DON
Its queer but sometimes when you are listening to someone it feels like they are reflections of your own thoughts. Farhan Akhtar is creating a remake of Amitabh Bachhan's pacy thriller DON. Shahrukh Khan will play the double role.
Like him, I also agree that Don was one of the coolest of Amitabh's movies. The movie production was slick, though not over the top. This was strange because there were no automatic doors(unlike Charas), no revolving chairs(unlike Shaan), no foreign sojourns(unlike Qurbani), and still, the movie was fast and gripping.
Actually, the script and the performances held the movie together. Effort was made more on characterization and ideas than on flashy art direction. Melodrama was also mercifully avoided. The flick had no super villains either like Gabbar, Shaakal or Lion, except Don, who ceased to be the villain after the titles were shown.
Music perfectly complimented the theme of the film, and lyrics were carefully written. All the songs were perfectly placed and took the movie forward. The title song - "Mai Hoon Don" took the breath out of me when I was first saw it as a kid. Here was this guy in the den of the smugglers, announcing subtly to them that he was not their DON but they failed to realize. Kudos to Salim-Javed for imagining such a song situation.
Like the film stars, there are a few songs which achieve superstardom. This movie has one - "Khaike Paan Banaras Wala". It is also well placed and provides a good relief from the tense settings. My parents told me it was the most popular song of Amitabh at that time. This song never fails to lift the spirits, and immediately sets the feet tapping. I was told that as a toddler I used to start dancing whenever this song was played. Too bad they couldn't record the video.
Of course, performances are unmatched and a good casting was the job half done. Both Amitabh - the Don, & Amitabh - the Chhora Ganga Kinarey Wala looked as different as chalk and cheese. But this man is possessed. Fantastic performance. Wicked and menacing as the Don, gentle and comic as the replacement.
I particularly liked his performance in that scene where he is trying to prove his innocence to police but things are not going his way. The desperation was written large on his face. Salim-Javed definitely knew what they wanted from Amitabh in this scene, and he delivered beyond imagination. The scene when Don dies is well enacted too.
Rest of the cast also did very well. Pran never fails, Iftikaar did what he does best, and the role was tailor made for Zeenat. Om Shivpuri was self assuring, and the guy who played "Narang" made good use of his face and eyes.
The movie like any other Javed Akhtar movie had memorable dialogues. To begin with is the punch line - "Don Ke Peechhey 22 Mulkon Ki Police Lagi Hai, Lekin Don Ko Zinda Pakadna Mushkil Hi Nahin Namumkin Hai". It sets the tempo of the whole film. Or when Iftikhar informs the other Amitabh the fact that Don never ate Paan, the rural Amitabh says disappointingly - "Ee To Bahut Galat Karta Tha Don".
In the beginning, the super cool Don informs Helen wryly, when she asks that why did Don never fell in love, - "Tabhi To Zinda Hoon", or when he says to her- "Tumhari Aunty Apne Saath Bahut Se Uncles(police) Le Aayi Hai".
Even today, I don't miss it whenever they are showing it on TV. Perhaps, the other movie of that era which I found as cool was Jewel Thief. I have seen both of them umpteenth number of times.
The complete interview of Farhan is here.
Like him, I also agree that Don was one of the coolest of Amitabh's movies. The movie production was slick, though not over the top. This was strange because there were no automatic doors(unlike Charas), no revolving chairs(unlike Shaan), no foreign sojourns(unlike Qurbani), and still, the movie was fast and gripping.
Actually, the script and the performances held the movie together. Effort was made more on characterization and ideas than on flashy art direction. Melodrama was also mercifully avoided. The flick had no super villains either like Gabbar, Shaakal or Lion, except Don, who ceased to be the villain after the titles were shown.
Music perfectly complimented the theme of the film, and lyrics were carefully written. All the songs were perfectly placed and took the movie forward. The title song - "Mai Hoon Don" took the breath out of me when I was first saw it as a kid. Here was this guy in the den of the smugglers, announcing subtly to them that he was not their DON but they failed to realize. Kudos to Salim-Javed for imagining such a song situation.
Like the film stars, there are a few songs which achieve superstardom. This movie has one - "Khaike Paan Banaras Wala". It is also well placed and provides a good relief from the tense settings. My parents told me it was the most popular song of Amitabh at that time. This song never fails to lift the spirits, and immediately sets the feet tapping. I was told that as a toddler I used to start dancing whenever this song was played. Too bad they couldn't record the video.
Of course, performances are unmatched and a good casting was the job half done. Both Amitabh - the Don, & Amitabh - the Chhora Ganga Kinarey Wala looked as different as chalk and cheese. But this man is possessed. Fantastic performance. Wicked and menacing as the Don, gentle and comic as the replacement.
I particularly liked his performance in that scene where he is trying to prove his innocence to police but things are not going his way. The desperation was written large on his face. Salim-Javed definitely knew what they wanted from Amitabh in this scene, and he delivered beyond imagination. The scene when Don dies is well enacted too.
Rest of the cast also did very well. Pran never fails, Iftikaar did what he does best, and the role was tailor made for Zeenat. Om Shivpuri was self assuring, and the guy who played "Narang" made good use of his face and eyes.
The movie like any other Javed Akhtar movie had memorable dialogues. To begin with is the punch line - "Don Ke Peechhey 22 Mulkon Ki Police Lagi Hai, Lekin Don Ko Zinda Pakadna Mushkil Hi Nahin Namumkin Hai". It sets the tempo of the whole film. Or when Iftikhar informs the other Amitabh the fact that Don never ate Paan, the rural Amitabh says disappointingly - "Ee To Bahut Galat Karta Tha Don".
In the beginning, the super cool Don informs Helen wryly, when she asks that why did Don never fell in love, - "Tabhi To Zinda Hoon", or when he says to her- "Tumhari Aunty Apne Saath Bahut Se Uncles(police) Le Aayi Hai".
Even today, I don't miss it whenever they are showing it on TV. Perhaps, the other movie of that era which I found as cool was Jewel Thief. I have seen both of them umpteenth number of times.
The complete interview of Farhan is here.
posted by Unknown at 4:08 PM
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