Dostana review
contains spoilers.
This movie was always going to be a big deal. The topic of homosexuality is a touchy subject anywhere, not just India. And there really hasn’t been a movie of the sort in Bollywood. They didn’t go all the way, and have a big name star actually play a gay character, but this is close enough for the moment.
Sam and Kunal (Abhi/John) pretend they are a gay couple, in order to rent a beautiful apartment. They must pretend because the landlady doesn’t want any guys chasing after her niece, Neha (Priyanka, who I must say, looked absolutely gorgeous in this movie). So, they lie, they get the apartment, and they move in. And what follows is obviously the comedy, where both men must keep up the act that they are in fact a couple.
A lot occurs that they must endure, like Sam’s mother (Kirron Kher) finding out her son is gay, Neha’s gay boss (Boman Irani) being invited for dinner, and the dance party that ensues, and Sam and Kunal faking a fight, where one blames the other for cheating, and the other retorts back with…well, you have you see it.
I like the route the movie took. A gay comedy could have gone completely wrong, offended a number of people, but Dostana does neither. Yes, the movie drags as the drama kicks in, but the movie can’t always be funny. There are issues that come up within in the movie, like both Sam and Kunal falling in love with Neha, Neha falling in love with another man (Bobby), a child being involved, etc. Things are handled well, I think, and it makes for an enjoyable movie.
Abhishek Bachchan completely steals the show. His comic timing is perfect. His acting in the ‘how did you meet’ scene is just brilliant. You never stop laughing when he’s on the screen. And the perfect foil to Abhi is John Abraham. He has his funny moments, but he’s the sane one in this couple. Though he does play along a few times, which makes for a lot of laughs, like when Sam’s mom accepts him as her bahu.
Priyanka really impressed me in this. She looks gorgeous, and her acting was really good. In fact all of the acting in this movie was good. The threesome of Sam, Kunal and Neha was just perfect. Their chemistry on screen was great, it looked like they were best friends in real life. They looked very comfortable with each other, which really helps the movie.
Kirron Kher and Boman Irani are perfect in their roles, although they both seem a bit short. I would have liked to see more of them. Bobby Deol is really the only person I had a problem with. He just looks weird, and you don’t believe that Neha would pick him over either of the other two. Though I guess he was the only honest guy around in the end. But someone like Arjun Rampal would have worked better in this role, in my opinion.
The music is great as well. Vishal-Shekhar make a perfect soundtrack, each song fits. Desi Girl is my favorite, and none of the songs seem to come out of nowhere. Even Maa Da Laadla. I like the remixed version at the end of the movie also.
Overall, Dostana is a must-see film. The comedy will keep you laughing, and the drama is just about good enough to keep you interested.
Rating: 7.5/10
This movie was always going to be a big deal. The topic of homosexuality is a touchy subject anywhere, not just India. And there really hasn’t been a movie of the sort in Bollywood. They didn’t go all the way, and have a big name star actually play a gay character, but this is close enough for the moment.
Sam and Kunal (Abhi/John) pretend they are a gay couple, in order to rent a beautiful apartment. They must pretend because the landlady doesn’t want any guys chasing after her niece, Neha (Priyanka, who I must say, looked absolutely gorgeous in this movie). So, they lie, they get the apartment, and they move in. And what follows is obviously the comedy, where both men must keep up the act that they are in fact a couple.
A lot occurs that they must endure, like Sam’s mother (Kirron Kher) finding out her son is gay, Neha’s gay boss (Boman Irani) being invited for dinner, and the dance party that ensues, and Sam and Kunal faking a fight, where one blames the other for cheating, and the other retorts back with…well, you have you see it.
I like the route the movie took. A gay comedy could have gone completely wrong, offended a number of people, but Dostana does neither. Yes, the movie drags as the drama kicks in, but the movie can’t always be funny. There are issues that come up within in the movie, like both Sam and Kunal falling in love with Neha, Neha falling in love with another man (Bobby), a child being involved, etc. Things are handled well, I think, and it makes for an enjoyable movie.
Abhishek Bachchan completely steals the show. His comic timing is perfect. His acting in the ‘how did you meet’ scene is just brilliant. You never stop laughing when he’s on the screen. And the perfect foil to Abhi is John Abraham. He has his funny moments, but he’s the sane one in this couple. Though he does play along a few times, which makes for a lot of laughs, like when Sam’s mom accepts him as her bahu.
Priyanka really impressed me in this. She looks gorgeous, and her acting was really good. In fact all of the acting in this movie was good. The threesome of Sam, Kunal and Neha was just perfect. Their chemistry on screen was great, it looked like they were best friends in real life. They looked very comfortable with each other, which really helps the movie.
Kirron Kher and Boman Irani are perfect in their roles, although they both seem a bit short. I would have liked to see more of them. Bobby Deol is really the only person I had a problem with. He just looks weird, and you don’t believe that Neha would pick him over either of the other two. Though I guess he was the only honest guy around in the end. But someone like Arjun Rampal would have worked better in this role, in my opinion.
The music is great as well. Vishal-Shekhar make a perfect soundtrack, each song fits. Desi Girl is my favorite, and none of the songs seem to come out of nowhere. Even Maa Da Laadla. I like the remixed version at the end of the movie also.
Overall, Dostana is a must-see film. The comedy will keep you laughing, and the drama is just about good enough to keep you interested.
Rating: 7.5/10