Don: The Chase Begins Again - Movie Review
Published: July 18, 2010
Starring Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Arjun Rampal, Isha Koppikar
Shahrukh Khan once said he wanted to be the first Indian James Bond. But what need now? Don is way cooler. The film has all the fun hallmarks of a Bond flick—exotic locations (Paris and Kuala Lumpur), beautiful women, criminal masterminds, high-tech gadgets, fantastic fight scenes, and glamorous parties—but it is not a take-off of the 007 franchise. Rather, it's a remake of the 1978 Bollywood cult classic Don, which starred Amitabh Bachchan in the title role. The character is not ambiguous like Bond, but a bad, bad man—and Khan makes him his own.
Don is in charge of the Malaysian operations of a global crime syndicate run by Singhania (Rajesh Khattar), and Don has designs on ousting his boss and taking over the whole organization. Police inspector D’Silva (Boman Irani) is trying to catch Don, Singhania, and another mysterious mobster, Vardhaan. When Don kills Ramesh (Diwakar Pundir), an underling who tries to go straight, Ramesh's fiance Kamini (Kareena Kapoor) goes undercover and tries to seduce Don. But he dispatches Kamini as well. So Ramesh's sister Roma (Priyanka Chopra) worms her way into Don's gang—with much more success. D'Silva has his own mole—Vijay, a Don look-alike (also played by Khan). D'Silva secretly captures Don and puts Vijay in his place, and the good-hearted goof feigns temporary amnesia until he learns to play the part of the utterly smooth, outrageously arrogant sociopath. Roma and Vijay don't know they're on the same side, and Don's girlfriend Anita (Isha Koppikar) is jealous of the sparks between them.
There's a suspenseful, complicating subplot involving the lost boy Vijay cares for, Deepu (played by Tanay Chheda, one of the child actors in the 2008 Slumdog Millionaire), and Deepu's estranged father Jasjit (Arjun Rampal), which ramps up the emotional stakes.
Don marks a career turning point for Rampal. The former model went from so-so to solid as Deepu's desperate dad (and his trajectory continued with a memorable role in the 2007 Om Shanti Om, a National Film Award for his performance in the 2008 Rock On!!, and critical acclaim for his turn in the 2010 Raajneeti).
Farhan Akhtar, the talented director of the coming-of-age film Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and the military drama Lakshya (2004), shows off his versatility with this stylish action thriller that's full of surprises. (The original Don was co-written by his father, Javed Akhtar.) He's also directing the sequel, Don 2: The Chase Continues, which is expected to release at the end of 2011. Khan, Chopra, Irani, Koppikar, and Chheda will be reprising their roles. Lara Dutta will join the cast.
Don is rated Must See.
Community - News - Reviews - Commentary - About
