DON 2 – THE DON MUST DIE
India, 2011, 140 minutes, Colour.
Shah Rukh Khan, Florian Lukas, Om Puri, Prianka Chopra.
Directed by Farhan Akhtar
Don 2 received quite some prominence at the Berlinale, many wondering what a Bollywood gangster film was doing there. Answer: a good half of the film was made in Berlin, so it was on home ground, so to speak. Berlin looks quite attractive and, at times, spectacular, what with familiar landmarks, impossible car chases on key roads, and lots of explosions and activities and stunts in and outside of banks.
Even if one has not seen the first Don film, there are enough indications and some flashbacks to make sure audiences feel comfortable watching the sequel. This film is quite a show so, if it is not as good as the original, the original must have been quite something!
Watching Don 2, we realise that Bollywood is learning a lot (and borrowing) from the Hong Kong action and gangster conventions, some martial arts fights as well, but learning and borrowing most from the action genres of Hollywood (and wanting to outdo Hollywood at times, and succeeding). Hence a French Riviera opening with European gangsters planning to kill the Asian drug kingpin, Don, followed by a spectacular Malaysian river ride turning into fights and drug dealer machine gun deaths. There are some attractive scenes in KL and Zurich, but then it is on to Berlin, with a complicated plot for Don to steal the plates used for making the Euro notes.
This means prison scenes (for Don to break out with an old enemy he wants to use in Berlin), suave political soirees, the aforementioned chases and the complex carrying out of Don’s plan.
This is all possible because Indian superstar, X Khan (who does fights, song and dance, including the final credits, and ruthless crime) is such a charming rogue (and almost complete narcissist) that, despite ourselves, we rather like him. Which also means that we see very little of his plotting and planning which is always supersmart and we accept it all. (Khan tried something completely different with his portrayal of an autistic man in My Name is Khan.)
Of course, it is a business and political story as well as a police investigation with Roma, an old flame from the original, out to capture him and Om Puri as the police chief who wants to arrest Don before retiring.
So, Bollywood trying to better and best Hollywood in the action genre – and succeeding.
1. Bollywood meets Hong Kong and Hollywood? A slick action film with flair?
2. The rapid pace, the importance of editing, for action? The inclusion of songs? Watchable?
3. The original Don – information in this film, the flashbacks, the development of the characters, the continuity?
4. The world of crime, a drugs story, the drug kingpin for Asia, the plans to break into Europe, the rivals?
5. A police drama, Malik and his being chief detective, pursuing Don, Roma and her relationship with Don, wanting to arrest him? Arjun and his devotion to Roma, participation in the investigation? From Malaysia to Germany?
6. The locations, the French Riviera, Zurich, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Berlin? The importance of Berlin – the vistas, the well-known landmarks and their use?
7. The introduction to Don, his voice-over, his appearance, rogue and charm? Narcissistic? The lyrics of the song, his confidence? Smug? Super-smart? The audience not seeing him doing any planning – but his coming up with the most intricate plans and the execution of the plans, the twists?
8. The Riviera, Jimmy Coogan, the European gangsters and their decision that the Don had to die?
9. The transition to Malaysia, the beauty, the river, the arrival at the boat, the confrontation, executing Jimmy Coogan’s plans, Don and his skills, the fights, martial arts, shooting? Stunt action?
10. His plan, giving himself up, his history with Malik, with Roma? Malik and his intention to resign, yet his aim to get Don in prison? The interrogation, the deals, Don ready to supply information about the European drug dealers?
11. His going to prison, his confrontation with Van Haan, the previous fights, Van Haan in prison because of Don? The setups in the yard, the confrontations, Don wanting Van Haan as an ally, the various jobs in the prison, cleaning and cooking, bringing in the medicine, the inmates ill?
12. The escape, the disguise, meeting Ayesha, the disc, needing the two numbers to get the information and open the safe? Van Haan and his suspicions of Ayesha? The insertion of the song and dance routine at this point?
13. Diwan and his job in Germany, his relationship with Kohl, their plot, the hit, the hold over each other? Don knowing all of this, the disc?
14. The plates for printing the euro notes? Diwan and his fear, hiring Jabaar and his thugs? Don turning them into allies? The threats, the goons, the crashing of the car?
15. Don hiring Sameer, his internet expertise, his wife and her pregnancy? Hacking into the system, the explanations, his work in the execution of the plan, the timing, the betrayal?
16. The plan within the building, the timing, the explosions, taking workers as hostages? The expert and Van Haan going to talk with him about authenticity of notes? Getting his fingerprints? Getting to the vault, the plates, the confrontations, the electricity going off, the police presence, Roma and Malik? Don’s escape? His decision to go back in, to shoot or not? The deal, his wanting immunity?
17. The chases through Berlin, the socialite party, the action?
18. Don, his freedom, the confrontation with Diwan, his being killed in the explosion? Van Haan going back to jail, Jabaar dead? Kohl being arrested?
19. The revelation of the play with Sameer, the pretence betrayal, the parcel of the plates being sent to him, the suspense as the parcel arrived at his house? His future assured with Don’s support? Don going free? Reunited with Ayesha? Roma being shot, Don saving her life?
20. The final credits, the song and dance routines, the lyrics and their commenting on the film and characters? The combination of Hong Kong martial arts, Hollywood heist films with the Bollywood touch? Bollywood better than Hollywood?
