Don 2 (2011)

Don is now a big shot drug dealer in Asia. He pisses off the European drug cartel due to his low rates and they want him dead. Somehow he escapes an attempt on his life in Bangkok and surrenders to Roma and Malik in Malaysia. Don is sentenced to death. He meets Vardhan in the jail and convinces him to escape along with him for a job.

This time Don is eyeing a German bank. He wants to get hold of the plates that are used to print currency notes. He uses the corrupt Indian vice president in the bank, Diwan to get the information that he wants to pull off his heist. Diwan wants Don dead due to this.

Don gets some more men for his heist job, including a computer expert Sameer for hacking. He has his trusted 'sweetheart' Ayesha by his side as always. Things don't go very smoothly and there is in-fighting between the men as expected.

Just when the police think that Don is good enough to be behind bars, he pulls off a coup and manages to either kill all his enemies or send them behind bars. It is all a big master plan cleanly executed. Don's soft corner for Roma remains and he is now ready to rule the underworld even more due to the lack of a single enemy.

Don 3 will be back to tell more on that ...

Hits

• The look and feel of the movie is like any Hollywood action blockbuster - be it the locations, the action blocks, the cinematography, the sound effects, the costumes etc. Top notch production values. 
• SRK is made for such roles that flaunt his villainy and style. He carries off a stubble like a king be it, the intro scenes or the climax. It is a solid return to form. The crowd just goes berserk whenever he mouths the famous punch dialogs or smokes or wears his coolers or just walks in his designer wear. King of the masses, this Don is. 
• Boman Irani as Vardhan and Priyanka Chopra as Roma carry on in the same roles. Priyanka looks super hot while Boman is convincing as always. Kunal Kapoor has a solid role too, considering the future of this series. 
• No place for contemporary Indian romance and dream duets. Limited songs that don't spoil the movie one bit. 
• The initial scenes with SRK in his long hair - stubble avatar, are racy and send the crowd into a mass frenzy. Heroism rules as always. When SRK's name is mentioned on screen, it is a moment of sheer mad fanaticism. 

Comments

• Om Puri sticks out like a sore thumb with his total lack of style and finesse in a movie that oozes style and suaveness. 
• The twist in the climax is expected because we know what Don is capable of. 
• The 2nd half is not racy and most of the scenes are dedicated to the heist at the bank. 
• Hrithik Roshan makes a special appearance in a scene that celebrates typical Hollywood action blockbusters like MI.

VERDICT

A solid return to form for SRK. The star rocks such villainous roles like none other. Kudos to Farhan Akhtar for making a Hollywood movie in an Indian budget

Wake Up Sid (2009)

The Plot
The film is about the coming of age of a filthy rich young brat named Siddharth Mehra aka Sid. Sid is in Mumbai. He fails his degree exams and has no aim in life. His father is a rich businessman who specializes in flower furnishings. Sid isn't able to fit into his father's business as well.

Sid just has fun with his 2 buddies Laxmi and Rishi. He meets Aisha one day and they instantaneously hit it off. Aisha is from Kolkota and she has come to Mumbai to be independent. Basically she is the exact opposite of Sid. Sid helps her settle in Mumbai and Aisha also gets a job in the magazine "Mumbai Beat"

At one stage Sid has a major fight with his father and he moves out of his home. He lives with Aisha and slowly learns about life. He learns to cook, clean up, wash etc and also gets the urge to work. He is very good at photography and he gets placed as an intern at "Mumbai Beat" thanks to Aisha. Sid works his way up and finally gets a permanent posting as an Assistant Photographer.

By then Sid's father calls him back home and they mend their differences. Aisha also falls for Sid slowly but surely. Sid had been having love feelings for her from the beginning but she feels he is too kiddish for her liking. Finally Sid comes to know about her feelings for him, through her first published article.

Sid and Aisha unite in the Mumbai rains in the end.

Hits

• Such realism in the way relationships have been portrayed be it - love, friendship, mother son bonding, father son bonding. Beautiful to the core. Great work by debutante Ayan Mukerji. 
• Brilliant acting by the entire cast be it Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen, Anupam Kher as the dad, Supriya Pathak as the mom, Sid's friends Laxmi, Rishi & Kashmira Shah as Sonia. Perfect casting. Even the characters in the flat like the young kid, his mom etc. are so life-like.
• Lovely songs by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Amit Trivedi. Peppy, meaningful and melodious at the same time. The BG score by Amit Trivedi is so well in sync with the movie. 
• Even though each of the cast has done a brilliant job, it is impossible to single them out because everyone is equally brilliant. 
• Nice light screenplay that becomes serious just at a couple of points.

VERDICT

One of my all time favorite cults. Ranbir arrived in a big way with this light-hearted coming of age classic. 

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

The Plot
3 long time friends, Kabir, Arjun and Imran decide to go on a bachelor road trip to Spain, to celebrate Kabir's last few days of bachelorhood. The plan is to try out 3 surprising adventure sports that would help overcome their fears. Deep sea diving, sky diving and bull fighting are the 3 chosen sports.

The 3 guys realize their life's true existence and after the trip they get what they want in life and are free from all confusions. Arjun meets his true love Laila, the sea diving instructor. Imran knows the truth behind his mysterious father and Kabir realizes that his marriage is nothing but an effort to appease his family. Some solid male bonding and dreamy romance are also part of the package

                                                                           
Hits

• The 3 adventure sports have been shot like a dream. We can literally feel the adrenaline rush and the swirl of emotions. Beautifully shot. All the 3 episodes take the cake.
• The Spanish locations are worth catching up on the big screen. Magnificent locales. We yearn to see these places
• Farhan Akhtar as Imran scores the maximum brownie points among this ensemble cast. He is spontaneous with his jokes, emotes well and dances cool too. 
• Katrina Kaif as Laila is every man's dream girl and her pleasant smile and elegant dressing add to her splendor. She emotes very well nowadays. The way she rides the bike and proposes to Hrithik is one solid romantic moment
• Hrithik as Arjun carries the business dude look with the yo accent and the money minded nature perfectly. He is a Greek God, plain and simple. His reactions when he is about to leave Laila are really endearing. His friendship with Farhan has its share of frictions and it pans out nicely in the end. 
• Abhay Deol's voice is girly but still he impresses with his honest portrayal. The Dev D star is better off doing the drugged and spoilt brat rather than playing the rich and decent lad. 
• The songs are a major plus and they are picturized as expected, in a grand manner. 'Paint it Red', 'Udi', 'Senorita' you name it, the movie has it. 

Misses

• A bit slow in the second half with a cameo for Naseeruddin Shah thrown in. Anyone could have done this role but, the surprise factor is what must have brought Naseer in. 

VERDICT

Bollywood's answer to the Hollywood road-trip genre with a nice message about 'living life to the fullest' and 'following your heart'. Fairy-tale like and feel good to the core.