. they all just right off all what is not like them.. the beauty lies in diversity.. diversity of culture, religion, race, color, gender.. and by acceptance i dont mean color blindness to race, or dont ask dont tell.. but to celebrate diversity enjoy people who aren’t like us..
in philosophical terms this this world will not be beautiful if all flowers are red color.. or if there is only one season.. or if everyone looked alike and same age..
MNS, shiv sena, are happy to divide the people on whatever they want. after 1993 blasts it was muslims who were target..and now they are targetting biharis..
dont worry mr. malik i am sure when they will get bored with bihari maharashtra chodo movement.. and they will target gays and lesbians.. or they will find something else..
i personally dont intend to watch dostana.. because it’s not my kind of movie.. and because i am tried of watching rom-coms..
but i wouldnt hate or alienta people who will watch or will enjoy..
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.
Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
from my vast research about homosexuality, and the gay community in india and other countries, i have concluded that 76% of homophobes are actually closet homos.
anand malik, does ur pinky (finger) yearn to break free from the rest of your fingers while sipping chai?
Guys, get over Mr. Anand and talk about the film.
The film is trashy. I am amazed to see how people can spend crores on a series of gags and a few item songs.
As rightly pointed out in the review, the film does nothing for the gay community. In fact, it underlines the stereotypes and ridicules the gays. The protagonists who pretend to be gay are actualy constantly looking to deny it. They are not at all comfortable with it.
By the way was this film made to make light of the reference constantly made to Mr. Karan Johar in a not so flattering way? May be. Mansukhani’s attempt to portray as KKHH and KHNH as some kind of classics is very tasteless. These days YRF (remember ‘bachna e haseeno and ‘dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge) and Karan Johar (heroine having a dream of working with K Jo in Salaam e Isq) are doing this kind of thing quite unabashedly. So cheap!
Anyway, coming back to the film, it’s neither a good comedy nor an emotional drama. John Abraham roams about half naked through the entire length of the film looking amused at his own buffed up body. Priyanka prances around in equally skimpy clothes and even wears a silk chaddi ( it can’t be called anything else) to the office. Then there is this love rectangle and some directionless boring fare!! yawn!!
Only saving grace is Abhishek Bachhan and songs!!
@ Manjushaa: Silk Chaddi- ROTFL!!!