The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : All style, no substance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 21, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

All style, no substance

BLACK MAGIC: Nagarjuna in ‘Don’.

Film: Don

Cast: Nagarjuna, Anushka, Lawrence

Direction: Lawrence

Raghava Lawrence’s new film (provides the story, screenplay, music, choreography, dialogues and direction) Don has everything one could wish for in a action drama and it also has a story designed to give the audiences a bit of everything but it simply ends as an exercise in style over substance.

Suri (Nag) takes up cudgels to save orphans from a drug-peddler and 20 years later when he becomes a Don and spreads his goodness and power.

This annoys another Don Kelly Dorjee, who resolves to eliminate Suri. Unfortunately, the script fails to give the required momentum to the film.

It is only towards the climax when Nikita reveals her true colours and Lawrence is killed that the film gains momentum.

Lawrence plays Nagarjuna’s adopted brother. He does provide a few laughs but overdoes the middleman’s role of initiating romance between the lead characters.

In fact the relationship between both Nag and Lawrence lacks intensity and at times it looks as if, the latter is trying to dominate the hero. It is only towards the climax that we see Nagarjuna in his elements. Anushka looks sensuous but Nagarjuna looks jaded with bad make up.

Some of the scenes are ludicrous like Chalapati Rao acting silly when he discovers the don and daughter in love. Also the poor dialogues between Anushka and Nagarjuna and the abrupt denouement leaves one confused. Music is good and the cinematography beautiful. However, there is no comedy track whatsoever.

The plot is simple and there is plenty of colour and vigour to the hit men standing behind the Don. But as a whole the film disappoints. It’s a pity that after spending so much on the film, the end product is vacuous.

Y. SUNITA CHOWDHARY

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