India Masala
Bollywood and culture in an emerging India
Dostana: A spectacular first half but nothing great overall
‘Dostana’ is a path-breaking Bollywood film alright. Maybe not for gay rights but certainly the number of times the word ‘gay’ has been used in a single film.
Indians hoping for a “Brokeback Mountain” may do well to stay away from this slapstick comedy about two men pretending to be a gay couple in order to lay hands on a top-notch condo overlooking the sun-kissed sands of Miami.
The opening shot of John Abraham emerging from the sea sets the tone for the film, with the camera lens lingering a tad too long on his bright yellow trunks.
The latest offering from filmmaker Karan Johar features the usual mélange of romance, snazzy designer wear, exotic locales and foot-tapping numbers.
But writer-director Tarun Mansukhani plays a masterstroke with the ‘gay’ plot, setting the stage for a hitherto unused treasure trove of witty one-liners and bawdy humour.
But why do the leading men pretend to be gay?
Well, photographer Kunal (John Abraham) joins male nurse Sam (Abhishek Bachchan) in the hunt for an apartment, destiny taking both to the abode of (Neha) Priyanka Chopra.
-
The Wall
The movie was entertaining. They stretched the “gay” jokes a bit too much…but overall felt like it was worth the money to get a few laughs from what is otherwise a hectic, pressure cooker life. We watched this last night in the US and there were kids in the audience laughing away at the histrionics quite oblivious of the underlying “gay” concept.