The fact that Farhan Akhtar's version of Don didn't impress me one bit, helped a lot to love the 2nd part of the series. Fresh dialogues, screenplay, and lot more style.. couldn't had asked for more.

Don2 main plot is about Don's (Shahrukh Khan) plan to remove his enemies and at the same time, get more richer or in short as he himself points out 'become the badshah, the king of the world'.

What impresses me the most, is the style Farhan Akhtar has brought into the film. I am very fond of watching a scene having lots of style, and Shahrukh so wonderfully does it in the entire film. Its the very reason I love Dhoom2 which many don't like either.

Also big thumbs up for the way, Farhan fastens the part where 'Don and Vardhan' escape from Jail. And proper screen time given to the part where the whole plan of Don is discussed. A lot other film-makers would had done opposite than this!

Its hard to imagine who else would had done justice to Don apart from Shahrukh Khan. He has made the character very much his own now. Mind you, I am not taking anything away from Amitabh Bachchan.. I am his big fan! But, the difference lies in, Amitabh's version was more of a mean Don which was also very limited, as we see more of Vijay only. While Shahrukh's version does include being mean, but he brings extra style which he loves doing too, and the menacing laugh he does before striking an enemy or delivering a punchline, or the way he says 'Sweetheart'.

The reason for comparison is just the character of 'Don', otherwise Don2 has nothing to be compared with Amitabh's Don. That's why I always say, make a new film, with old film's characters but fresh story and screenplay. See, how well it works!

The script and writing has been criticised a lot.. I will comment in the spoilers section below on all that. For me, the script and writing had very few flaws, to a certain extent negligible.

Farhan's direction is once again top-notch. I love directors who know how to take the best out of their actors, which Farhan always does. The screenplay is very good, keeps you guessing what's next ? Editing too is impressive and one of best this year. Cinematography is good, I loved the sea shot the most, both at start and at end of the film. The action scenes were much better, Shahrukh looked  better in them, unlike Ra.One. The dialogues were super, loved the punchlines.

The songs, just two of them are used perfectly with the narrative. Zara dil ko thaam lo brings that amazing retro feel, and seriously, what editing and choreography! Special mention to the background score, I specially love three of them the most 'the opening scene where he is in boat', 'reaching zurich one' and the one that follows the dialogue 'kahan hai woh'.

Priyanka Chopra was not upto the mark but maybe that's how she was to be. (More on her in spoiler's section)

Boman Irani was marvellous, he plays the grey role very well. Lara Dutta looked so hot, and a cameo perfectly suited for her.

Ally Khan was impressive in his supporting role, might get more offers in future. Nawab Shah's expressions were perfect, that of a person who believes he is strong enough for person like Don, not realising who he is competiting with.

Sahil Shroff was okay. Om Puri has hardly much to offer in his role. While Kunal Kapoor has his moments in a supporting role.

Some of the best scenes ----
• Opening Don sequence, boat one.
• Every conversation Don has with Roma.
• 'Aa gaya laut ke dekho don' line, the expression of Don. Have to save that shot once Dvd releases.
• The car chase sequence.
• The way Don says 'koi saboot nahi, toh koi gunehgaar nahi'. Excellent, and style in it too!
• When he says 'ab mujhe koi nahi rok sakta', the eyes makes you believe that he is so true when he says that.
• The climax


Spoilers (Read the next part only if you have seen the film) ----- 

Don-Roma during the pre-climax part. Almost everyone disliked it, to a certain extent the reason to not like the film was much to do with this. Now, here's my take, how I think it was...

Its known that Don had the plan to get caught by the police, then as he expected while offering a deal to police they won't agree and hence the diwan factor comes in, which meant he can't be touched by the police in future anymore. To add to it, he had the disk as a gift token to the police, afterall.. it meant nothing to him. Why should it, when he has the plates ?

So, while he accepts to help Roma and her team, in diffusing the bombs, and getting the hostages back safe. He decides to have some talks with Roma, tries to know whats going in her life. Yes, he is interested in her.. but not at the expense of his plans. He tries to keep her emotional side on, with dialogues like 'tumhe kaisa laga jab maine kaha' and 'I wanna be free from this world n police'. With that latter dialogue, he totally gets her emotional, the plan's working! Also, he asks 'tum ab bhi mujhse pyar karti ho', just to check what she has to say. He saves her life too, to further add the sympathy factor in favour of him. And now, the final act he does.. trying to stop her from going inside, saying 'tumhe khatra ho sakta hai'.

He could had gone alone, after all his tactics to fight both Vardhaan and Jabbar were in place. But, to divert Vardhaan and Jabbar from him.. he feels she would help him more. A risk he takes, because Jabbar's bullet could had killed her too (though a cinematic liberty happens here which shouldnt have). Now, here's the first clue Boman gives to entire proceedings happening till now to us through 'maine aksar dekha hai, aisi situations mein, aurte bahut kaam aati hai'. Thats what Don was doing with Roma, all the drama leading upto the place. In between, he has some soft moments, which he later describes in final dialogue with Ayesha 'roma ab buri aadat ban chuki hai, usse peeche churaana mushkil hoga'.

Btw, special mention to that dialogue too, how well it connects to his own ciggerette habit. Might not be intentional, but that's how it came out.

So, the point is.. the whole Don-Roma sequence was nothing, but a part of plan for Don.

Now, the next thing is Priyanka Chopra.. why was her body language throughout the film so dull, and not interested kind. One way to look at it is, she really wasnt upto the mark in the film, and just sleep walked through the role. Other way is, its 5 yrs since her brother died. The hurt decreases with time, and to add to it.. she fell in love with Don himself, not Vijay. So, at one side, she was after Don, but at same time.. she knew that she might still be loving him. As a result, she is interested in getting Don, and not interested too. We see her getting emotional much easily by Don due to this in those final parts.

So, maybe taking the 2nd point into consideration, Priyanka Chopra did act very well. Plus, the film is aneways all about Don, the power he possesses. Still, as a viewer.. or as a lover of priyanka's acting, I wasn't satisfied with her.

Now, to some unintentional funny scenes... Did you notice, Jabbar is all the time after Don's head 'Karl, bring me his head'. And at one place, Don's punchline appears like forced (Remember, the film luck, we got numerous 'luck' based dialogues), it was the lift one 'don kabhi kuch nahi bhoolta'. The angle between Roma and Arjun, and Malik-Roma were the boring parts of the movie.. surely they were important in terms of narration and screenplay, but such was the effect of rest film!

The costumes were great for major portion of the film, except for Roma's white cop shirt that didn't look good on her and the scene where Don says 'main kisi tarah ka dabaav nahi daalna chahta (by the way that was a cleverly written line), that shot so much reminded of Ra.One, again it could be intentional but I feel it wasn't.

The Hrithik Roshan small cameo, though wonderfully used, with his dancing skills, and the Waltz theme. The flaw was, the voice!  Had they kept it in a way, that he doesn't need to speak, the scene would had become great in terms of logic. If you keep logic aside, and watch it as a cinematic sequence.. then it pretty well serves the purpose 'no autographs please'. But, I still would had preferred no voice only.

The scene where Sameer looks at the photo of his wife in laptop, and then calls police was a classy one! Because, it serves both ways, if you think he is in real calling as he realizes he is doing wrong work.. and after the last scene, you realize, he was just thinking abt her for once, and then just doing what don had asked, call police.

And Boman Irani's expression while he waited for clock to tick 5 o clock. It so much reminded me of the school days, where we keep checking the watch when the class will end, and looking at the teacher with a frustrated expression...

The scene where Roma is taken into hospital, and Don while going to car looking back.. that background theme, and roma opening eyes to see him.. and final bid to sameer by Don. All this reminds of the opposite scenario in Don, where Don went into ambulance.


Overall, Don2 appeals to me, for its direction, script, screenplay, shahrukh's performance, other supporting actors, and the style quotient above all. A thrilling and entertaining movie, with lots of great twists and punchlines.


Verdict : Excellent 


  Bas, ek baat hamesha yaad rakhna , Don ko pakarna mushkil hi nahi. . . . . . . .. ...