Nagesh Kukunoor, the Lord of simplistic cinema…. Who portrays human spirit in an unmatchable manner has given us a masterpiece which gracefully wavers between subtlety and intensity while being sensitive

about the story of two women whose lives are torn by circumstances. This is the new generation of Indian Cinema which, in its simplest way surprises everyone. Meanwhile, Dor adds one more to this year’s list of exceptional films…. Confirming that it’s the best year the industry has seen in a long time.

 

Written by Nagesh, the story is inspired by a true life incident. It is a simple one but yet, very powerful. The screenplay switches from Himachal to Rajasthan between the lives of Ze

enat (Gul Panag) who gets married to her lover in a simple ceremony just before he departs for Saudi for work and Meera (Ayesha Takia) who is married to a Rajput whose family is in shackles because of which they cannot even reclaim their haveli. Her husband too, has to depart for Saudi for earning money. Soon enough, tragedy strikes and Zeenat’s husband is accused of murdering Meera’s husband. The only way Zeenat can save her husband from a death sentence is by geeting Meera to sign a letter that pardons him.

The problem is finding Meera with just one photograph and then convincing her to sign the letter. Zeenat is aided by a street smart ‘behrupia’ played by Shreyas Talpade who provides the humour and entertainment in the film.

 

It’s a bold attempt by Nagesh to make DOR with 2 heroines in completely non-glamorous roles in the middle of the desert. There are no heroes but there is heroism, there are no song and dance sequences except for the occasional swinging mood of Meera, there is no villain but there are shades of grey in the characters, there is no hard hitting social message but there is a subtle message on women empowerment, individuality, freedom from social restrictions and righteousness.  That’s typical Nagesh Kukunoor kind of cinema. Intense, sensitive issues are dealt with such simplicity and subtlety in a realistic scenario. At the same time, leaving the viewer entertained and in awe of the director’s work. It’s all about feeling good after the movie.

 

Gul Panag’s portrayal of a mature muslim girl from a village of Himachal is outstanding. She suddenly seems like a seasoned actress because of the way she tackles the role portraying maturity, sensitivity, calmness and determination to save her husband’s life. Here we have a convincing actress who looks pretty in all emotions and can superbly handle such a sensitive role.

Ayesha Takia……. Oh dear God!! This is the female who played the glam girl in Taarzan (‘the wonder car’) and look at her now… it is simply unbelievable. Not a hint of make up, always draped in traditional outfits, soft dialogue delivery, she laughs and cries with equal ease and depicts extreme grief at the news of her husband’s demise and then those crazed bouts of joy when she suddenly starts dancing in the middle of nowhere in the desert to Kajra re playing on the radio. And then the best of it all….. Her intense scene where she confronts her father-in-law and also when Zeenat reveals her true intentions after befriending her for so long. Takia is most definitely the surprise package of the film. Shreyas Talpade entertains with his mimicry and tactful humour and proves his versatility yet again. His best scenes apart from the mimicry ones are when he meets a couple of rogues in a fort playing a stern inspector and his drunk scene where he talks sweet gibberish to Zeenat.

Dor has an unusual star cast - a low profile one that too, an unusual story with women at the centre, mostly shot in the sands and villages of Rajasthan and nothing that would appeal to a general viewer initially but it’s the substance and the treatment that make the movie what it is. An excellent screenplay did the trick, bringing the right balance for characters’ roles, ingenious blending of subtlety, intensity, humour and conflict. Crisply edited to 2 hours, Dor is adroitly directed and is flawless. Picturized in remote parts of Himachal and erstwhile areas of Jodhpur, cinematography is outstanding.

Salim Sulaiman’s Music is unique and refreshing. It suits the backdrop of the film and comprises of some outstanding talent from the music world. Shafqat Ali Khan, Trilok Gurtu, Rakesh Chaurasiya, Sunidhi and Shreya to name a few.

 

One must watch Dor for the portrayal of human spirit, aspects of womanhood unkown to the common viewer, firm determination for saving a loved one’s life, breaking free of bondage and living your own life and being humane. Dor is a human story. An excellent one. And at the end of it, DOR is Nagesh Kukunoor’s triumph.

 

 

- 9.250 on a scale of 1-10.

Plot Revealed In The Review:	Revealed in detail
Best to watch with:	Family
Movie Genre:	Family Movie
Best part in the movie:	Plot