'Don' - a litmus test for Shah Rukh and Farhan

New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) With memories of the Amitabh original only too fresh in everyone's mind, Farhan Akhtar releases his hi-tech action thriller "Don - The Chase Begins" this Friday -- a litmus test for both the director and Shah Rukh Khan who plays the title role in the film.

Farhan made a spectacular debut with "Dil Chahta Hai", but his second directorial venture "Lakshya" bombed and Shah Rukh hasn't had any big hit in last two years. This film is therefore particularly important for both.

Unlike the original version, this one is set in Malaysia and Farhan has used the best of technology to make it a slick flick.

It is about an Indian mafia group headed by dreaded gangster Singhania who has moved his base to Malaysia. Very few know that in reality Singhania's trusted lieutenant Don (Shah Rukh Khan) runs the gang and both Indian as well as Malaysian intelligence agencies are trying to catch him.

But Don is unstoppable in his pursuit of absolute power. For Indian police officer, DCP Desilva (Boman Irani), it's a huge challenge to arrest Don. After a dangerous cat-and-mouse run, one day luck favours Desilva. Don gets seriously injured in a police encounter and he captures him.

Instead of sending him to jail, however, he hides him because he has a secret plan to bust this drug mafia.

The word that Don is dead begins to do the rounds. Disleva feels that it is the right time to put his plan in action - he sends Vijay, Don's look alike whom he had been training for quite some time, to take Don's place in the gang.

As luck would have it, the man shielding Vijay is killed and the latter comes to know the horrifying truth that both the police and the gang are out to catch him for different reasons.

Don is desperate to prove his innocence. In this time of crisis he gets help from Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and Jasjit (Arjun Rampal), who owes Vijay a favour for looking after his son while he was in jail.

With the release date only a couple of days away, tension is mounting in the Shah Rukh camp. Comparisons with Amitabh, who recently stole the show in Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" as Sexy Sam, will be inevitable.

Farhan has not left any stone unturned to make it work - he has roped in the best actors, world-class technologies and, of course, the most glamorous girls from Bollywood. Apart from Priyanka, the film will see Kareena Kapoor in an item number and Isha Koppikar playing an important role.

If the film clicks, both the director and the actor can sit on their laurels and relish the success. But if it fails, it is a sure sign of danger for both.

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DON - The Chase Begins Again