An Indian officer D'Silva [Boman Irani] has sworn to put an end to the nexus. He knows that the key to unlock this puzzle lies in capturing Don. And he succeeds one day. Don is captured and D'Silva puts his plan into action. Unknown to even his own department, D'Silva recruits and trains a man who is a spitting image of Don. His name is Vijay.

Vijay infiltrates the cartel and manages to give D'Silva all the information he needs to bring it down. But in a bizarre twist of fate, D'Silva is killed during a raid and the secret that Don is in fact Vijay is buried with him. The only people who realize that he's an imposter are the members of Don's cartel [Pawan Malhotra and Shakeel Khan] and they want their revenge.

Vijay manages to escape and is now on the lookout for the one last piece of evidence that can get him out of the mess. Helping him on this quest are two people: Roma [Priyanka Chopra] and Jasjit [Arjun Rampal].

In the second hour, the murder of Rajesh Khattar [Don's boss] gives an impression that it's child's play to eliminate a drug baron. Moreover, what happens to Don's gang, also being held captive and being chartered to another destination [just before Don escapes from the aircraft]? Also, Arjun Rampal's exit from the story could've been properly defined. Also, where does his kid disappear suddenly? And what is Om Puri doing in this film? A junior police officer [aiding Boman Irani] has a meatier role than Puri here. It's a screenplay of convenience. Frankly, this looks like a desi James Bond saga, with the protagonist behaving like one mighty guy who can outsmart just about anyone and everyone.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is strictly functional. The only track that's worth a mention is 'Ye Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Diwana' and S-E-L cannot get credit for it because it's not their composition. Mohanan's cinematography is of international quality. The opulent look and sets are well captured by the lensman and so are the eye-catching locations of Malaysia.

Action scenes are superb. Take the fight between SRK and Chunkey Pandey at the very start of the film or the chase on a secluded beach and the lanes of a town before Don is captured by the cops -- it's jaw-dropping. The sync sound is not coherent at times and this will pose a major problem, especially at single screens where the sound system isn't of standard quality. SRK carries a massive responsibility on his shoulders since direct comparisons with Bachchan are foreseeable. SRK does very well as Don. He enacts the evil character with flourish. But he fails to carry off the other role [Vijay] with conviction. It looks made up, it doesn't come naturally to him at all. Priyanka Chopra carries off her part with élan. The stunt [when she rescues SRK] is bound to win her laurels.

Arjun Rampal's character could have been better developed. Despite the shortcomings, he makes a sincere attempt. Kareena Kapoor looks alluring in a miniscule role (originally Helen's item number). Isha Koppikar is alright. Boman Irani is fantastic yet again. He enacts the conniving and calculating villain with gusto. A remarkable actor like Om Puri is completely wasted here. Pawan Malhotra does very well. Why doesn't one see more of his talented actor in films? Diwakar Pundir [as Kareena's fiancé], Shakeel Khan and Rajesh Khattar are adequate.

On the whole, Don does not meet the expectations as a film. But the film will be a different story altogether at the box-office. The tremendous craze for the film, the fabulous hype of the film, the presence of SRK in the central role and also the credibility of its makers [Farhan Akhtar] will ensure a fabulous start at the ticket window. The Diwali and Idd period will only give a big boost to the business, making its distributors jump with joy. In short, sometimes a weak film runs for weeks and weaves magic at the box-office. Don is one of those!

Courtesy: IndiaFM