Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. These words echo in the ears and would do so for years to come, thanks to the immortal character sketched in the yesteryears.
The classic had three singular characters played by Amitabh. One where he plays the Don, the second being the simpleton Vijay and the third a surrogate enacting the Don’s characters. The incorrigible rogue with his suave mannerisms and sinuous acts of crime; the naïve simpleton with his country side roots and a soft corner for the children; and the precocious surrogate who dons the Don’s shoes were like three sides of the same coin! The most difficult of the trio was playing the third character where the audience visualizes the simpleton in him and realizes that he is actually enacting a character, whereas the gang in the cinema is to believe that he indeed is the Don. An amazingly complicated acting portfolio which was acted to perfection.
The revised Don had this aspect completely missing in the movie. This however may be pardoned considering that the protagonist is played not by Amitabh but SRK and because of the twist in the storyline. Even if the storyline was kept the same I have my doubts if it could ever have been played even a trifle close to the original. In an attempt to add sophistication to the character Farhan misses on “developing” the Don’s character and rather devotes in style content. For instance the scene with Don in the tub and grin to the takes of Tom and Jerry adds nothing to the character but only reflects an incomplete attempt to establish a non existent character. The style factor could not however outweigh the poor characterization. The imperative character of JJ leaves no impact whatsoever in the new version. Somebody once said that Arjun Rampal can be replaced with a chair in all his movies. An example is Don.
Impressed by the sheer prominence of the character (that one has perhaps revered in his childhood) does not entitle him to remake a masterpiece. But hold on. Farhan in his televised interview stated that this is not a remake but his “interpretation” of the movie Don. If at all this is an interpretation then why are the key monologues from the original version lifted like Roma airlifts the entire van to add vanity and style. To top it the entire soundtrack is copied with minor variations adding techno beats and a few added stanzas. And if it indeed is a remake then why the original plot is tinkered with beats me.
An earnest attempt has been made by Farhan Akhtar to impart his interpretation of Don which falls flat on its back. No doubt he was taken in by the audacity of the character, the immortal dialogues and the amazing soundtrack and got lured to interpret it on his own. But sorry Farhan, your interpretation is abysmal to say the least and any attempt to vindicate your plot through post release interviews will add no value to your misadventure.
Salute to Salim-Javed for the screenplay/dialogues, Chandra Barot for the direction and Kalyanji-Anandji for the music of this 1978 masterpiece.
Don banana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai.
This is not a movie review or the nuances of acting and the histrionics of the actors, but an “interpretation” of the idea behind Version 2.0
The classic had three singular characters played by Amitabh. One where he plays the Don, the second being the simpleton Vijay and the third a surrogate enacting the Don’s characters. The incorrigible rogue with his suave mannerisms and sinuous acts of crime; the naïve simpleton with his country side roots and a soft corner for the children; and the precocious surrogate who dons the Don’s shoes were like three sides of the same coin! The most difficult of the trio was playing the third character where the audience visualizes the simpleton in him and realizes that he is actually enacting a character, whereas the gang in the cinema is to believe that he indeed is the Don. An amazingly complicated acting portfolio which was acted to perfection.
The revised Don had this aspect completely missing in the movie. This however may be pardoned considering that the protagonist is played not by Amitabh but SRK and because of the twist in the storyline. Even if the storyline was kept the same I have my doubts if it could ever have been played even a trifle close to the original. In an attempt to add sophistication to the character Farhan misses on “developing” the Don’s character and rather devotes in style content. For instance the scene with Don in the tub and grin to the takes of Tom and Jerry adds nothing to the character but only reflects an incomplete attempt to establish a non existent character. The style factor could not however outweigh the poor characterization. The imperative character of JJ leaves no impact whatsoever in the new version. Somebody once said that Arjun Rampal can be replaced with a chair in all his movies. An example is Don.
Impressed by the sheer prominence of the character (that one has perhaps revered in his childhood) does not entitle him to remake a masterpiece. But hold on. Farhan in his televised interview stated that this is not a remake but his “interpretation” of the movie Don. If at all this is an interpretation then why are the key monologues from the original version lifted like Roma airlifts the entire van to add vanity and style. To top it the entire soundtrack is copied with minor variations adding techno beats and a few added stanzas. And if it indeed is a remake then why the original plot is tinkered with beats me.
An earnest attempt has been made by Farhan Akhtar to impart his interpretation of Don which falls flat on its back. No doubt he was taken in by the audacity of the character, the immortal dialogues and the amazing soundtrack and got lured to interpret it on his own. But sorry Farhan, your interpretation is abysmal to say the least and any attempt to vindicate your plot through post release interviews will add no value to your misadventure.
Salute to Salim-Javed for the screenplay/dialogues, Chandra Barot for the direction and Kalyanji-Anandji for the music of this 1978 masterpiece.
Don banana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai.
This is not a movie review or the nuances of acting and the histrionics of the actors, but an “interpretation” of the idea behind Version 2.0
