Dostana 2

Interesting facts

Dostana (transl. Friendship) is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar under Dharma Productions. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra and Bobby Deol, reuniting Bachchan and Abraham after Dhoom (2004). Set in Miami, it follows two men who pretend to be gay to share an apartment with a girl; eventually, both fall in love with her.

Production

During the production of Karan Johar's ensemble musical romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Tarun Mansukhani conceived a film about 3 friends who share an apartment. After the production wrapped, Karan Johar told him that Mansukhani was ready to direct a film and should write a script; if Johar liked it, he would produce the film.

The director was inspired by his own experiences: "The germ for that comes from my own childhood memories of school-time friends. I have lived in boarding school for most of my childhood and the friends that I have today are the ones whom I got in touch with during 4th/5th standard.

Mansukhani later added the gay storyline because he thought it was an issue that needed to be touched on. However, the director did not want the film to be serious or preachy: "I also realise that when you preach via cinema nobody wants to hear it". "The film has a message, if you get it, great. If you don't, no problem, sit back, relax and enjoy the film", he said about making it a romantic comedy.

Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra were cast in the lead roles. Aishwarya Rai was originally offered the lead role, but she refused it because she did not want to end up with another man in her first film with her husband (Bachchan) after their marriage. After Dostana's release, she regretted the decision.

Bachchan said that Sam was his most difficult character to play, and he worked hard on his gestures and mannerisms: "I had to work very hard to portray a straight man acting gay. It could easily have gone over-board. I wanted to avoid making the character caricatural [sic]. Barring one portion ... we kept it controlled." Bachchan and Abraham, who had gained weight for their earlier films, had to lose the weight and become more muscular.

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