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Satyam

NY Times Dostana Review
satyam | 3 | November 14, 2008 at 9:48 pm | 140 views | NaachGaana Bol| Share


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November 15, 2008
Tolerance by Way of Real Estate

By RACHEL SALTZ
Published: November 15, 2008

It may seem like a cheat — or inevitable — that the heroes of the first mainstream Bollywood movie to feature gay characters are just pretending, but the decent-hearted comedy “Dostana” deserves credit. It irreverently normalizes a topic that has been virtually absent from screens in India (where gay sex is still technically illegal), and does so using contemporary Bollywood’s best not-so-secret weapon: star power.

Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham are the unembarrassed A-listers who play Sameer and Kunal, a nurse and photographer thrown together by real estate lust. The two pretend to be lovers so they can move in with a single girl (Priyanka Chopra), without being sexually threatening. Of course they both fall in love with her.

As if to atone for its not-really-gay premise, “Dostana,” safely set thousands of miles from India in candy-colored Miami, starts with a song montage that swoons over male cheesecake, especially Mr. Abraham. See Kunal flex; see Kunal lie shirtless on a Harley; watch as the camera pans up and down that ripped torso; look, it’s wet!

And while the movie concentrates on the three roommates’ dostana (or friendship), it doesn’t wish away gayness. In a classic Hindi-film mother sequence, Sameer’s mom (Kiron Kher) comes to accept her son’s homosexuality. We know he’s straight, but the tolerance lesson, delivered by Ms. Chopra, stands: love is good, however you find it. And, wonder of wonders — this is still Bollywood — Mr. Bachchan (in fine campy form) and Mr. Abraham kiss. On the lips.

DOSTANA

Opened on Friday nationwide.

Written and directed by Tarun Mansukhani; director of photography, Ayananka Bose; edited by Mannan Sagar; music by Vishal and Shekhar; choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant and Farah Khan; production designer, Amrita Singh Nakai; produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar; released by Yash Raj Films. In Hindi, with English subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes. This film is not rated.

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There Are 3 Responses So Far. »

  1. satyam 14 November 2008
    10:06:26 pm

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    The kiss incidentally is in the classic tradition of the heterosexual one in Hindi cinema. Which is to say fake. The situation itself is amusing though given the way it comes about.

  2. Qalandar 15 November 2008
    06:58:23 am

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    Re: “…As if to atone for its not-really-gay premise, “Dostana,” safely set thousands of miles from India in candy-colored Miami…”

    This is unfair, given that very many films are set on foreign shores…for contemporary Hindi filmmakers this is a reflex, whether the film features gay love, straight love, or just brotherly love!

  3. Som 16 November 2008
    04:58:34 am

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    I felt the climax of Dostana was tad weak,the whole episode of John and Abhi asking Priyanka and Bobby to forgive them and then Bobby in turn forcing both guys to kiss in front of the whole crowd and finally the so called “kiss” between two guys was nothing but a way to make things cheesier in the name of humor.

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