Don

There's not much to explain about the story of "Don", which probably EVERYONE knows about by now, right? It may not be a GREAT story...but none the less the movie is just totally entertaining ~ you watch Amitabh perform from a totally COOL-evil bad guy to a goofy paan-eating guy and trust me, it's impossible not to adore the man. He's just so COOL! His stunts rock too.

Though I usually can't stand Zeenat Aman, in this movie she got such awesome clothing, and an awesome hairstyle topped with a really COOL role. Pran is also the regular COOL guy, about just as COOL as Amitabh, which is why it rocks to see them together on screen as usual.

Pretty much everyone else in the movie played their roles well.

And I have to mention Kalyanji-Anandji who were behind all of the totally COOL music throughout the movie. The background music and songs are made to match the COOLNESS of the movie :-D. Lata, Kishore, and Asha at their ultimate COOL.

So watch this COOL movie so I can stop using the word COOL so much hehe. Khaike Paan Banaras Wala!

Don is a true classic thriller of the 1970s, and it surpasses the usual fare of the times in both story and execution. The film is extremely well shot, and Chandra Barot's direction is very good. The film gave me Bond vibes as I was watching it - everything about it from very early in the film is really stylish, the camera work is great, the sets, decorations, costumes, score, sound - everything boasts of very high production values. What makes the magic in the end is the script, which is tense and twisted and really well etched out, and, guess what else, oh, well, who else if not Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, who is excellent in his dual roles, and his presence alone does much to captivate the viewers. What almost takes away from the magic is the ending, which turns the film into a sort of slapstick comedy, unintentionally I guess, but it is forgivable because most films of the genre end on similar notes. The film has many other great things going for it, including great music, a lovely leading lady in Zeenat Aman, and impressive turns from the famous character actors Pran and Iftekhar. There's hardly a dull moment in this film. It's nostalgic and highly entertaining.

Don is the movie, that I am in love with after 'Sholay', so much so that I still remember most of the dialogs, characters, scenes and good performance by many contributors in this movie apart from legendary, one and only, Amitabh Bachhan.

Almost all of the main characters in this movie, though they are doing a typical "bollywood" act, are too good and have given a life to the role, like Pran, Jinat Aman, Om Shivpuri, Iftekhar, Kamal Kapoor, Helen and Shetty.

Every scene keeps you thinking what is next; the suspense, the thrill - it's very exciting, very well played. Add to it, few good songs like "Khaike-Pan-Banaras-Wala", "E-he-Bambai-Nagaraia", and "Mai-hoon-Don" are too good and evergreen. Even the background music is one thing that I love and remember, the one that is there when DON (duplicate) is running to save himself from the police. Dialogues were too good and are still popular all these years - "Don-ka-intezar-to-gyarah-mulkon-ki-police-kar-rahi-hai", "magar-Don-ko-pakadna-mushkil-hi-nahi-namumkin-hai".

No wonder – the re-make version is under production this year (2006) where Shahrukh Khan is playing the DON, and it will be a hit, because the name of the movie itself is famous enough to blow up the box office.

This movie is one of the earliest blockbusters of the 1970s that firmly launched Amitabh Bachchan in the superstar orbit.

In an oft-repeated cop-robber plot, director Chandra Barot makes a film about a gangster don (no particular reference to any Mumbai underworld figure nor any sneaky take on a Hollywood film) who has eluded cops for a long time. "Don ko pakadna itna aasan nahin", says DCP D'Silva in an ominous tone that still resonates among the current duels between crime bosses and superstar cops like Daya Nayak.

The essence of Don's charisma goes beyond the methodical framing of its central characters in what is a rather straightforward plot. Cleverly written dialogs that inspired an entire generation of moviegoers, shots and scenes that (at the time) defied the boundaries of all conventional wisdom, fabulous acting by the main and supporting cast, and a musical score by Kalyanji Anandji that is evergreen to this day -- those are of course what made Don such a memorable movie in the minds of many.

Best thing is to go see it even if its your first or fifth time. Great movies such as this are way beyond Bollywood now, and it is doubtful if the current crap -- oops sorry, crop! of directors can ever concoct a compelling story such as this one.

This film isn't the greatest to ever hit bollywood, nor it is a path breaking film for the industry. Don is a genuine entertainer with an interesting storyline for the 70s era. They could have spent half the film showing the notorious don but instead the character dies soon, and later is replaced by a look-a-like. Which is where we get plenty of laughter and light moments. Towards the end when he is discovered by the police to be a fake Don, he is in a big soup. It is interesting how he manages to prove himself innocent, and how he find the father of the kids he was taking care of. Easily said, Hindi films are generally made up of lots of coincidences and this film is no exception. This is one movie where the female lead is not just used to provide sexual and love interest but Zeenat Aman gets plenty of footage with her martial arts and action scenes. The remake of Don by Farhan Akhtar in 2006 is bound to collect some brickbats, but I believe his movie will be a high-tech thriller compared to the old retro version.