In a nostalgic moment on a lucid day, I was transported to the early 2000s. When the angry young man in his most capitative charm was all the buzz on the movie TV channels. Yes! that era, the one without OTT; where, by the end of the movie an average Indian had more advertisement time than movie time with the occasional power cuts sending waves of disappointment — Gosh!
Well, next thing you know I had bought A Zee5 subscription and was watching Mr. Bachchan’s DON.
So here is the question to my ‘Modern’ mind accustomed to Nolan’s, Kashyap’s, Tarantino’s, Scott’s, Ali’s, etc., how enjoyable is the 1978 flick by Chandra Barot?
Right off the bat, IT IS FUN!
THE NARRATIVE
Setting himself into action genre from the Hit Zanjeer, Mr. Bachchan here as ‘Don’ is all suave. The film to the unknown (Spoilers ahead) follows the life of gangster Don. He does not think twice before dispatching his enemy to the gates of heaven, always a step ahead of his foes, women buzz around him like bees about flowers, and is elusive for the police. Justifying “Don ko pakdna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai” (to capture don is not only difficult but impossible).
Eventually, Don is fatally injured in an encounter and dies. Here, by creative convenience the deputy inspector of police, the only one aware of his death, ropes in his doppelgänger to take his place to further unravel the crime syndicate of Don. Another character that stands out is ‘Mona’ played by glamourous and fierce Zeenat Aman, with bloodthirst for Don who is responsible for killing her brother. Other prominent actors are Iftekhar, Pran, Om Shivpuri, Kamal Kapoor, Mac Mohan, Helen, etc. Noticeably, Mac Mohan had much more dialogues than I have usually seen him with.
SO, WHAT MAKES IT GOOD?
In two words, entertainment Value! revengeful Zeenat Aman who is ready to go to any lengths to kill Don; anguished Pran who was once part of the crime syndicate is now looking for his kids after serving jail time; Om Shivpuri, the Crime lord who is masquerading as an Interpol officer. Every character has a unique set of emotions on display.
From the first scene of Don sending his enemy blasting off, no one is miser, money, and bullets flow unbridled. From the Iconic music delivered by legendary duo Kalyanji-Anandji which has been the soul of radio across ages to unforgettable and sometimes cheesy dialogues by another celebrated duo, Salim-Javed delivered with finesse.
Although it is The Star of the millennium, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, who carries the movie on his shoulders. From the sophistication of Don to Slum dweller Vijay, who makes his living performing on the streets and feeding the two kids he has taken under his care, it all looks so effortless.
A stretchy motor vehicle chase scene, cringe fight sequences, lazy plot points and at times over the top acting, the movie is not without cons however with such classics these are things we are ready to discount.
A little more for cinema lovers
Before I end, let me briefly talk about Searching on Netflix. A 2018 movie starring John Cho and directed by Aneesh Chaganty. Dealing with post-traumatic stress on a father and daughter relationship; the movie stands out in its portrayal of the deep roots’ internet has made in our lives. Also the skewed relatability it gives to the people. The entire movie is shown through a desktop screen where Apple Facetime and other applications are windows to the happenings, a cinematic genius.
