After 17 years of ups and downs, Dostana 2 is finally on track, as reports suggest that Karan Johar is all set to take the sequel on floors towards the end of 2025, with shooting taking place in India and abroad.
Starring Vikrant Massey and Lakshya, Dostana 2 reportedly has a hilarious script and will be directed by Shauna Gautam, who previously directed Nadaaniyan.
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While the motive behind casting Vikrant and Lakshya is to normalise representation, what concerns the audience is something entirely different.
Shauna previously directed Nadaaniyan, which, frankly, got the representation of nearly every aspect—rich kids, supportive or absent parents, and teenage love—completely wrong. The film was a disaster.
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Working on a project with queer representation is like digging a grave for herself if the portrayal is off and doesn’t break stereotypes.
Queer representation on screen is always a sensitive subject, as it doesn’t just affect the people it represents—it also shapes how society views them.
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A lousy or tacky representation, especially one used just to get some laughs, is going to do more harm than good.
Additionally, when we look back at Dostana, the type of humour and puns might seem problematic in today’s day and age, especially considering the way LGBTQ+ characters were portrayed.
With Dostana 2, the makers need to be extremely sensible about how they approach the film. The humour shouldn’t be offensive, the jokes should land, and the film must not make fun of queer relationships.
That’s a lot of responsibility to take on, so we can only hope that Dharma knows exactly what they’re stepping into.
