Don 2
File:Don2new.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Farhan Akhtar
Produced by	Ritesh Sidhwani Shah Rukh Khan Farhan Akhtar
Screenplay by	Farhan Akhtar Ameet Mehta Amrish Shah
Story by	Farhan Akhtar Ameet Mehta Amrish Shah
Starring	Shahrukh Khan Priyanka Chopra Lara Dutta Kunal Kapoor Boman Irani Om Puri
Music by	Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Cinematography	Jason West
Editing by	Anand Subaya Ritesh Soni
Studio	Excel Entertainment
Distributed by	Reliance Entertainment
Release date(s)	23 December 2011 (2011-12-23)
Running time	146 minutes
Country	‹See Tfd› India
Language	Hindi
Budget	70 crore (US$13.97 million)[1]
Box office	231 crore (US$46.08 million)[2]

Don 2 (also known as Don 2: The King Is Back and Don 2: The Chase Continues) is a 2011 Indian action crime film directed by Farhan Akhtar and co-written by him along with Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah. The film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar. It is a sequel to the 2006 film, Don: The Chase Begins Again and stars Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Om Puri and Kunal Kapoor while Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo appearance. The plot of the film continues from the end of the first one, starting in Malaysia and moving to Europe where Don, now the king of the Asian underworld, aims to take over the European drug cartel. The film marks Farhan Akhtar's return to direction after a gap of nearly five years. It was filmed in India, Thailand, Germany, Malaysia and Switzerland.

Prior to its release, Don 2 faced controversies regarding copyright concerns. The release of the film was carried out on 23 December 2011 by Reliance Entertainment, in both 2D and 3D formats, which included the dubbed versions in Tamil and Telugu. Upon release, Don 2 received positive to mixed critical reception in India and a generally positive reception overseas. Don 2 has been widely appreciated for its action, direction and cinematography with Shahrukh Khan receiving accolades for his performance, though criticism has been generated regarding its pace and music.^[3] It was showcased at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.

Made on a budget of 70 crore (US$13.97 million), Don 2 went on to break multiple box-office records in India and overseas, including highest opening day grosser ever on a non-holiday Friday and the highest grossing Bollywood film overseas in 2011.^[4][5] A week after its theatrical run, Box Office India declared the film a "Super hit" in India, and in the second week, a "blockbuster" overseas.^[6][5] Don 2 became the third-highest grossing Bollywood film of all time with a worldwide collection of 228 crore (US$45.49 million).^[2] The film fetched several awards at popular award ceremonies including two Filmfare Awards for Best Sound Design and Best Action.

Plot[link]

The bosses of the European drug cartel meet in the French Riviera to discuss a new threat emerging from Asia. Don (Shahrukh Khan) is jeopardising their business because he is able to sell drugs at a much lower price to their customers. The bosses send word out that Don must die. Don has been living in Thailand for the past five years and goes to a remote settlement to pick up a shipment of cocaine. Instead of normal transaction, Don has to fight his way out because the European drug dealers want him dead. He then inexplicably goes back to Malaysia where he surrenders to Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and Inspector Malik (Om Puri). Don is sentenced to death and sent to a Malaysian prison where he meets his old rival Vardhaan (Boman Irani). Don and Vardhaan escape the prison by poisoning all the inmates and go to Zurich, Switzerland, where Don meets his trusted companion, Ayesha (Lara Dutta).

In Zurich, they retrieve the contents of a locker only Vardhaan could access. The locker holds a tape that shows J.K Diwan (Aly Khan), the vice president of a Euro printing bank called DZB (Deutsche Zentral Bank = German Central Bank), sent by Fabian Cole to bribe Singhania (Rajesh Khattar) to kill a competitor. Don blackmails Diwan into giving him the blueprints to the currency center so that he can steal the printing plates. Diwan gives him fake information and hires an assassin Jabbar (Nawab Shah) instead. Don manages to escape and forces Jabbar to work for him. Diwan, left with no choice, hands over the real information.

Don and his new team plan a bank robbery and carry out their plan by using hostages. After stealing the printing plates, Don is betrayed by Vardhaan and Jabbar but manages to escape. However, one of the members, Sameer (Kunal Kapoor) calls the police and Don is captured. Don threatens Sameer for informing the police. Unable to enter the bank and free the hostages, the police are forced to work with Don to get back into the bank in exchange for immunity in Germany.

Don and Roma manage to reach Vardhaan and Jabbar but Roma is shot because she refuses to kill Don when told to do so. This gives an idea that Roma still has feelings for Don, even though he killed her brother five years ago. Vardhaan and his thugs fight and Don manages to defeat them, Jabbar gets killed in the process. He then gets his immunity papers and surrenders the disc (containing the information about his associates) and the plates. He takes Roma to an ambulance. Don and Roma exchange one glance at each other before the ambulance doors close. He later detonates a bomb he planted earlier in Diwan’s car. It is revealed that Don actually still has one of the money plates, which the police believe is destroyed in the explosion. It is also revealed that Sameer was loyal to Don and giving his information to police was just a part of Don's plan. The police cannot do anything as Don has immunity and do not know that Don has a plate. Don also gives the police a disc of all his associates but it is really a disc with the names of the European drug cartel. All the members of the cartel are arrested and Don becomes the king of the European underworld.

Cast[link]

• Shahrukh Khan as Don

A drug lord and the narrator of the film. He has established his dominion over Asia and sets his sights on conquering the mafia community of Europe. Khan reprised his role from the 2006 film Don: The Chase Begin Again. Contrary to the first film, he doesn't feature in a double role. The film marked his return to playing villainous characters since his earlier films like Darr and Baazigar.^[7] Additionally, the film is the first sequel in Khan's two-decade long career.^[8] For the film, he experimented with a variety of looks, including long unkempt hair and stubble. He also bulked up for the film by developing a six pack and decided to perform all of his stunts, including a dangerous 300-feet jump for a scene filmed in Berlin.

• Priyanka Chopra as Roma

Now an Interpol officer, Roma continues her mission to pursuit Don in order to avenge her brother Ramesh's death which happened in the previous film. Since the film had been announced, there has been a great deal of speculations regarding the actress who would essay the leading role. However, in an interview with Rediff, Chopra confirmed her presence in the film. Chopra learned martial arts and prepared her body for more than two months and requested the action choreographer to let her perform her own stunts.^[9]

• Lara Dutta as Ayesha

Don's trusted companion, she helps him in his plans to rob the German Central Bank. Dutta was cast after Koppikar – who essayed the role in the first instalment – dropped out of the film. She was recommended to Akhtar by Khan, since she has been part of his earlier production, Billu (2009). In an interview with The Hindustan Times she said that it was a exciting for her to play an new character since there would be no predecessor to match up to.^[10]

• Kunal Kapoor as Sameer:

An expert computer hacker hired by Don to execute his bank robbery. It was originally reported that Kapoor was cast as a replacement for Arjun Rampal (who played the character of Jasjeet in the original), however both the producers and Kapoor himself denied the reports.^[11]

• Boman Irani as Vardhaan:

The main antagonist. Vardhaan was a notorious underground criminal who pretended to be a police officer named D'Silva. He is framed by Don and arrested afterwards in the first film. Now he is working with Don on the robbery but has secret motives for revenge. Irani decided to lose 12 kg for his role and also grew a beard because it made the character look "cold, cunning and deceitful". Irani felt that playing a villain was "a big stretch" for him as an actor.^[12]

• Om Puri as Vishal Malik, the head of the Malaysian Interpol.

• Aly Khan as J.K. Diwan, the the vice president of the DZB (Deutsche Zentral Bank = German Central Bank)

• Nawab Shah as Abdul Jabbar, an assassin hired by Diwan to kill Don. He is however forced to work with the latter, but teams up with Vardhaan to kill Don soon.

• Sahil Shroff as Arjun. He is Roma's fiance, ever since she joined the Interpol.

• Florian Lukas as Jens Berkel

• Rajesh Khattar as Singhania. Don's boss who was killed by Vardhaan in the previous film.

• Hrithik Roshan as Don in disguise (Special Appearance)

Production[link]

Development[link]

The idea for a sequel to Don: The Chase Begins Again had been conceptualised ever since the first film released, and it was officially announced by Farhan Akhtar shortly after the release.^[14] However, he was involved with other commitments while Shahrukh Khan needed to recover from a shoulder surgery, so he gave his dates to My Name Is Khan as it required very little physical exertion.^[15] In February 2010, Akhtar revealed that the script and locations for the film had been finalised.^[16] The film was announced with the original cast reprising their roles, with the exception of Arjun Rampal and Ishaa Koppikar.^[17] Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor were cast as new characters in the film.^[18] In an interview with DNA India, Akhtar revealed that he dicded to make the sequel to his 2006 remake of the 70s classic as it "had a lot to offer" and because it gave him a lot of freedom to explore the character of Don, which he was very fascinated with.^[13]

The film marks Akhtar's return to direction after a gap of nearly 5 years, the last film he directed being Don: The Chase Begins Again. Anand Subaya was chosen as the main editor of the film, while Ritesh Soni was roped in to manage the production of music.^[19] The Digital Intermediate and VFX of Don 2 were done by Pixion Studios while the 3D conversion was carried out at Reliance Mediaworks.^[20]

Don 2 had a different team of writers from the first film, and it included Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah. Akhtar stated that "The first film was my father's vision, but Don 2 is being written by fans only. These are yours truly and two new enthusiastic boys, Ameet and Amreesh, who came to me with their ideas on how the story can be carried forward. I've thrown my ideas at them. Don 2 is basically being written by three Don fans who are having a ball carrying the story forward."^[21] Khan became the first celebrity to register a tattoo in his name, when the 'D' tattoo ported on his arm in the film was registered for copyright protection.^[22]

In August 2011, the makers of the film announced that they would release the film in 3D. The idea of the 3D conversion occurred to Akhtar while shooting for the film, and after conducting various conversion tests in Los Angeles, the producers decided to convert the entire film.^[23] The director of photography had shot the film with special lenses which made it easier to give it a third dimension. Sidhwani revealed that he had the idea of converting the film into 3D after seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Chuck Comisky, a veteran S-3D innovator who supervised the 3D stereo and visual effects of Avatar and Sanctum, was roped in for the film.^[24]

Filming[link]

Filming for Don 2 was expected to begin in April 2010, but was later postponed to the fall.^[25] Principal photography for the film commenced in 10 October in Berlin. Don 2 is the first Bollywood film to be shot in the city. The decision to shoot in Berlin was made after Khan attended the Berlin Film Festival for the screening of My Name is Khan since it provided a more realistic backdrop, which was required for the film.^[26][27] Prior to the shooting, the German government made an announcement on their official website, offering support and co-operation to the filming of Don 2.^[26] A 70-member crew from India travelled to the city for a two-week preparation for the shooting. The film was shot at Berlin's prime locations like the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, the The French Cathedral and the East Side Gallery.^[28]

Khan experimented with a variety of looks, and worked on his physique. He also decided to perform all of his own stunts.^[29][30][31] While in Berlin, Khan performed a dangerous 300-feet jump for a scene.^[32] A car chasing sequence in the film used 67 cars and shut down some important streets in Berlin for three weeks, including the Brandenburg Gate. Every day, alternate routes and diversions were provided in lieu of the roads that were cordoned off for the shoot.^[33] The schedule also included the filming of a special appearance by Hrithik Roshan, whose presence in the film was kept under wraps by the filmmakers.^[34] In December 2010, shooting ended in Berlin.^[35][36]

In February 2011, the actors flew to Malaysia for the second phase of the shoot, where a few scenes were shot inside the Malacca Prison with real prisoners. A complete section of the prison block was made available for the shoot. In order to avoid any hitches, special crew T-shirts were made to differentiate crew-members from the prisoners as it was a high security zone.^[37] Filming in Malaysia lasted for a month and ended on 20 March 2011.

Khan became the only Indian actor to have successfully shot a film sequence in Germany, a country that is infamous for denying requests of international film shoots. A production executive stated that "Unlike the US, UK and Thailand, it isn’t easy to obtain permission to shoot in Germany. The rules are very strict [...] Shahrukh Khan is so famous in Germany and that made a great difference to shoot Don 2 there". Sidhwani said, "We are the first Indian film which has managed to do that. There were certain pre-conditions that we were required to meet and we had to be very careful. Eventually they did open the doors for us. Once we were together on making the film, they proved to be extremely helpful."^[38]

Shahrukh Khan trained with international stunt and fight director Wolfgang Stegemann, who has worked in several high-profile Hollywood films. Wolfgang, who also plays a negative character called Karl in the film, created a special fight style for Khan. He said, "These are powerful and effective to knock off Don's enemies. I had to analyse Mr. Khan's motions and find the perfect fight style for him. It is a mix between martial arts, Krav Maga, Wing Chun and Trapping, which has not been practised in Bollywood. It helped him endure long settings of fights together."^[39]

In September, 2011, filming resumed in order to shoot a song featuring the two leads.^[40] Another song was shot with Khan in Goa in late November, just a month before the film's release.^[41] This was be the first of a kind music video where instead of a choreographed song and dance treatment, the filmmakers have opted to visualise the song as an action sequence. The song is a special promotional video that did not appear in the film itself.^[42]

Soundtrack[link]

The film's original score and soundtrack have been composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar, both have worked on the first instalment of the series. Director Farhan Akhtar announced that the cult singer, Usha Uthup would record a song for the film, which was titled Hai Ye Maya".^[43] The album features nine tracks, including two remixes and two instrumentals. It received mixed response upon its release with a section of critics describing it as disappointing as it was safe and self conscious and that the composers chose to stay confined to the formula of the original film. However, most reviews agreed that the music managed to stay true to the identity and genre of the film and followed the narrative. The soundtrack was released in the market on 17 November 2011 by T-Series, over a month before the release of the film.^[42]

Marketing[link]

Pre-release revenues[link]

The German government provided a rebate of €3 million to the producers of the film as it was shot in Berlin. The entire shoot in Germany was carried out at a cost of €6.8 million.^[27] This is the first time that such a heavy concession is being offered to any film shot in the country.^[44] The distributors, Reliance Entertainment have bought the rights of the film from Excel Entertainment for 85 crore (US$16.96 million) and spent another 22 crore (US$4.39 million) in prints and marketing.^[8] Zee Network had acquired the satellite rights of the film for 37 crore (US$7.38 million), the highest satellite amount as compared to other films released by Reliance Entertainment in the same year.^[8] The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bought by the newly-formed Sudha Screen's Sreeraj for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price.^[45]

Promotion[link]

(from left) Shroff, Chopra, Khan, Sidhwani and Akhtar at a promotional event for the film in Mumbai.

The first theatrical trailer of the film and its poster were released along with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. A promo launch event was planned on 13 July in Mumbai, though it was cancelled later because of the 2011 Mumbai bombings. A second trailer was released online on 24 October.^[46] The first look of the film was unveiled at the Dubai International Film Festival.^[47] The trailer of the film was the most watched video in India on YouTube in 2011.^[48]

With Don 2, the use of technology for film marketing has gone noticeably high. The makers of the film tied up with Google and YouTube for its new media initiatives. Viewers could watch songs from the film in 3D on their computers using 3D glasses. The film has also associated with McDonalds and Café Coffee Day in 20 cities to provide free Internet access using Wi-fi in their outlets.^[49] The filmmakers also tied up with Microsoft India to launch a "Meet the Don: Mission Berlin" contest that offered the chance to meet Khan, in addition to a free trip to Berlin. To popularise the contest, Microsoft planned a 360° marketing campaign which included a television commercial, radio advertisements, digital banners and retail collaterals.^[50]

Since the quotes of Don in the first film became very popular, Sidhwani and Akhtar decided to popularise the dialogues of the sequel by releasing 10 witty tongue-in-cheek dialogues of Don from the sequel called "Don Says...", one every Friday starting from 15 October right till the release of the film on 23 December. These quotes released simultaneously across all media including television, print, radio, Internet, mobile platform and mobile applications.^[51] The "Don says..." one-liners, also known as "Don-isms", have become popular worldwide.^[52]

The filmmakers released a toy version of the Don as a merchandise of the film. The toy is a miniature of Shahrukh Khan as a bobblehead in his Don avatar which will be available in limited edition. It is the first Bobblehead to be made of any Bollywood star.^[53] The cast of the film along with its director and producers embarked on a multi-city tour across India as a way to promote the film, including Patna.^[54] However, it received a set back due to various security issues. The tour resumed from Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad and other cities.^[55]

Comic book and video game[link]

In October 2011, a comic book based on the film called Don: The Origin was unveiled in Mumbai. It serves as a prequel to the film and talks in detail about Don's past. Speaking about the comic, Ritesh Sidhwani said that "Don 2 takes off from where Don: The Chase Begins Again left off. In these five years, many have forgotten the film and must be curious to know how Don came into being. This original story will help them understand him and also offer a background on other characters like Roma and Vardhaan."^[24]

Excel Entertainment collaborated with India’s largest game services company Gameshastra, to launch a console game. The firm developed a third-person action adventure console game where the player plays as Don and does actions similar to those done by Don in the film. The character in the game looks like Khan in the film.^[56] A social game called "Don – The Social Mobsters Game" was launched on Facebook and developed by Mango Games. The game is available on Android, iOS, and PSN for PlayStation 3 platforms. While the game on Android and iOS was released along with the film, the console version of the game will be released in March 2012. Sidhwani while speaking about the game, said "This is the first time a game is based on an Indian film that will be launched on four platforms. For an iconic character like Don, I think this was the best way to keep the hysteria going amongst his fans."^[56]

Release[link]

Don 2 released worldwide on 23 December 2011, in 3,105 screens in the domestic market, including 500 prints in 3D and 650 screens in 40 countries overseas.^[57][58] The dubbed versions in Telugu and Tamil released along with the Hindi version.^[59] The second phase of international release began on January 2012 in 84 countries.^[60] In February 2012 Don 2 was showcased at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, held in Berlinale in Germany.^[61] The film became the most popular choice for the festival.^[62]

Reliance Entertainment obtained a John Doe-Order from the Delhi High Court allowing them to service cease and desist notices on pirates illegally using the film. Anti-piracy wing Chairman Rajkumar, speaking about the event said : "We have already served notices to 43 ISPs, who we consider potential pirates. We have also alerted the cops and our team indigenously, but our primary intention is to halt menacing online piracy generating across shores."^[63]

Controversies[link]

A month before its release, Nariman Films, the producers of the original, sent a legal notice to Reliance Entertainment and Excel Entertainment regarding the film. According to the notice, Nariman Films had given the rights to Excel Entertainment in perpetuity for making only Don: The Chase Begins Again.^[64] However, the producers claimed that "Whatever they had done is legal, so the claim is false and so are the charges. This is an absolutely new film and there is no question of a delay in releasing Don 2."^[65] Moreover, Khan added in an interview with Mumbai Mirror, "While my producers are best qualified to give a fitting reply to the whole matter, I as a lead actor can say that as for the sequel, the Amitabh Bachchan Don never had a sequel. So where is the question of us copying anything. Farhan and his team have worked on the script, I know for a fact that we haven't copied from anywhere and this is an original script."^[66] On 19 December, just a week before its release, the Bombay High Court refused to stay the release of the film. The court gave this ruling while taking into consideration that the film was to be released on 21 December overseas and on 23 December in India, for which, bookings had already been undertaken in theatres across the country.^[67]

The producers were sent a notification by the Health ministry, stating that they should put up a disclaimer along with the lead character speaking about the ill-effects of smoking. The ministry also demanded the smoking scenes depicted in the film be scrolled down or blurred. Sidhwani and Javed Akhtar met Information and Broadcasting minister Ambika Soni to resolve the matter, and commented "We all agree that smoking is a major health issue and there is no intention of glorifying it in the film. It is shown as a weakness or a trait of the character. We reasoned with them and they saw our point of view. So the film will only have a disclaimer in the beginning. No blurring of scenes or scrolls during the movie."^[68]

Critical reception[link]

Don 2 received positive to mixed critical reception in India and a generally positive reception overseas. The film has been widely appreciated for its action, direction and cinematography with Shahrukh Khan receiving accolades for his performance, though criticism has been generated regarding its pace and music.

India[link]

Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Don 2 is a classic action/crime thriller that doesn't let go, even for a moment."^[69] Filmfare gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "Had it not been for Shah Rukh's performance, the film would not have been half as good."^[70] Omar Qureshi from Zoom gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised the superlative action.^[71] Komal Nahta gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said that "Don 2 is a winner all the way."^[72] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, concluding that, "On the whole, Don 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level."^[73] Oneindia.in also gave the film a 3.5 and said "Don 2 is a perfect entertainment package for this Christmas."^[74] Dainik Bhaskar gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and concluded saying, "Don 2 is a perfect combination of style with substance. Definitely a one-time watch for one and all and treat for Shah Rukh Khan fans."^[75] DNA India too gave the film 3 stars out of 5, highlighting that "Shah Rukh Khan makes Don 2 work."^[76] Zee News gave the film 3 out of 5 stars saying that "Don 2 belongs to Shah Rukh Khan."^[77] Suparna Sharma from The Asian Age gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and added, "Don 2 is smart, urbane, grey and good looking. It is also entertaining, even impressive [...] Though the [film’s] story is borrowed from here and there, its tail end is clever and skewed towards creating a wicked but cool legend."^[78] The Telegraph gave the film a positive review and said, "The man who makes Don 2 – despite its flaws – immensely watchable is the Badshah."^[79] The Deccan Herald gave the film a mixed review, adding "Don 2 is all about Shah Rukh Khan and he does not disappoint his fans either. Watch it for Khan and his daring stunts, specially the leap from the 37th floor."^[80]

NDTV gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised Shah Rukh as Don but said that the overall pace of the film was a bit slow.^[81] MiD DAY gave the film 3 stars and said the plot was simple.^[82] Aseem Chhabra of Rediff praised Shahrukh's performance as well but gave the film 2.5 stars and said, "Don 2 has no edge-of-the-seat moments."^[83] Raja Sen from Rediff too gave the film 3.5 stars saying, "Don 2 is a very impressively produced film but is let to good by over-the-top acting."^[84] Yahoo! Movies gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, and concluded saying, "The Badshah of bragging and the King of the hamming is the same person and he's out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money."^[85] Rajeev Masand of CNN IBN gave the film 2.0 out of 5 stars as well, calling it "spectacularly boring" and added that, "Don 2 is nicely shot, and there are moments where Shah Rukh Khan is riveting. But that’s not enough to hold your interest for well over two hours."^[86] Khalid Mohamed of the Deccan Chronicle also gave the film 2 stars and called it yawn-inducing but added, "Shah Rukh Khan handles all the acting pyrotechnics. He’s bankable in a film that isn’t."^[87] Sify gave the 3.5 out of 5 stars and stated that the original Don was better.^[88] Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and also said that the first Don was better.^[89]

Overseas[link]

Divanee South Asian News gave the film 4 stars and added, "Take your family to this one. Heck, go by yourself, if you have to. Because ultimately, it’s a must-watch and a sign of how far Hindi cinema has come today.^[90] The New York Times also gave the film 4 stars and stated, "If Mission: Impossible and Ocean’s Eleven had a bombastic, funny and slick cousin, it might be Don 2.^[91] Digital Spy gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and added, "The film's dramatic conclusion is brilliantly executed...Don 2 is a thoroughly exhilarating action-fest, fashioned in a Bollywood-style – and a shot of adrenaline amidst the usual elf-inspired festive film fare."^[92] The Film Journal International gave the film a positive review saying, "If Hollywood needed any further proof that its days as the world’s premier entertainment manufacturer may be numbered, it need look no further than Don 2."^[93] The Express Tribune called the film a visual masterpiece and added that it sets a very high benchmark for future Indian action films and that It proves that Bollywood has what it takes to go beyond half hearted action flicks and after the success of the movie, the character of Don will be elevated to cult status in Indian pop culture.^[94] Twitch gave the film a positive review and said, "Don 2 represents the push toward Indian cinema becoming global cinema, and it puts India's best foot forward.^[95] The Georgia Straight gave the film a positive review and said, "Don 2 is a stylish action movie that seamlessly hits all the markers of this genre. With a tightly wound plot that plays out on a global stage, this slick production creates a spectacle of car chases, clever intrigue, and criminality."^[96] Dawn gave it a good review calling it a slick, twisting thriller and praised the performance of Shah Rukh Khan.^[97] The Los Angeles Times said that it was an enjoyable watch. However, the reviewer was confused as to why the film was made from the perspective of the villain.^[98]

Box office[link]

Don 2 became the third-highest grossing Bollywood film of all time with a worldwide collection of 232 crore (US$46.28 million).^[2] Box Office India declared it a "Super Hit" in India^[6] and a blockbuster in the overseas market^[5]

Domestic[link]

On its first day, Don 2 had a excellent opening with an 80% occupancy levels all over India. In multiplexes, occupancy stood at 80–85% and at 70–75% in single screens.^[99] The film collected 14.61 crore (US$2.91 million) nett from its Hindi version^[100] In the process, it became the third highest opening day grosser (fourth for the Hindi version)^[101] and the highest opening day grosser ever on a non-holiday Friday.^[4] The film managed to grow around 20–25% in the multiplexes and other high end cinemas in its second and third day aided by a sizeable increase in multiplex earnings.^[102] Over the weekend, Don 2 netted 46.33 crore (US$9.24 million) from its Hindi version and another 1.50 crore (US$299,250) nett from its Tamil and Telugu versions in two days.^[103] The film sustained well on weekdays collecting a total of 70.96 crore (US$14.16 million) by the end of its first week.^[104] In its second weekend, Don 2 collected a nett revenue of 18.50 crore (US$3.69 million) from its Hindi version.^[105] The film held quite well in the second week, declining 62% and collecting 27.17 crore (US$5.42 million) from its Hindi version^[106] and thus taking its two weeks total to 98.03 crore (US$19.56 million); the second week total of Don 2 was the second-highest of 2011, after Ready.

At the end of its theatrical run, the Hindi version of Don 2 earned a total net revenue of 106.22 crore (US$21.19 million) in India,^[107] becoming the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2011. Don 2's total nett collection including regional versions of both Tamil and Telugu was 113 crore (US$22.54 million).^[108]

International[link]

The overseas release of Don 2 spread across two phases, with most major markets covered in the first phase. The film created several records on its opening day. It grossed US$550,000 from 164 theatres in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the film debuted in the top ten and collected $527,000 in three days from 76 theatres while in the Middle East, Don 2 grossed $930,000 in two days. The film also broke the record for the highest single day collections in Australia where it took $82,000 and grossed $136,000 nett in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in its first two days.

It also grossed 3.69 crore (US$736,155) in the first week in Pakistan, breaking all previous records.^[109] The film made 37.11 crore (US$7.4 million) nett over the weekend and collected 50.43 crore (US$10.06 million) nett in its first week.^[110][111] It also set a record for the all-time biggest opening week for a Hindi film in North America by collecting $2.64 million.^[112] The film became the highest grossing Bollywood film overseas of 2011.^[5]

During its second phase of release which began in February 2012, Don 2 collected $132,027 from Germany and $5,041 from Austria.^[113]

Accolades[link]

Sequel[link]

Speculations regarding the possibility of a sequel started spreading when a scene at the end of the film showed Don (Khan) riding a bike with the license plate showing "Don 3". Shahrukh Khan expressed his interest in reprising the role of Don in a third instalment several times, stating that it's one of the greatest highs in his career to play a villain and that it's one of his favourite roles.^[122] However, he agreed that a solid script was needed, saying "It would be great to revisit Don after sometime. I’ve told Farhan that we could take 60 days out of our schedule and make a Don 3. But we need a script first, one that could take the last 10 minutes of Don 2 forward to another differently exciting thriller."^[123] Farhan Akhtar also expressed the desire to take the story forwards and said that he was fascinated by the character of Don. However the filmmaker also insisted that he wanted to explore other genres and that he didn't want to get restricted. He added that he is currently focusing on his acting career.^[124]

See also[link]

• List of highest-grossing Bollywood films
• Don 2 (soundtrack)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Don 2

• Official website

• Don 2 at the Internet Movie Database

• Don 2 at Bollywood Hungama
• Don 2 at Rotten Tomatoes

• Don 2 Movie Screenshots and Wallpapers

• Don 2 at Metacritic

• Don 2 at Box Office Mojo

Look up Don or don in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Don or DON may refer to

People[link]

• Don (given name), a short form of the masculine given name Donald in English, also a masculine given name in Irish
• Don (honorific), a Spanish, Portuguese,Italian, and Filipino title, given as a mark of respect
• Don, a crime boss
• University don, in British universities, traditionally, a head, fellow or tutor of a college
• A resident assistant at universities in Canada and the USA

Chemistry[link]

• DON, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-nitroamphetamine, in pharmacology, the psychedelic phenethylamine
• DON, De-Oxy-Nivalenol = Vomitoxin, in microbiology, a toxin produced by several Fusarium and Aspergillus strains
• DON, 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine
• DON, Nitrogen

Geography[link]

• Don, Nord, a commune of the Nord département in northern France
• Don, Trentino, a comune in Trentino, Italy
• Don, Benin, a town in Benin
• Don, Tasmania
• Don Republic, a temporary state in 1918-19
• Don River (disambiguation), several rivers named "Don River", River Don", or simply "Don"

Entertainment[link]

• Don (1978 film), a blockbuster Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan
  • Don (character), the titular character of the 1978 film and its 2006 remake
  • Don (2006 Hindi film), a 2006 Bollywood remake of the 1978 film, starring Shahrukh Khan
  • Don 2, the sequel to the 2006 film
  • Don (2012 film), upcoming Bangladeshi film remake of the 1978 film
• Don (2007 film), a Telugu film starring Akkineni Nagarjuna and Anushka
• Don (2006 Dutch film), a 2006 Dutch film
• Don, the name of a pteranodon on the PBS Kids series Dinosaur Train
• Battle Stadium D.O.N, a video game

Other uses[link]

• Tropical Storm Don (2011)
• Director of nursing (long term care facility)
• Director of nursing (other uses)
• Dôn, a mother goddess in Welsh mythology
• Russian Don, a horse breed
• Orlets-1, a reconnaissance satellite
• DoN, the Department of the Navy, a part of the United States Department of Defense
• DON, Dysbaric osteonecrosis
• Donburi, an abbreviation for this Japanese rice bowl dish
• Don-2N radar, Russian anti-ballistic missile radar

See also[link]

• Dom (disambiguation)
• Dons (disambiguation)
• All pages beginning with "Don"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan at TAG Heuer Press Conference.
Born	(1965-11-02) 2 November 1965 (age 46) New Delhi, India
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[1]
Other names	King Khan, SRK, King of Bollywood, The Baadshah of Bollywood[2]
Occupation	Actor, producer, television presenter
Years active	1988—present
Spouse	Gauri Khan (1991—present)
Children	2

Shahrukh Khan (pronounced [‘ʃaːɦrəx ˈxaːn]; born 2 November 1965), often credited as Shah Rukh Khan and informally referred to as SRK, is an Indian film actor. Known as "The King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films.^[3][4][5] He has won fourteen Filmfare Awards from thirty nominations for his work in Indian films and shares the record for the highest number of Best Actor awards with Dilip Kumar, eight wins. In 2005, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in economics, he started his career appearing in theatre and several television serials in the late 1980s and later made his Hindi film debut in 1992 with Deewana. Early in his career he was recognised for his unconventional choice of negative roles in films such as Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994). Since then he has played leading roles in a wide variety of film genres, including romantic films, comedies, thrillers, action films, sport films, and historical dramas among others.

Eleven of the films he has acted in have accumulated gross earnings of over 1 billion (US$19.95 million).^[6] Khan's films such as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Devdas (2002), Chak De! India (2007), Om Shanti Om (2007), Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), and Ra.One (2011) remain some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), My Name Is Khan (2010), and Don 2 (2011) have been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets thus making him one of the most successful leading actors of Hindi cinema.^[7]

In addition to movie acting, Khan is a television presenter, a regular stage performer, and a social activist. He is the founder/owner of two production companies: Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment and, along with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars in history, with a fan following claimed to number in the billions.^[3][8] He has an estimated net worth of over 25 billion (US$540 million).^[9][10] In 2008, Newsweek named Khan one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.^[3]