Review: Dostana
by Sonia Sharma, Evening Chronicle
To read Sonia's Bollywood Blog click here.
PRODUCER Karan Johar has boldly gone where no-one in Bollywood has ever gone before.
For the first time we have a movie where the main characters focus on a gay relationship.
But Dostana is not a serious look at homosexuality. It's a funfilled madcap comedy which allows the subject to be discussed openly.
It starts with Sam (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal (John Abraham) desperately looking for a place to live in Miami.
They coincidentally try to rent the same apartment but are turned down because the landlady only wants women to live in the property. This is to protect her niece Neha (Priyanka Chopra), who also lives there, from corrupt young men. Sam and Kunal pretend to be gay to get the apartment.
All three become good friends but trouble ensues when the men fall in love with Neha. Also vying for her attention is her boss Abhimanyu (Bobby Deol).
The film is a big party right from the beginning. The chemistry between John and Abhishek is fabulous and is what primarily makes Dostana a winner.
They have pulled out all stops to bring in the laughs.
It's hilarious when they concoct stories of how they fell in love, try to look at each other fondly, dance together and are caught in compromising situations.
John is a feast for the eyes with his well-toned physique but more importantly he has grown as an actor and is great at comedy.
And Abhishek is back in his element, banishing bad memories of his recent superflop Drona. He is cool, funny and entertaining.
One of the best scenes shows Sam’s mum (Kirron Kher) getting the shock of her life on finding out he's gay and later accepting Kunal as part of the family. Kirron's dialogues are side-splitting.
The music by Vishal-Shekhar is peppy and energetic. Particularly enjoyable are Desi Girl, Maa Da Laadla and Jaane Kyu.
Top marks to Karan Johar and debutant director Tarun Mansukhani for taking on the project and making it fun.
The film will appeal more to the younger generation. If you are aged between 16 and 30, head down to the cinema with your mates.
It’s on at the Odeon in Gateshead.
To read Sonia's Bollywood Blog click here.
