'Dostana' is friends, with the right benefits

Dostana
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham
Director: Tarun Mansukhani 
Rating ***

If you are looking for a film that waves the pink flag for gay rights, freedom of choice etc, Dostana is not where you should be looking.

This is not a gay film, but it sure is a happy one. In fact, the gay theme is, sadly over-hyped and overdone, while in the film, it plays the mere role of a recurrent gag. Dostana goes no distance in taking a liberal stand point; it does not have a deep message; and is hardly likely to affect significant cases being argued in the Supreme Court. The only thing pink about Dostana is the pink Cadillac Abhishek Bachchan’s Sam drives in Miami.

Sam and Kunal (John Abraham) are strangers forced to pose as a gay couple in order to rent an apartment, which is also occupied by Neha (Priyanka Chopra). The trio almost instantly becomes best friends.

The two boys, naturally, fall heads-over-designer-heels in love with Neha and engage in an unscrupulous and ugly contest to win her over. Convinced that Sam and Kunal are made for each other, Neha’s affections are diverted to her new boss, Abhimanyu (single expression Bobby Deol).

Echoes of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and The Object of My Affection can now be heard. There are other Hollywood films to be spotted — notice Devil Wears Prada when fashion magazine editor M (Boman Irani) waltzes into his swanky office.

Irani sizzles in his brief role as the effeminate editor and compensates for the outrageously ham show by Kirron Kher. What was director Tarun Mansukhani thinking there?

Sushmita Mukherjee’s cartoon-ish presentation is funny and thankfully clipped early enough. Besides the two reluctant gay men, all other representations of gay characters conform to the (incorrect) stereotype of being loud, effeminate, limp-wristed and of loose morals.

Pre-interval you find yourself laughing in spite of yourself, sometimes at the sheer comic situations, and sometimes at the madness within the film. Abraham and Bachchan’s antics are hilarious in some scenes (like the Venice flashback) and plain over-the-top in others. The post-interval segment lets the film down as it loses a grip on the relationships, and fails to bring touch on any complexities.

But this is a Karan Johar production, so you are guaranteed a visual feast with gorgeous clothes (Aki Narula and Manish Malhotra), the fabulous backdrop of Miami, John Abraham’s body, butt and beachwear, and bouncing music. Mansukhani follows the Dharma model to the last word and does especially well in scenes like Kunal wooing Neha with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Priyanka Chopra looks stunning and chips in with a no-holds barred performance. Abhishek Bachchan is the surprise of Dostana — he’s funny, natural, uninhibited and carries even potentially awkward scenes with ease. Abraham’s abs, butt and biceps distracted us from his performance!

So if you want a laugh, a good time out with friends, and some eye candy, Dostana is for you. If you are looking for a gay movie, this is not the right choice.