Dostana

Sameer Sam Kapoor (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal Chopra (John Abraham) are fun-loving, womanizer bachelors settled in Miami. Sam is a nurse by profession and is often joked around by others about the cliché skirt wearing joke. Kunal is a photographer and is in look out for apartment after his partner asks him to move out within 2 weeks. They both briefly meet each other at a friends place after a night out with girls. Later, they run into each other while looking for an apartment to rent and they both love it.

The apartment belongs to Neha Melwani (Priyanka Chopra) who works for Verve magazine. She lives there with her Maasi (meaning Aunty in hindi) (Sushmita Mukherjee). However, her Maasi refuses to sublet the apartment to either of them as Neha wanted only girls as her flat-mates.Being rejected the apartment, they walk out to a hot-dog stand where a homosexual American soldier mentions how much Sam and Kunal remind him of his own relationship with his long-term partner. Sam tries to persuade Kunal to pretend they are lovers so that they may live in the apartment.

Kunal initially refuses but, desperate for the apartment, he agrees to it. Their plan works and they move in. One thing leads to another and they end up declaring themselves as gay on official forms for permits of residence. Soon, the three of them become good friends. Gradually, both of them fall in love with Neha.

Nehas boss, Murli M (Boman Irani), resigns his job as the editor and says that the decision about the new editor is in his hands. To impress him, Neha invites her homosexual boss for dinner at her house, telling him that she will introduce him to her friends. The evening starts off fun and even an officer from the U.S. government who comes for a surprise, random inspection joins them.

But the party soon turns into chaos when Rani (Kiron Kher) Sams embarrassing mother drops by to check on her son after receiving a letter at her home in London from the U.S. government confirming approval for her sons application for domestic partnership with Kunal, only to discover her sons sexual preferences. The night comes to end when M discovers neither Sam not Kunal is actually single.The next day at Nehas office, M announces that Abhimanyu Abhi Singh (Bobby Deol) is to be the new editor.

Neha, deeply upset at being passed over for promotion, returns home where she is consoled by Rani. In turn, Neha helps her embrace her sons sexuality. Kunal and Sam, then help Neha with a project assigned by Abhi. Clearly impressed by Neha, Abhi announces that the success of the project is because of her. Later, Sam surprises her with late night amusement park trip and gifts her an album with their memories together.

Sam and Neha go shopping. While she in the changing-room, he musters the courage to tell her he loves her from outside. She does not hear him, instead Kunal does. After overhearing Sams confession, he quickly puts a stop to his conversation with her, telling him that he too loves Neha. Kunal hatches a plan for Nehas birthday party and misleads Sam to a night-bar, so that he can take Neha on what he hopes to make a date.

Sam spends the entire night at the strip club being an eye candy at Maasis kitty party. Neha perceives the dates with both guys as no more than a friendly outing, since she is convinced of their homosexuality. The next morning Sameer gets furious with Kunal and the tension between the two baffles Neha.Abhi and Neha start dating. Sam and Kunal decide to team up and sabotage their budding relationship.

They give inappropriate advices to drive her interest off him. And his weird mannerisms, irrirates Neha and they end up having an argument. After she discovers the men behind these chaos are Kunal and Sam, she misinterprets it as their interest in Abhi. Despite their efforts, Abhi and Neha fall in love. Sam and Kunal redirect their efforts into frightening Abhis five-year-old son, Veer, about his future if his father marries Neha and he gains Neha as a stepmother.

Neha discovers that Abhi plans to propose to her during a basketball game. Before half-time she pulls Kunal and Sameer aside and asks them for advice. The pair is shocked and tell her to say a no, admitting that they are not homosexual, and in fact, are each in love with her. Meanwhile, Veer tells Abhi of his fears, begging his father not to marry Neha. During the game, Abhi hugs Neha and ends the relationship, citing Veers discomfort.

Neha tearfully evicts Kunal and Sameer from her apartment and resigns from Verve.A few months later, Kunal and Sam meet each other at court to collect their resident permits and realise that though they dont have a romantic relationship with each other or with Neha, they shared a wonderful friendship, which is incomplete without Neha. Kunal and Sam reconcile. The two find Neha at a fashion show and try to apologise, but she refuses to see them. Abhi appears and Kunal asks when their wedding is.

Neha tells him that they broke up because Veers insecurity. Kunal and Sam reveal their misdeeds about manipulating Veers mind, which angers both Neha and Abhi. Kunal and Sam climb onto the stage and beg for Nehas forgiveness. The crowd encourages them to beg plea on their knees, say that they love her, blow kisses to her, but nothing softens her. Finally, the crowd asks them to kiss each other, and they refuse.

Neha and Abhi turn to leave and Kunal forcibly kisses Sam. Abhi is amazed and Neha, gets impressed at the length the two will stretch themselves to in order to regain her trust and she forgives them. Kunal and Sam, desperate to secure Nehas happiness and friendship, each get down on their knees and propose to Abhi on her behalf. Abhi, amused, agrees.Two months later, the friends trio are knocking back beers on a sunny day.

Neha playfully asks the two whether they might have felt anything for each other in the time they spent pretending to be homosexual. The men get defensive and Neha tickled, takes her leave with a Sorry, touchy topic. Sam and Kunal, now alone, remember their kiss.The film review site Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie an aggregate 100% (fresh) rating, based on 5 reviews. Rony DCosta of Box Office India gave it 3 stars out of 5, stating, Dostana is fresh, frothy, naughty & a delightful romantic comedy.

Its an ideal date movie. Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars out of 5, with Taran Adarsh commenting, On the whole, DOSTANA is a winner all the way. In terms of content, it might just prove to be a trendsetter. The Times of India gave it 4 stars out of 5, stating, Just for laughs, with a loose second half, Dostana boasts of some fine chemistry between the two lead players: Abhishek and John. The review at Rediff.

com makes note of the elaborate sequences and the possibility of the film becoming a financial success. However, it also mentions that the film is flawed in its depiction of homosexuality, calling it a crucial blunder. AOL India gave it 3 out of 5, with Noyon Jyoti Parasara calling Dostana a fun film. Among other US critics, Frank Lovece of Film Journal International enjoyed it as a [b]ig, colorful, delightfully dumb Bollywood gateway movie that could be a perfect crossover vehicle for U.S.

audiences. Referring to the thematically similar film I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Lovece said this reverse La Cage aux Folles . is miles above Adam Sandlers Hollywood take on the topic. Critic and author Maitland McDonagh in MissFlickChick.com, placing the film in a larger context, analysed that it trades in stereotypes about swishy queers, shallow horndogs, frustrated career girls, guilt-wielding (s)mothers and overbearing aunties who need to chill out and get laid.

And you know what? Its pretty damned funny and oddly subversive. Yes, everyone learns a lesson about tolerance without actually embracing an alternative lifestyle, but any movie that can finagle two macho movie studs into a full-on smooch that doesnt devolve into slapstick gay panic is venturing into risky territory.