SRK to be immortalised in 'Don' comicbook avatar
While fans have been threatened by a possible tenth film in the Bollywood’ 'Don' franchise with a wheelchair-bound Shah Rukh Khan rattling off a few trademarked killer lines, enthusiasts who are eager to know the smooth criminal’s rags-to-riches tale can now walk through his wonder years as its comic book approaches its release next week.
Said 'Don' director Farhan Akhtar on the sidelines of the ongoing Dubai International Film Festival: “The comic book series releases shortly, which is a prequel of sorts that takes us into the back story of how 'Don' became the criminal mastermind he is today.”
The comic book’s tie-up with the December 23 release of 'Don 2' is a possibility that Akhtar did not confirm or deny, but catch the film’s trailer and a reference to baddie’s mother does make the cut, sparking off rumours that a plot shall be revealed with a direct link between the two upcoming projects.
However, co-producer Ritesh Sidhwani is a little more forthcoming.
“'Don 2' picks up where the first film left off,” he said. “In these five years, many have shown curiosity in knowing how 'Don' came into being. This original story will help them understand him and also offer a background on other characters like Roma and Vardhaan.”
Yet, quiz Shah Rukh Khan himself and all he states is: “Clearly, I have been given a repressed childhood from the looks of it. But who am I to complain, because when I’m good, I’m good; but when I’m bad, I’m even better.”
After narrating a line from his upcoming Christmas release, the actor added: “However, I have enjoyed the way Farhan has written the characters; in fact, it shows an evolution in Indian cinema, where the bad guy has no qualms about being the villain; where he has the gumption to respond when told: ‘Your mother would be very disappointed if she saw you today’, saying, ‘You don’t know my mother’."
The buzz surrounding the upcoming thriller and its 3D serving has seen the film’s makers shuttle across the world to promote this sequel to the 2006 Khan and Priyanka Chopra-starrer, “Don: The Chase Begins Again”, which incidentally was a remake of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 blockbuster “Don”. The comic book is the prequel.
Khan is already buzzed about reprising his baddie avatar, saying: “Out of the 70-odd films I have worked in, I’ve had the most fun playing this character. I like the lying conniving meanness he possesses, fooling the young lady played by Priyanka. All of us had fun with it; we are all celebrating 'Don'.”
Akhtar, who has also penned the sequel’s screenplay, said that this time around he had more freedom with the characters, so he let them loose the way he liked it.
“With my first film I had to be original to the 1978 original, but this time around I had more freedom because it’s an original script,” said Akhtar. “With this film, I got this wonderful advantage to take characters that people know and create a whole new screenplay and story.
“I had no need to explain a background story. And I got to write an action movie the way action is done, along with writing the coolest lines which you don’t use in real life but when SRK says it, he does with relish and panache.”
Khan laughed at this, saying: “This simply means more money has been spent on this film.”
Historically, sequels have hardly ever fared better at the box office than its predecessor, but Akhtar seemed pretty confident over this new offering, saying: “When it’s the case of a film franchise, there has to be balance between knowing that the audience is hungry for this character and brainstorming ideas that leads up to a good story. It is downright demeaning to prequels if you don’t have that.”
Khan, whose last offering “Ra.One” didn’t exactly light the flame for critics, said that he didn’t plan to be part of this film franchise to begin with.
“I don’t plan. In fact, I am pretty disorganised. Sometimes things fall into place with the director and co-actors. When you finish a film, you leave a part of yourself behind and you hope you can come back to it one day.
“Five years ago we were eager to come back. Then one morning you wake you when Farhan calls have a story for 'Don 2'.”
So is there a part three on the cards?
Khan doesn’t deny the possibility, saying: “If there is a part three, we have decided Priyanka would become 'Don' and I will play Roma on a wheelchair.”
ALSO READ:
Buzz: Veena Malik
confesses going topless
AR Rahman concert
disappoints Dubai fans
