Don 2, the sequel of the 2006 Don does not open where the original left off, but Shah Rukh Khan as Don makes a king size impact – his styled long locks adds the right amount of sexy-to-mean vibe. What’s the story? Don is back as the undisputed king of the drug world and is dodging being bumped off by the European arm of the drug cartel. Now, given his sharp mind and ever-ready ammunition, it can be filmed in 15 minutes. But it appears that the director Farhan Akhtar who also directed the first remake of Chandra Barot’s original Don, which starred Amitabh Bachchan, this time chose to force a story and a plot around a winning formula.
Roma, played by Priyanka Chopra, seems to be obsessed with putting Don behind bars and does not have any life beyond his police files. Yes, he did murder her brother Ramesh but then, the sizzle she has going on with Don in some of the scenes, sarcastically verbalized by Vardhaan, played brilliantly by Boman Irani, beats the very purpose of the cat and mouse game Roma and Don’s characters are based on. What about the memory of her dead brother then?
Lara Dutta as the sweetheart mole adds no dimension to her role as the right hand aide of Don. At some point you wish Priyanka was his sweetheart as their chemistry is more crackling than Lara and his and it would be more fun to watch.
In one scene, at a party in Berlin, both Priyanka and Lara wear backless dresses and Priyanka’s exposed back in her chic number exudes a latent sexuality while dancing with Hrithik Roshan who makes a very special James Bond-like appearance in the film.
Lara’s back? It’s visible, that’s all. Considering both the actresses debuted together in Raj Kanwar’s Andaaz, Priyanka is leagues ahead of Lara today.
The film’s pace is far too slow for a story that is all about the action. It moves, but it’s never fast enough to get the “thrills and chills”. The film’s cinematography is great, but the action falls short.
Don’s lines are wicked and very well-written, but the rest of the characters seem to be mouthing lines from the 70s and 80s. The dialogue styles vascillating from very now to very then, takes away from the modern day setting of the film. The music is lacklustre and not a patch on the hit tracks in the Amitabh Bachchan starring Don.
Kunal Kapoor who plays the part of Sameer Ali, a computer hacker, is fast becoming an actor who stars in big films with big stars, with stretched out guest roles.
Where there is no story, the director makes you believe there is one, especially one as important as the international bank heist that Don is trying to pull off in this sequel.
Shah Rukh Khan’s performance is on the money as he sets off his inner don on screen– the right amount of sardonic wit, the right look – with his hair being his biggest accessory along with his Don-isms – with just the right amount of disdain makes him one sexy Don. As for the film, it is best described with an altered line from the film – Don ka sequel hit hona mushkil hi nahin, thoda namumkin hai.
