REVIEW: De Dana Dan

De Dana Dan follows the 3Cs of a Priyadarshan comedy – cash, confusion and lots of chases. Faithfully obeying his own template, the director could might as well have made this film in his sleep. Packing in almost two dozen characters in a hotel, De Dana Dan is one long comic ride. The basic premise involves a bunch of greedy conmen caught in a web of lies. Thankfully, it is actually funny in most parts.

There are a few things that catch you unawares in this comedy. Though the promotion has been driven around Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy, the four are just a part of the ensemble. In fact, for a good part of the second half, Kumar and Shetty go missing. And while ardent fans might complain, the character actors more than make up for their absence.

Johnny Lever, Manoj Joshi, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Vikram Gokhale, Shakti Kapoor, Aditi Gowatriker and Neha Dhupia deliver a hilarious act. Of the lot, Archana Puran Singh's track is a little longer than desired.

Also those going in search of another Hera Pheri will be surprised by Rawal's zero interaction with the Kumar-Shetty duo. Strictly speaking in terms of structure, De Dana Dan is less Hera Pheri and more Hungama.

It's a film targeted at a mass audience looking for a light hearted joy ride at the theatre. While one might accuse Priyadarshan of silliness and moments of low brow humour, he deserves full credit for managing such a huge cast. Not once does the confusion go out of hand as the director is in full control of the proceedings. Each actor delivers an energetic performance doing full justice to the loud, over the top tone of the film.

Though the jokes and situations are not exactly new, the fast paced treatment elevates the impact of the film. In comparison to Akshay Kumar's other recent comedies, this one is several notches above. As for Priyadarshan, it is not a departure from his style, but far more entertaining than his Chup Chup Ke, Dhol and Bhagam Bhag. This time he sticks to the core plot and does not let the narrative lose track. After All The Best, this is yet another coherent, ensemble comedy this year.

The songs are mere speed breakers, giving the viewer to catch up on any missing link by checking with fellow audiences. However one can't forgive Priyadarshan for mercilessly editing out the much hyped AKshay-Katrina rain sequence. Not fair!

De Dana Dan doesn't aspire to be a Hrishikesh Mukherjee or Rajkumar Hirani product. It's got its goal clear and delivers what it promises.

Verdict: It would be harsh to run it down by drawing unnecessary comparisons with classic comedies. De Dana Dan has tremendous entertainment value. Given the style of most Bollywood comedies - De Dana Dan is the funniest film of the season.

Rating: 3/5

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