D review :
Ramgopal Varma (RGV)'s gangster trilogy completed with D - a title you would assume to mean the infamous don from Dongri but its main protagonist was called Deshu. Just Deshu. It's plot was actually an undisclosed pre-cursor to Varma's hit Company. The film was a fictional account of early days of Dawood and how he rose the ranks in the underworld to become its undisputed baadshah. The title 'D' was found confusing to aam junta so the posters read 'D - Underworld Badshaah' in some territories.
While Ajay Devgn was D (or Mallik) in Company (2002), Randeep Hooda played his younger avatar who is a son of a police havaldar and decides to take up crime as his business. The supporting cast - Goga Kapoor, Yashpal Sharma and Sushant - were impressive as the rival gangsters. Chunky Pandey sprung a pleasant surprise by his good goon act who is bumped off by his adversaries. Isha Koppikar was convincing as his love interest.
Rukhsar, who had disappeared after appearing in a couple of movies like Inteha Pyar Ki (1992) and Yaad Rakhegi Duniya (1992), impressed big time as the Bollywood heroine who falls for D. Her character was obviously inspired from a certain real life actress who was linked with the real life don in her prime. Rukhsar has never looked more gorgeous...trust me!!
Randeep Hooda, who had a miniscule role in few offbeat films earlier, was terrific as the lead hero Deshu. His voice and mannerisms accurately compliment Devgn's act in Company to make this movie appear a proper prequel to that classic. D wasn't as successful as Satya (1998) or Company but RGV completed his underworld trilogy with this movie directed by his lackey Vishram Sawant. It was one of the last ' RGV Factory' products which was worth a watch in theatre. I had seen it at Premiere Cinema, Parel in a near housefull Saturday evening show. Unfortunately, subsequent Factory products like Darwaza Bandh Rakho (2006), Shiva (2006), RGV ki Aag (2007) and Shabri (2011) drew a blank at this very theatre!!
Regards,
Sumeet Nadkarni.
