All the Don's men and women
SANGEETHA DEVI. K
|
He's suave, shrewd, mean, and wanted internationally. Will he signal the `Don' of a new era?
|
PLAYING THEIR PARTS: Shah Rukh and Priyanka as Don and Roma.
It's a big gamble for Farhan Akhtar but not the biggest for Shah Rukh Khan.
Farhan has accepted it's a huge risk remaking a cult film, but got down to work unmindful of expectations and comparisons. Shah Rukh knows he'll be compared with Amitabh Bachchan.
And he's been there and done something similar before. He preferred to relive Dilip Kumar's role in Devdas and take on bouquets and brickbats, rather than not attempt doing the classic film at all.
Deciphering the new Don
Getting down to the basics, the makers of Don - the chase begins, which releases today, mark this film as a tribute to Chandra Barot's cult film of 1978 starring Amitabh Bachchan.
Kareena Kapoor in Helen's role.
Farhan has stated it was one of the most entertaining films he grew up watching. His task was to give a new twist to a film that was ahead of its times.
Once Farhan acquired the film's rights, he put his acting assignments (he was signed to act in a film with Shabana Azmi) on hold and got his father Javed Akhtar to recreate the magic he had once created in partnership with Salim (Khan).
"Writing for the new Don was challenging and entertaining. Farhan's idea was not to better the original but pay a tribute to it.
The essence is intact but the film resonates with the present times," says Javed Akhtar. Having seen snatches of the film, he says, "I am truly proud of Farhan's work. The film was worth the effort."
Boman Irani as the cop De Silva.
The new Don is meaner, sends cops on wild goose chases and is wanted internationally.
He is the trusted aide of Singhania, a shrewd businessman at the helm of the booming drug trade across Europe and Asia. Learning that the Don's men are set to expand their business in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Intelligence and Anti-Narcotics Department seek the help of Indian authorities. DCP De Silva (Ifthekar's role reprised by Boman Irani) is eager to capture Don, in an attempt to unravel the puzzle of the drug nexus.
The portions shot in Malaysia add a new dimension. There is promise of breathtaking stunts that blend in martial arts.
There are no super heroes here but Shah Rukh, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra packing in a punch. Shah Rukh Khan sportingly took up the challenge of jumping off multi-storied buildings.
"All of us were trained by Kanishk, from the Shaolin monk group. Each character was trained distinctively," says Boman Irani.
"The training made us do the stunts just right and not over the top. De Silva is as shrewd, cunning and intelligent as the Don himself. My job was to bring out the complexity of De Silva," says Irani, adding "Team bonding is a perk when you shoot outside India. We stayed together and that made the outing enjoyable. "
Ishaa Koppikar, who plays the role of Anita, seconds that: "Farhan is chilled out when not working and can be a disciplinarian on the sets. Since my role was the only one to be given more depth than in the original, I had nothing to complain about."
Technically speaking
Arjun Rampal as Jasjit, enacting Pran's role.
Technically, the crew claims to have set new precedents. Apart from high-end visual special effects at work, many scenes have been shot with four to five cameras to get different angles.
By now, you would have guessed that De Silva's man, who impersonates Don, enters to the dhol beat to the tune of Moriya Re. Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, in addition to repackaging old hits like Yeh Mera Dil, has also a retro number Aaj Ki Raat. "It's a jugalbandi between Priyanka and Ishaa. Main Hoon Don is futuristic, but we chose typical 70s' beats for Aaj Ki Raat," says Shankar. The cult song Paan Banaras wala is there too but with a limerick by Shah Rukh thrown in.
In a while, comparisons and the post mortems will begin. But Farhan and team may have the last laugh. With all the curiosity, very few would want to give the film a miss.
If Don clicks, don't be surprised if there's a sequel.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
