Amizade Íntima

Karan Johar comes up with another film that is very identified with his own style of film-making, Dostana. He combines comedy, drama and emotions in one film, though in this case there's more balance, though it leans more on the comedy. The film, in contrast to Johar's previous films where all starts as a great comedy but ends up in a tearful melodrama, remains a comedy almost from start to end, though different clichés from time to time are inevitable and easy to predict. This is not a bad thing, that's Johar's style and it has clearly worked for him in previous attempts, but while I found myself laughing from time to time, I was also quite annoyed by some of the cheesy proceedings.

The direction is pretty good, not that anything great is required there to begin with. The cinematography is well done, the locations are fantastic. The westernised music matches the light mood of the film. The film is stylish and modern, but it certainly doesn't have the refreshing quality of films like Salaam Namaste and Hum Tum. The various jokes in the film do manage do work though some of them are unoriginal and we are already familiar with them thanks to our film experience. It's still fun, maybe because it's new for a Hindi film, and maybe because the jokes work and it's amusing to see the leading actors in such situations.

Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham get equal footage, and they are okay. John does not lose any chance to take his shirt off and get cocky, which really gets on one's nerves. Abhishek performs better and he's more effective in comic sequences. Hottie Priyanka Chopra plays their friend and a struggling career woman. She's not a great actress, but she's competent in a role which is not very demanding but pivotal. Kirron Kher utterly steals the show with her brief appearance. Her loud and hysterical mother is just hilarious, and her transformation from a desperate mother to someone who learns to accept her son's "identity" is brilliant. The fact that we know the truth only makes it funnier. I can't see another actress doing this part as well.

All in all, Dostana is a decent one. It is filled with the usual clichés and the moments of old platitude one can expect from a movie of this sort; it is predictable, it is stereotypical and not very original, but having said that, it is entertaining and fairly enjoyable. Try this Bollywood entertainment, preferably with your family or friends, which may elevate your level of enjoyment of it.

Welcome once again to the larger than life world of Hindi cinema. A song provides a scorcher of a start to the movie with this female celebrity who is highly popular in the UK (read Big Brother) dancing, 'bouncing' and lifting the curtains to this world called Dostana. Here we have a smashing foreign locale in Miami where chicks roam around in bikinis as if it is their second skin and guys with chiselled bodies and offbeat professions get up in bed only to find themselves with some unknown damsel. It's a world where a sizzling girl in her mid 20s who despite doing well in her career is looking for tenants to share her house and earn some extra income. (With the current economic recession its not a bad idea!) Enter the wannabe tenants - our two heroes who look like they have buried the 'reel' animosity of the past (read Dhoom)! What next? Yes here is the alleged twist as these guys fake their sexual orientation because the Indian values in our 'Desi Girl' will not allow two straight hunks in her Miami condo. Let us pretend at this point we don't know who Chuck & Larry are/were! What works for this movie and what doesn't?

Okay it is the first of its kind attempt by an Indian film-maker to touch upon and even base the main plot on this 'homo-sexual' angle, a subject hidden in the closet. The platform is well established with Abhishek and John being at an almost natural ease while playing their characters! These guys are the primary thing working for the movie as they infuse in every scene a sense of wackiness making you snort with laughter (or LOL). Their centre of attraction Priyanka looks absolutely gorgeous in each and every frame of the movie. The treatment of the movie is just right and the sole objective is to provide the audience with insane entertainment. Enters Abhishek's mom played by Kirron Kher, a mother horrified by the knowledge that her 'puttar' has become andha and cannot distinuguish between a boy and a girl! Yes the laughs grow louder and louder. Insanity rules! Catchy and melodious music plays along keeping you grooved. Its all fun and games and then its interval!

Post interval time and like a ship caught in a storm this movie gets lost and takes the wrong direction. The script goes awry. Our heroes have grown weak in the knees for our heroine and the brewing love triangle turns into a triple threat match with the entry of this third gentlemen. Now, instead of letting the movie continue on the path of insane entertainment, it heads into the world of clichéd misunderstanding and sappiness. The plot becomes so contrived and the humour nearly dries out. The actors do their best to keep the fun alive and succeed only marginally. Besides the awry script the character development also falters with a talented actor like Boman Irani ill-utilized. The zing is gone and the executioner is the story writer.

The two heroes Abhishek and John do a sparkling job with their hilariously unusual and offbeat role. Priyanka Chopra is meant to look pretty and she does a perfectly stunning job at that. It is no doubt that after 'Dostana' and 'Fashion' she is ready to conquer the queen's crown in Hindi cinema. The costume and dresses are perfect and in sync with the theme of the movie. The music is groovy and one of the plus points of the movie. The cinematography though good is a little patchy owing to cost cutting measures by creating the Miami house in Bombay with skyscraper wallpapers on the windows!

Although only produced and not directed by Karan Johar, it bears in each frame the stamp of his brand of cinema with many references to his past works. And seeing his track record you expected something more. But yeh more nahi milega! Overall Dostana is not a bad effort, in fact the movie is a fun, onetime watch but nothing beyond candy floss entertainment. The opportunity to turn it into a mega extravaganza has been lost.

This felt sometimes like it was several different movies spliced together, but mostly it was a fun ride. Beautifully shot in Miami, and it's obvious what a ground-breaker it is for Indian film (hey, it JUST became legal to be gay there!)

Yes, there are gay stereotypes, but mostly it's gently done. And yes, it has the Bollywood musical numbers at the weirdest times, but some of them ("Shut up and bounce") were so catchy I couldn't get them out of my head.

I also couldn't get John Abraham out of my head. Believe me, you won't be able to take your eyes off him the entire time...

I say go for it. If you're not up to the musical numbers, you can go past fast forward through them.

OK – the "Kanta Ben" episode forms the basic premise of Dostana but hey, just like in Kal Ho Na Ho some good interesting tracks were expected as well.

Apartment? Instead of harping on a unbelievable reason, a better convincing reason should have been thought for pretending gay.

The trio did an amazing job, so lets not go that area.

Bobby Deol was a big downer and his look seemed he was just out of Chamku. In fact the entire track seemed a poor rehash of "6 din - Ladki In" episode of Kal Ho Na Ho.

Kiron Kher was just OK.

Shilpa Shetty in the opening number was an eye-candy.

Sulabha Arya a.k.a Kaanta Ben – very good... very good. Sushmita Mukherjee – very bad... very bad.

Songs are #1 and without doubt Vishal-Shekhar rule the roost.

And yes, the costumes deserve a special mention.

The visuals are stunning – it is visitmiami.com beckoning.

I've eagerly awaited this movie. The prerelease publicity has been pretty good. The video I saw of John and Junior polkaing around the room wasn't that effective, but the video of Priyanka in the golden bathing suit said "must see" to me. And then I learned that Shilpa Shetty was doing an item number and, for me, the deal was sealed. Frankly, the chance to see J&J pretending to be gay didn't pique my curiosity at all.

When I was in the theater, the crowd was not large, but they were laughing practically nonstop. It isn't every Hindi comedy that can achieve that. My sense was that they were startled at the things J&J were willing to do to get a laugh. The screenplay really pushed the two to extremes. And some of the jokes were kind of out there.

In fact, I'd say everyone in the cast overacted, except Bobby Deol. In my opinion, Bobby is such a stiff customer that before he can overact, he first has to act, and I'm still waiting to see that.

Strangely, the cast member who appealed to me most was Boman Irani. When he appeared as the editor-in-chief of Verve, it actually was a surprise to me. I would rate this movie lower without Boman. This guy is near the top of my supporting-performer list. He's been the only good thing in several movies I've seen in the past.

I think the director created anti-climaxes. E.g, you parade around Junior and John in practically nothing, then somewhere in the middle, Bobby Deol shows up. As male cast members go, that is what I would consider a huge anticlimax. He's older, he has less acting talent, etc, etc. He would have been more effective introduced first. As a second example, you put Shilpa in a dance number in the opening credits. Then you introduce the heroine. How can anyone truly appreciate her physique or dancing when they've already seen Shilpa. I'd love to have that shot of Shilpa reclining on the motorcycle as my wallpaper. I hope it shows up somewhere. Truth is that the last number of the movie should have been in the opening credits and Shilpa should have been in the closing credits as an added goody.

The movie is entertaining, I don't want to take that away. Even though Khirron Kher was "meri filmy maa" for a second straight movie, she did add something just as Boman did. But I just don't think the way the movie got assembled was optimal. That's why I can only rate it 7 of 10. To me it is the least appealing Dharma creation I have seen. Kind of a shame, considering the Yashraj decline, to see Dharma also putting out less-appealing movies.