Dostana (2008 film)

Dostana (transl. Friendship) is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Dharma Productions. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. Set in Miami, the films follows two men who pretend to be gay to share an apartment with a girl; eventually, both fall in love with her.

Mansukhani conceived the film as a tale of 3 friends living together, drawing inspiration by his own experience. Wanting to add something different to the script, he later decided to introduce homosexuality, which he thought was unexplored by Indian films, to shed light on the issue for the Indian audience. Manish Malhotra designed Chopra's costumes, and Aki Narula designed costumes for the rest of the cast. The soundtrack was composed by Vishal–Shekhar; Kumaar and Vishal Dadlani wrote its lyrics, while Salim–Sulaiman composed the background score. Principal photography took place in Miami, Florida over a two-month period in the first half of 2008. Dostana was the first mainstream Indian film with a gay element and has been credited for exploring a topic largely ignored by Hindi cinema.

Dostana was released on 14 November 2008 to positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances, the chemistry between its three leads and its direction, music, cinematography, humor, costumes and style. A box-office success, it grossed over ₹871 million, becoming one of the highest grossing Hindi films of 2008. At the 54th Filmfare Awards, Dostana received 9 nominations, including Best Film, Best Actor (Bachchan), Best Supporting Actress (Kher) and Best Music Director (Vishal–Shekhar).

Dostana was influential in creating fashion trends in India, with Chopra's silver sari, worn in the song "Desi Girl", becoming popular. Abraham's yellow trunks, Chopra's golden swimsuit and the actors' looks and style also received considerable attention and were popular with youngsters. Dostana is regarded as one of the most stylish and trend-setting of Indian films, with Filmfare ranking it #1 in a 2013 poll.