Dostana (2008) | How Woke Is It?

Our VerdictMildly Woke

35%

Dostana2008

In a free society the right to critique art is essential and protected speech. These reviews reflect personal opinions and not statements of fact.

What We Think

For its time, Dostana’s ‘edginess’ amounts to playful subversion, not full-blown wokeness. It leans more comedic than preachy, and sticks to standard Bollywood formulas, making it low on the wokometer.

Score Breakdown

Compromised:Narrative Integrity

Woke

What is this?

Dostana revolves around two men pretending to be a gay couple to secure an apartment, but the emphasis remains on comedic misunderstandings and traditional love triangles. Identity is used mostly as a plot device rather than forcing ideological representation. The core narrative sticks to standard Bollywood romance and comedy.

Compromised:Cultural Foundations

Mildly Woke

What is this?

The film pokes fun at masculinity and has some light-hearted jabs at traditional values, but it doesn't actively undermine religion, family, or Indian culture. In fact, most characters remain grounded in family and cultural expectations, though some gender role play is gently subverted for laughs.

Compromised:Ideological Monoculture

Mildly Woke

What is this?

While Dostana includes jokes around homosexuality, it stays fairly neutral by Bollywood standards of the time. There isn’t an overt push for ideological conformity and dissenting views are mostly played for comic effect, not villainized.

User Reviews

No user reviews received yet.

Please leave a review and let the world know what you think.
Your review will be kept completely anonymous.

Your Review

Comments

Users Also Viewed

12%

Movie poster for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

10%

10%

Movie poster for Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic

80%

Disclaimer: In a free society the right to critique art is essential and protected as a form of free speech and freedom of expression. The reviews and commentary on this site represent personal opinions and interpretations. They are not statements of fact and should not be taken as factual claims about any individual, company, or creative work.