Bond vs Don

DON – The chase begins, 168 min, Dir: Farhan Akhtar

Bollywood’s most bankable star, Shah Rukh Khan, plays Don in Farhan Akthar’s recent remake. Originally starring the legendary Amitabh Bachan, Khan performs the devilish role with a flourish. He shoots bullets gracefully, leers at women in a somehow acceptable way, and makes the life of a drug peddler look enviously glamorous. However things get racy when Desilva (Boman Irani), head of the Indian police force, sets a mission to capture Don at any cost. Essentially the film is a cat and dog chase, but far more glossy, with more twists in the plot than three or four films put together. Just when you think the film is about to end, a dead character comes back to life. And, as with any true Bollywood film the option of a twin or double role is always favoured, thus the character of Vijay (played by Khan as well) is incorporated into the story line. Masterminded by the corrupt Desilva, a supposedly coincidental look-a-like of Don is used to help reel the original in.
With most of the film shot in exotic Kuala Lumpur and sexy former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra, playing the role of his bodyguard/love interest, the film is a visual delight. It’s easy to forget at times that this, in fact, is a Bollywood film. The updated version is more slick and stylish and it’s refreshing to see Khan in a less mushy, more deadly role.