Dostana

So, what to write… Dost-aa-na or Dost-ja-na. Let’s put it this way, Dostana is a visual treat (as all the Chopra’s and Johar’s films are in the recent past). A larger than life Felix. Can call this as India’s first gay commercial movie? No idea, but we can surely say that it has a gay subject as the main plot.

Problem- Larger than life feel of the film is so prominent that the content is sincerely missed out. This has effected on every portions of the film, be it the story, screenplay or cinematography. The canvas with beautiful fresh breezy look of the Miami Beach, the wonderful apartment (which is hard to believe that anyone can rent), the fresh color pallet (both in terms of location and attire) are the prominent to look at. Everything from costume to furniture is so ‘Designer’ that it sucks after some point. The film has some clean and fresh satires on the gay matter. A super gripping pace in the first half, brilliant performance and screen presence by all the three leads (be it their dream sequence or the song) grip you up, but none can hold you till the end. The second half kinds of become cheap comedy ripping-of some Bollywood movies like K2H2, TZP or the debate on Was Gabber gay? Come on guys, it is television that makes parody on Sholay. Films are no Comedy Circus or Laughter Challenge competition. Need to find something original here.

Anyways, John (Kunal a photographer) and Abhi-shake (Sam-eeerrrr a male nurse) wins an apartment with a lie of being gay couple but looses Priyanka (Neha a magazine sub-editor) to Bobby (Abhimanyu a chief editor). Both Abhi-John feels affection for Priyanka and so play dirty games on each other and further on Bobby to get her. Then at the end – a realization that they are the really best buddies having a special Dostana between them. Oh yes didn’t I tell you they become best friends in JUST one song! ‘Holy crap’ as American might say, but Indian cinema’s has done more than that, they have the capabilities to grow a small kid to macho man in just one song, or to start the song with a marriage and end it with a new born baby or even a generation leap in just 4 minutes. Yes only we (read Bollywood) can do it. And that is what I would call as ‘Pace’ of Indian Cinema.

Debutant director Tarun Mansukhani has tried to hold the film very glowingly till the interval but then the script somehow becomes lousy. You can feel that it is losing grip, and finally the end becomes so miserable that it is clearly seen that the director stretched it just to incorporate the kiss between the boys.

Much said and done, I think the film is just a one-time view for its look-good factor (a visual treat). No matter if you are gay or straight you have beautiful and sexy looking Priyanka on one side and super cool looking dude John showing his bum on the other side - the choice is yours!