“SRK may go over the top, but ‘DON’ remains cool,
Style over substance, is the operative rule.”

DON begins, 007 style, with a deal set-up in Paris where an unarmed Don turns the tables on his opponents in a stylishly choreographed action sequence, subsequent to which the titles flash to a thumping score. And so the remake of the 1973 blockbuster blazes across the screen in its signature green hue.

Story goes thus - Don runs various illegit activities on behalf of his boss Singhania, and operates from Malaysia. Inspector D’Silva is the man who makes it his sole mission in life to capture Don, and shut down Singhania for good. He is able to capture a fatally wounded Don, and loses him to death, but not before he has recuited a lookalike, Vijay, to infiltrate Don’s gang for an incriminating computer disc. Vijay is almost successful in his task before all hell breaks loose, and he becomes wanted not only by the police, but also by his gang members. Film springs several surprises that deviates from the original storyline, and brands it’s own mark on the remake.

So why am I endorsing this film even though it has terrible performances, uneven pacing and a plot filled with more glaring holes than a paper-target in a shooting gallery?
Firstly, the film has been stylishly rendered, and the action sequences are worth the price of the ticket alone. The theme music that reverberates through out the film is excellent. All the actors look ultra cool, and you could be forgiven to think that you might be watching a Honk Kong crime actioner. Finally - I absolutely loved the surprise element and wish more directors would deviate from formulaic story arcs. This is one remake that dares to go better on the original in that department.
Few songs register with the viewer - “Yeh Mera Dil” though well choreographed causes temporary blindness due to Kareena’s recently adopted pounds, but “Main Hoon Don” does the film proud in style & execution.

Where it suffers from the original?
SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) is obviously a terrible choice to step into a role made famous by legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Hritik Roshan, or Akshay Kumar would’ve rocked the viewers with their portrayals.
Then there are the previously stated holes in the plot - it seems likely that the scenes were played out in the director’s mind but he simply forgot to jot them down. The original never had that problem, but then it also had a simple narrative.
Major actors have been sidelined to showcase King Khan.

Director Farhan Akhtar has been fascinated with the original since he was a kid, and that passion shows in each and every frame. His technical crew are upto the task, and Don emerges as one of the most technically superior product from Bollywood. But Akhtar loses himself in all the glitz, and fails to extract meaningful performances from his principal cast.

Shah Rukh Khan as Don/Vijay is smug enough to carry off the designer wear and flashy cars, but absolutely goes over the top when it comes to performance. Priyanka Chopra as Roma is appropriate and has nothing challenging to do except look hot and lethal. Boman Irani is the only one who earns an honest paycheck as the tunnel-visioned Inspector D’Silva. Arjun Ramphal as the handicapped Jasjit, a man who has scores to settle and a kid to find, is suitably restrained but does not get much scope. Om Puri, Isha Koppikker, Pawan Malhotra, Chunkey Pandey & Kareen Kapoor have been cast in guest/special appearances.

Don is an unabashed popcorn entertainment and I liked it.

DURATION: 171 mins.
CAST: Shah Rukh Khan, Boman Irani, Priyanka Chopra, Arjun Ramphal.
DIRECTOR: Farhan Akhtar