Movie Review: De Dana Dan;
Star Cast:
Akshay Kumar,
Sunil Shetty,
Paresh Rawal;
Katrina Kaif,
Neha Dhupia,
Sameera Reddy;
Director: Priyadarshan;
Rating: **1/2
PRIYADARSHAN'S LATEST offering De Dana Dan, seems like a reprisal of the hit Hera Pheri, with the talents of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal combined again. Sadly, after the two hours forty minutes film gets over, you realise how far it stands from that comedy caper.
When Akshay Kumar's character Nitin, who is a chauffeur in sad circumstances, talks about the condition of his ragged uniform, it feels as if he is giving the film its most honest review. The belt is supported a pyjama drawstring, the buttons might fall off at any moment and how nothing seems top be holding together. What makes the film more doomed by its makers, is how Priyadarshan, in the credits which few stay on to watch, has no intention to call himself the director – it says "Filmed by….".
Like every film directed by Priyadarshan, this too gets several-unrelated-yet-related-characters who shriek when they speak and gets them together for all star finale, when all 26 of them strive to find a way to escape the hotel in the end. There are kidnappers who nab a dog, murderers and body deliveries and the above mentioned trio that is rarely together.
Akshay Kumar is the handyman servant, who is the butler, cook, driver,watchman and gardener to industrialist Archana Puran Singh who settled in Singapore. He wants to marry Anjali (who else but Katrina Kaif?), who gives him financial support. His best friend Ram (Suneil Shetty) comes to Singapore, seeking wealth from foreign shores and ends up as a courier delivery boy. Conveniently, he finds wealthy Manpreet (Sameera Reddy), whose parents refuse to let them get hitched.
Meanwhile, Harbans (Paresh Rawal) wants to make more money and decides to get his soon married to a wealthy girl. He sees Manpreet as a suitable candidate and impresses her family by pretending to be equally rich, almost like Anupam Kher in Dil.
The two heroes receive ultimatums to get rich quick or lose their lady loves and promptly decide kidnapping is the only way to do so. In the midst of this, Priyadarshan throws in Chinese Don (Asrani), a hired assassin (Johny Lever), an police inspector (Sharat Saxsena), a club dancer (Neha Dhupia), a letch (Shakti Kapoor), a drunken waiter (Rajpal Yadav) and a dead body. The situation deteriotes to a bad copy of Blame it on the Bellboy.
While the audience would strive to follow all of the riddled plotlines and some genuinely funny moments like Manoj Joshi's red in the fact act, they can also stick to listening to the music by Pritam or croon along to Paisa, the track given by RDB. The composition is good and one can say a lot about the technical soundness of Ahamabaram's work.
Word to the wise,
Try not to plan the weekend simply on De Dana Dan.
