Dor Movie Reviews

Well talking about "Dor", music is definitely one of the highlights of the movie.

Its actually amazing what music can do to your senses. One feels so helpless when treated with such magic that music can weave to fill you with unending hope at times or make you cry like a baby at others or at times make you so young and bubbly at heart that makes you feel as if you are running across a garden full of flowers and you are full of joy n bliss. Thats just part of the complete package that Dor has to offer to your senses.

It also gives you a visual treat of the incredibly rustic n golden beauty of Rajasthan. To top it all if all this is woven across a strong n sensitive story, you just need to go n treat yourself with it. I would not want to hype it up so much, thats because this is the end result and shouldnt really be part of the expectations, as it sweeps your imaginations n senses away completely without being "into the face" and in a very subtle or rather invisible manner.

The movie is about the struggle and perseverence of two women from different cultural backgrounds put in an unfortunate and conflicting situation. Its about a journey by which they become part of each others life and in a conflicting situation they end up liberating each other from the situation they are put in.

Plot :

------

Zeenat (Gul Panag) from interior Himachal Pradesh is a liberated woman who is proud to stand on one's own and takes pride in taking her decisions and facing the consequences if need be.

Meera(Ayesha Takia) from Rajasthan plays a young bubbly fun-loving bride in a rudimentary society.

Their husbands go for work in Saudi for work and become friends. Seemingly due to some accident Meera's husband falls off the apartment and dies and Zeenat's husband gets convicted for the same due to lack of witness and is sentenced to death.

According to the law of the land (Saudi), the only manner in which Zeenat can rescue her husband is by getting Meera's acceptance of apology. Now only with a photograph of her husband with meera's husband, she goes out to find Meera for the acceptance of apology for the death of Meera's husband.

Cast Performances :

-------------------

Gul Panag - The character of a strong willed lady came across wonderfully. Just the moment that ppl might have doubted the character or allegedly acting to be straight faced, the character finally breaks down when her last hope is refused.

Ayesha Takia - the bubbly and energetic bit comes naturally to her but the expressions of an innocent and helpless character was impressive.

Ohh didnt I mention Shreyas till now ???

Shreyas Talpade - plays the character of a "Behroopiya" ie., one who acts in different roles in life for entertaining others.

He provides the lighter moments in the movie.

Critical Eye !!!

----------------

The silence and the pauses between the dialogues actually gave an imagery of emptiness around and deserted locales.There was a certain simplistic and blissful air which was maintained to focus on the details of emotions instead of getting into the aspects of what a realistic setup would have been.

• My critical eye would question some inconsistency in language if it were to be realistically done.

Zeenat(Gul Panag) speaks hindi in a way which would sound like a urdu speaker.

Behroopiya (Shreyas) spoke with a rajasthani accent. It definitely adds to the entertaining and caricature character that he plays.

Meera (Ayesha) and father in law (Girish karnad) speak hindi very well which is not rajasthani ie., :-)

• There were times when it seemed a technical lack ( hope not intensional ) in the image capture. I am referring to a particular song when Ayesha is on the terrace watching fireworks which actually were quite blurred.

  
  




• The moment when Meera finds the "Maafinama"- Apology document in the sand while the letter to her by Zeenat was safely tied in the scarf on the tree seemed quite unnecessary. Cant think of any artistic imagery there.

  
  




• Artistic imagery or representation can be attributed to the last scene were in Zeenat prompts and then finally pulls Meera onto the train.

  
  

Songs :

--------

Yeh Honsla - Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan , Salim Merchant

fills one with a calm n pleasant feeling of hope and a filling desire to move ahead.

Yeh Honsla (Sad) - Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan , Karsan Sagathiya

tender tearful moments.

Imaan Ka Asar - Sunidhi Chauhan , Shreya Ghoshal

breezy, fresh and rocking.

Kesariya Balam - Karsan Sagathiya

rustic class

Dor Theme - Salim Merchant , Rakesh Chaurasiya (Flute)

haunting.

Allah Hoo Allah Hoo - Salim

Appropriate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------

https://movie-with-rakhoush.blogspot.com/

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

It was last Saturday when I saw Dorat Growel/ Cinemax Multiplex at Kandivali (East), Mumbai. The decision was mostly guided by the rave reviews that had appeared in the press. What I found out after watching the film is that it is one of the best Hindi films, I have ever seen.

The word, Dor, meaning thread, stiches two totally unrelated and unconnected persons from very diverse backgrounds into one relationship of Humanity. The film did not have any big names in the star cast. Nagesh Kukunoor, its director, though reputed for regularly giving good, meaningful and clean entertainment, has yet to build up a huge reputation. The music is again not provided by one (or two) of the recognized maestros in the line. But what the film provided is a real nectar. The story, supposedly inspired by a 2004 Malayali film (without any acknowledgement/ reference to that effect though), is one that touches the core of heart of any sensitive individual.

As already depicted by some others in their reviews, the plot is set simultaneously in two beautifully scenic rural backdrops in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan respectively. Two youths from these two places go to Saudi Arabia for greener pastures leaving behind their recently wedded spouses. They land up as house-mates there and apparently have no problems with each other. But by a strange quirk of fate, Aamir, the fellow from Himachal is held responible for an apparently accidental death of his friend Shankar Singh, hailing from a place close to Jodhpur in Rajasthan. As per the rule of that land, Aamir is sentenced to death, unless pardoned by Meera, the widow of Shankar Singh.

With that as the background, Aamir's wife, Zeenat(enacted by Gul Panag) starts on a mission to locate Shankar's widow, so as to elicit the formal "Maafi Naama" from her. With just one photograph of the lady & the Rajasthani background, and a wrong postal address, this lady lands all alone in the desert land, only to be befriended and cheated on the very first day. However, on account of a change of heart of the thief (a Bahurupiya,apparently without any formal name in the film, enacted marvellously by Shreyas Talpade), he comes back to Zeenat and not only helps her in locating Meera, stays with Zeenat through thick and thin.

As is to be expected, our valiant lady is not only cold-shouldered, is literally thrown out of the household of Shankar Singh. The saving grace, however, was that Meera did not know about this incidence and develops into a close friendship with Zeenat during her daily travails to the deserted temple. Only when execution date for Aamir is finalised, does Zeenat disclose her real intentions of befriending Meera, which obviously leaves Meera shattered and disillusioned..

In the meantime, the patriarch of the family of Shankar Singh negotiate with the contractor (enacted by Nagesh Kukunoor himself) to give the widow away temporarily in lieu of money and restoration of his family pride, nay his individual feudal ego.

With this sort of a situation, the climax arrives with a feel good solution, which needs to be seen in the theatre.

A couple of flaws, or should I say shortcomings, I thought, could have been avoided. The Maafi Naamathat Zeenat leaves at the temple site remains as it is, to be retrieved by Meera, although desert storms are known to normally blow away and/ or cover up even huge substances. A simple piece of paper is definitely going to be lost like a needle in a haystack. Secondly, the melodramatic end could have been toned down with Meera being shown to continue to be at cross-roads, but with a huge sigh of satisfaction writ large on her face, as the train carrying Zeenat moves out of the frame. Let us remember that realities of life are not always what we desire them to be. A village belle, with a conservative up-bringing a la Meera, will under natural circumstances, find the concept of running away slightly obtrusive.

The acting of Aayesha Takia as Meera was outstanding. Especially, the simultaneous expressions of grief, joy, liberation and female emancipations were played with elan by the young and nubile lady to the hilt. Gul Panag was also very good with solidly determined persona, writ large at all times. But the most amazing performance comes from Shreyas Talpade. The best scene, to me, was when all three dance to the music played from the transistor radio, throwing all norms of conventional conversationism to thin air.

The music is rustic and the over-all impact of the film is spell bounding.

A Must See Film for all Sensitive Film-goers and Film-lovers who value human relations.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Psst - This section contains some inside trivia about the film

Quotes - Good One Liners from the movie

Oops - Goofs from the movie

Director – Nagesh Kukunoor

Screenplay – Nagesh Kukonoor and T.A.RAzak

Zeenat(Gul Panang) is a newly wedded modern woman from a small village in Himachal Pradesh who has just said good bye to her husband Aamir who has left to work as a Truck Driver in Saudi Arabia. Meera(Ayesha Takia) is a young newly wedded woman from a conservative Rajput Family who has said Good Bye to her Husband, Shankar who is also traveling for work to Saudi Arabia. She stays with typical Orthodox Rajput in laws(Girish Karnad and one more lady whose name I don’t know). Fate, however has something very harsh for both the ladies. Aamir is convicted of Murdering Sanjay, who happens to be his room mate and although it is believed that the death of Shankar is just an accident, Aamir is sentenced the Capital Punishment which will take place in 2 months time. The only Way Aamir can get a pardon is if the Widow of the Person who is killed signs a pardon statement. But the biggest hindrance Zeenat faces is that besides a photograph of Shankar and Aamir together, she has no clue where Meera is located. She eventually, out of sheer determination, reaches Rajasthan and with the help of a Con Man (Shreyas Talpade) manages to locate Meera. After being thrown out of Meera’s house initially, Zeenat is determined to get the much wanted signature and for that the only way is the way of Compassion. Very Well made movie, and this should have been India’s contender for the Accademy Awards next year. Very Well Acting by the lead ladies and a bravura performance by Shreyas Talapde. Good Score by Salim-Suliman and brilliant Direction by Nagesh Kukonnor. A must watch movie.

Psst -

1) This is a remake of 2004 Malayalam Hit, PERUMAZHAKALAM although in the Pre release interviews, Nagesh Always claimed that this movie is inspired from a real life incident.

2) Nagesh had shot the whole movie in Sync Sound but the final result was not as per his expectations so he all the actors had to dub their lines. However Gul Panang could not dub her lines due to scheduling conflicts and hence her lines were dubbed by Nagesh’s long time colleague since Hyderbad Blues – 1 days, Elahe Hiptoola.

3) The Mimicry scenes by Shreyas Talpade were his own.

4) Saudi Arabia has amongst the highest capital punishments annually and more then 70% of them are Foreign Nationals or Women. But the Quisas law under which the death penalty can be pardoned by any of the relatives of the murdered victim is so lenient that even a pardon given one second before an execution is considered valid.

Quotes

1) “Yeh bada ichchadari ooth hai.”

2) “Main In rupaiye ki hack daar hu, inki zarorat mand nahin.”

Oops-

Didn’t notice any. Please let me know if u have.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Before I set about describing the plot, it should be mentioned that an honest and sincere attempt at anything will always elicit applause and appreciation. By no means is this film a masterpiece; however you can easily see the attempt that it makes in being one and purely for this reason it deserves a viewing and when you do give it an audience, it will give you many more reasons to watch it again.

The story is about two women who happen to be connected by a strange quirk of fate. Zeenat (Gul Panag) and Mira (Ayesha Takia) live in breathtaking geographies of their respective states. Zeenat in Himachal Pradesh has her home nestled in the lush green hills overlooking the undulating river as she cuts lovingly through the hills. Mira on the other hand lives in the barren state of Rajasthan which glows with its harsh painful beauty, "havelis" proclaiming the patriarchal society. Both these women have just begun their married life in absolute love with their spouses, however for economic reasons their better halves have to go to the gulf. In the far off land, Mira’s husband is killed and Zeenat’s husband (Amir) is held responsible for his death. The harsh law of the state doesn’t allow him to be expedited and believes in an eye for an eye, so Amir will have to part with his life unless Mira decides to pardon him.

Thus begins Zeenats journey to track down Mira armed with nothing but a photograph and her strong will power to save her loved one at any cost. She meets Shreyas Talpade on the way who is "masquerade" or a "bahurupiya". Shreyas helps shorten her search through ingenious ways and using his masquerading talent. Beyond this it is best watched on the large screen.

The film has one of the best background soundtracks, haunting and apt with the look and feel of the film. The cinematography is amazing, the way the camera captures the beauty of both lands is awesome. Memorable scenes are the himachal hills with the river and the blue houses of Bikaner among many great scenes. There is a tendency to start most scenes with a non descript object in focus and then shifting the gaze to the characters but before it becomes too noticeable, it is rectified.

The acting is outstanding. Gul Panag is very convincing as the strong willed woman, however the anguish and the pain of knowing that she could loose her loved one is not depicted well. Ayesha Takia does a great job of a nubile young widow who has to confine herself to the life of a prisoner just because she has lost a husband. Her accent is not very convincing. Shreyas Talpade is the pick among all. His mimicry talent is beautifully showcased here and his accent is flawless. He leaves you with quite a few memorable scenes, especially the one in which he declares his affection for Zeenat.

Nagesh brings out certain subtleties which declare his talent for serious cinema. How ever certain elements stop this film from being a great work. The character of Mira could have been made stronger if the decision making for her would have been complicated by lessening the complications in her life, this would have brought out her character in full. The pace of the film might not find favour with the majority of the audience. The climax of the film leaves a lot to be desired.

In spite of all its shortcomings, Dor should not be missed. It is very rare that such serious cinema is attempted in commercial domain which seems to be obsessed with celebrating philandering on the streets of New York and forcefully pushing the media to discuss the same on prime time. The film doesn’t for once become larger than life and sticks to the portrayal of human behaviour and relationships through trying times and decision making.

May not be for the front benchers but definitely for the connoisseurs.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

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 Zeenat (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 replaying 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.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Friends, I am really sorry for not been visible on Mouthshut for a longer time because I had changed my job and I was under excessive pressure to perform, now when the position has been in my favor and life has brought new dimensions, I though I will again make a come back here.

That was Saturday the 23rd, when I met three of my good friends almost after an year and planned to freak out and have fun at some happening place and then we decided to go for a movie at wave cinemas, Centerstage Mall, Noida….I had been to this theatre multiple times and it gave me the ultimate cinematic experience…

It was a night show, the theatre was not as full as expected, the crowd was too gentle and there was a pin-drop silence inside the theatre, they didn’t spend much time on the promos and the movie was finally been casted on the silver screen and we all were holding our heart.

The movie depicts the pure form of love; it has the scenes organized in a great sequence so as to keep the audience uninformed about the future happenings, u look at it with your eye lips stretched.

The movie has 3 major star casts working in it, Ayesha Takia (Meera), Gul Panag (Zeenat) and Shreyas Talpade (Behroopia). Dor is a story about love, loss, friendship, hope and ultimately, redemption. It is a tale of two women from two different worlds. Nagesh Kuknoorhas again proved the art of his direction in this movie after much appreciated IQBAL. He is an immensely talented director.

Zeenat and Meera both are from different worlds but there seems some connection between them which turns true when fortune brings both of them at a stage where everything looked going beyond their eyes…at one side there was Meera’s husband who died accidentally during a dispute with Zeenat’s husband in Saudi and at other side there was Zeenat who had to save his husband because she knew that it was an accident, Saudi Civil Laws are strict but in this case if victim’s spouse (Meera) forgives the accused then the accused can be forgiven by the Saudi Government…

And hence, Zeenat’s journey to find Meera starts with a hope to drag her love back from the death, Zeenat knew that it’s going to be a tough journey for her but she was determined because she loved with purity and then she gets Shreyas, the Behroopia on the way, who has been marvelous throughout the movie and has proved once again that he is a gifted actor, his humor deserves appreciation and his humor has made Zeenat’s journey easier.

One of these women will hold the power of life and death in her hands. One will be helpless at the hands of fate. One of these women has everything to fight for. One of them has nothing to lose. This movie holds the little moments of life and shows the spirit to struggle for love; this movie has been so simple still leaves a great message for us.

Few instances during the movie give ultimate pleasure to eyes and one such scene which I remember is the dance number Kajrare which makes us feel moving on our chairs, it has been taken with greatest amount of simplicity and gives a message that Pain can be felt is various ways.

And, in a powerful but unexpected climax, a question lingers? Just how far would you go to save the one you love?

And finally, I was left with tears in my eyes, a true feeling of love; I did call my love that night to tell her how much I loved, the movie has left a pleasant and unforgettable memory in my heart and I am going to watch it soon with my love.

I recommend everyone out here to watch this movie if you really wanna know the strength of Love.

Keep Loving…

Satyen

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Today,I HAVE GONE TO SEE THIS MOVIE AT PVR WITH MY FAMILY.I HAVE EXPECTED THIS MOVIE TO BE GOOD BUT SORRY THIS MOVIE IS NOT GOOD BUT OUTSTANDING.WATCHING THE PROMOS OF THE MOVIE I HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS MOVIE WILL BE GOOD BUT SUCH A GREAT MOVIE I HAD NEVER EXPECTED.

AS FAR AS CAST AS CONSIDERED AYESHA TAKIA DID A GREAT JOB.HER PERFORMANCE MIGHT TURNED OUT TO BE HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE.SHREVAS TALPADE'S PERFORMANCE IS ALSO GOOD AND EVEN BETTER THAN HIS PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE IN IQBAL WHICH IS ALSO GREAT.GUL PANAG DONE A FINE JOB ALTHOUGH HER PERFORMANCE DISAPPOINTS AT SOME SCENES.ACTUALLY SHE DOES NOT HAVE AN ACTRESS LOOKS.

NAGESH KUKUNOOR HAVE GIVEN A GREAT DIRECTION TO THIS MOVIE.HE MIGHT SOON BE LISTED IN GREAT DIRECTORS IF HE CONTINUE DOING HIS BEST.

I AM ALSO LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE IT WAS SAID BEFORE THE MOVIE RELEASE THAT THIS MOVIE IS GOT INSPIRED BY A TRUE EVENT THAT HAPPENED IN KERELA BUT SEEING THIS MOVIE I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.

DOR TELLS THE STORY OF LOVE , LOSS, FRIENDSHIP,HOPE AND ULTIMATELY,REDEMPTION.IT IS A TALE OF TWO WOMEN.

ON THE WHOLE THIS MOVIE HAS EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES,CINEMATOGRAPHY AND DIRECTION AND I EVEN LIKED THE MUSIC VERY MUCH.MOVIE CERTAINLY DESERVES TO BE HIT.

AN INSPIRING MOVIE!

VERDICT HIT

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

MUSIC REVIEWS

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

I went to see this movie because ayesha takia was looking quite preety and I have liked her since I saw her in socha naa tha. the amazing cinematography was another attraction ,also while nagesh mOVIES may be hit or flop movie , but he hasnt as yet made a Bad movie.

In the begning , the slow pace of the movie gets at you and you pray that NK and manoj night shymlan please get you act together and bring a pace to your story telling. But you slowly realise that NK is NK and not RGV , so one should enjoy his movie like he wishes to show it, and to enjoy the amazing cinematography this is the pace required.

About the story, a totally diffrent story , though the central theme is wether a girl is willing to pardon her husbands murderer, the story is about living and human relationships.

A few cliches broken

1. how does a married woman react to a declaration of love ,does it make her akward?, does it call for a long lecture on ethics??, no because only when you make it mean something else does it call for all these things ,else it can be acknowledged with a simple thank you.

   
   




2. withouth preaching on social evils and false pride,the plight of a woman is highlighted how a widow is a very useful thing to her inlaws....she serves as a punching bag, she can be a source of income, and inspite of all the hate you feel towards her you will not throw her out ,because she can serve as your maid

   
   




3. the third cliche broken was my own mentality, because I sat thinking ,which of the three male shown in the movie will give the widow happiness ,but NG tells you simply that happiness can be found in other better ways

   
   

IN case you are thinking its a boring movie,believe me its got more comic moments that any of the declared comic hits of this year

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Usually when NRIs come to India, they criticize it by comparing it to the facilities that they get outside India. Initially when this man, called Nagesh Kukunoor came to India, even he was paranoid after seeing a few things here and so he made a film about his experience. But this man is indeed different from the others because ........ inspite of his non-Indian accent he can understand and appreciate the beauty of India. The beauty which is beyond mere forts or monuments or for that matter TAJ MAHAL. He can take you to a new world above all of this and show you the true India which is simple colourful orthodax and truely INDIAN.The Indian flavor that we get to see in each of his films is his USP.

STORY: It is a ver simple story.... Meera is married to Shankar. They live in Rajasthan. Zeenat is married to Aamir Khan. They live in Himachal Pradesh. Shankar and Aamir go to Saudi Arabia. They happen to be room mates. Shankar falls off the balcony and dies. aamir is suspected to have killed him. Inspite of being innocent he cannot prove that, so he is punished to be hanged till death. The only way by which his Punishment can be terminated is when Shankars wife Meera signs a 'MAFINAMA'.... ie. pardons him. SO zeenat sets out to save her husband.... that is find Meera and convince her to sign that document....................................... to know how she does it ,...... see the film......it is very important for people to see and encourage such good films so that we can have more of them ...

REVIEW:

PLOT: As you would expect from a Nagesh Kukunoor film, indeed a very strong plot. you know!!! he goes by the formula for script writing and thus his films are content wise very strong. As in Iqbal or 3 Deewarein, here also the basic plot was so strong and very well worked on that film holds you.This time, the first few minutes(ie the introduction of characters and building the plot ) was a little slow.. little repetetive... but then ...... bravo.

CHARACTERS: Each character, be it Zeenat or Meera or Behrubia, so well formed so well defined and more importantly so well put across. Why only these, every other character in the film .... extremely strong!!!! Nagesh is a storyteller and the way he tells you the story is amazing. You feel more for Meera because she is a fun loving cute girl. She is someone who likes dancing on film songs, who loves cinema....... she is so colourful !!!! And when she has to abandon all this and grieve all the time .... you feel for her. On the other hand, Zeenat, you know is capable of doing anything, so you will want her to fight for her husband. Whereas Behrubia is concerned, you know somewhere that this chap feels for her ..............and so you accept the way he puts it across. And the way each character strenghtens as the film flows..... the transition in Meera's attitude....the periodic breakdowns of Zeenat ... and how Behrubia helps her.....

ACTING: ayesha Takia at her best. The acting was superb... when she is in the house, she is so soft so obedient... but as soon as she steps out .... she is loud and full of energy. Gul ... I saw her acting for the first time ..... she is good!!! you can see the power the determination in her eyes,,, the roughness in her body language but the humility and simplicity in her speech, her smile. Shreyas..... I wasnt expecting this..... when I was watchin the film I was constantly wondering ---- is he the man who played Iqbal. SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!! Girish Kannad, I am sure I neednt say anything, but you can see the pride... the man ego in his eyes, in his speech.... too good.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: What a visual treat! Making huge sets and lighting them well and then making them look beautiful is easy.... but the real beauty ... that is nature ... that too in its majestic form.... mighty mountains and the endless desserts....what a treat.....

very well captured.... and it wasnt that he made rajasthan look rough and himachal attractive..... both were equally beautiful...you could feel the heat and you could feel the cold....

SOUND: it was good... I was so much into the film that I couldnt give a special attention to the music... that means it was just perfect....it was giving me the right feel of the film.

DIRECTION: Havent I said enough..... he was tooooooooooooooo good. This is one man who can tell you simple stories about simple people and you would love it.... Notihng over the top... As I always say He is a genius .... he always has a strong and unique plot which he films in a very simple but attractive way....GIVEN A CHANCE THIS IS THE MAN I WOULD LOVE TO ASSIST....

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Nagesh Kukunoor, a self confessed Hrishikesh Mukherjee fan, dedicates "Dor" to Mr. Mukherjee...and a fitting tribute it is. A good story, simplicity of narration, a strong yet subtly conveyed social message...all ingredients of Mr. Mukherjee's films, wonderfully represented in Dor.

PLOT-

Would like to describe the plot in terms of the main characters.

Zeenat (Gul Panaag)-

A strong, self sufficient, fearless woman from Himachal Pradesh. Has lived most of her life on her own terms, taking care of herself with her earnings as a school teacher. Marries Aamir, the man she loves, but is separated from him soon after as he goes to the Middle East to earn some money. A few months into his being away, Zeenat gets the news that her husband is in prison for killing his room-mate there, and he could be executed for his crime. The only way he can be saved is if a plea for clemency, a pardon, is signed by the wife of the victim. This takes Zeenat on a quest all the way to Rajasthan to find this woman, about whom she knows next to nothing....all Zeenat knows is the wife must be found, and she must sign the pardon.

Meera (Ayesha Takia)-

Child-like, spontaneous, traditional woman from Rajasthan...recently married into a conservative family in Rajasthan. She has a close, affectionate relationship with her husband Shankar, while not quite gaining the approval of her in-laws. Shankar goes away to the Middle East...where he tragically dies, allegedly murdered by his room-mate. Meera's life is completely shattered. Apart from the pain of losing her husband, Meera is also facing the terribly harsh life that a widow has to face...a life devoid of human contact, laughter, and love....imposed upon by her traditions, enforced by her in-laws.

Beharupiya (Shreyas Talpade)

A con-man by profession in Rajasthan, and not a very good one at that, although he is a good mimic. He meets Zeenat in Rajasthan, and charms her with his take-off on various film actors, and sneaks away with Zeenat's belongings. However, smitten by conscience and by Zeenat's dimples, he resurfaces the next day, returns her things, and gets to know about her quest to find Meera. He decides to help Zeenat and helps her negotiate her way around an alien state, keeping her morale up with his constant banter and jokes.

What happens once Zeenat finds Meera? Does she find it easy to tell Meera who she is and what purpose she's come for? Does Zeenat succeed in getting her husband free? In what way does Zeenat influence Meera's life? These are all questions which you must watch "Dor" to have answered.

MY TAKE-

"Dor" is a wonderfully scripted, well-directed, beautifully shot, and last but not the least, beautifully acted film. There is a strong feminist undercurrent to the film, yet it never gets moralistic or preachy.

While the story may seem heavy, it never gets too cumbersome for the viewer, with a lot of light, true to life sequences, making the viewer chuckle. A lot of credit must be given to Shreyas Talpade for that. If you thought "Iqbal" was his career-defining role, you should watch him as, "Beharupiya". He is incredibly funny and is a truly gifted mimic. And yet, he doesnt lose the vulnerability and sensitivity as "Beharupiya", that made "Iqbal" such a memorable character either.

Ayesha Takia is a revelation. She was always a natural on screen, always likeable, but never quite had the opportunity to prove her mettle as an actor. She certainly does here, and how! Be it a spontaneous dance on the street to the tunes of a film song, or reacting to a betrayal by a friend...she does it all with such ease. Gul Panaag is no less effective. She has a tougher role to play. Zeenat is supposed to be head strong and ruthless in her single-mindedness. While the character is admirable, when pitted against Meera's effervescent innocence, could possibly lose some of the audience's sympathy. However, Gul manages to walk the fine line beautifully, making Zeenat strong yet identifiable and vulnerable.

The cinematography is great. The camera captures both Himachal and Rajasthan splendidly. The music, both the background score and the songs, are just right to set the mood of the movie. The song, "Yeh Honsla" lingers long after the movie is done.

"Dor" is not without flaws. The narrative lags on occasion and needs Beharupiya (Shreyas) to enliven the proceedings from time to time. However, all is forgiven with the beautifully executed climax. Watch how the last 10-15 minutes of the film unfold...where, without a word being spoken, a world of meaning is conveyed by the two women...that is true directorial genius. So Mr Kukunoor, your hero and mentor Mr. Hrishikesh Mukherjee, had he watched Dor, would have been quite proud of you.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Nagesh Kukunoor has given us a few really memorable movies so far. This one, Dor, seemed to be a pretty low key movie, with average unimpressive trailers. I had decided I would watch this movie, as I was a huge fan of IQBAL, and also because movies with a rural landscape sometimes offer a different refreshing perspective. But I had expected this movie to be a sort of a sad melodrama, and had not gone to watch with much expectations. Before going to watch the movie, I had a look at the review section in mouthshut, and to my surprise, didnt find a single review. This made me more sceptical as all of us are pretty keen on writing reviews on anything and everything. This had made my expectations even lower; maybe this movie didnt deserve a watch.

But guys, Dor literally blew me away.It is an awesome movie, with all the requisites of a must watch movie. Firstly the storyline: If you are avoiding this movie feeling that it will be a heavy movie with lots of crying, forget it. Dor, though not always a comic movie, is a pretty light and inspiring movie, which will often make you laugh.. Most of us didnt expect that. The story is a pretty simple one, but the way Nagesh Kukunoor has portrayed his characters is perfect. Each character is eminently believable, and its easy to empathise with their situation.

The actors are also pretty good. Shreyas Talpade, or IQBAL, is already known as a highly capable actor. In this movie, he also displays a wonderful sense of comic timing. His role is well designed, and you cannot wait for him to appear on the screen with his next jest. His role is that of a "

BAHUROOPIYA" or a role player in the movie. He streams of lines of dialogues of actors much better than a raju shrivastava, and with much more ease. Though his role is not the starring role in the movie, it wud not be wrong to say that he is the life and soul of the movie. His rajasthani accent seems authentic, and his role believable.

Gul Panag looks a bit ordinary in the first two scenes. But then in a movie in which most of the actors have not put any makeup (or so it seems), what else do you expect. But she gets a lot of chance to prove her acting prowess in the movie and most of the time, she does not disappoint. She plays the role of a strong willed muslim lady, and completely seems at ease with the part. She has been given the best dialogues in the movie by the director...

Ayesha Takia has almost nothing to do in the first half of the movie, other than act like a doll. But in the role of a widow, she excels. She too has got better with each movie... Her role of a naive rajasthani girl, who suddenly becomes a widow, gives her ample scope to display all her emotions, and it would be fair to say, she lives up to the part.

But most of all, this movie is about friendship between two women of different religions, who are all alone in the world. Its one of the few excellent women-centric movies to come out in the recent past. And it does that without being overly preachy or melodramatic. We have often watched hollywood movies of this kind, in which the women rise above all odds to prove a point. Hindi movies mostly fail to inspire in such a manner, falling into the trap of mahila mukti and atyaachar. This movie doesnt fail.

The dialogues are good, and the director has succeeded in making us take notice. There are some flaws, some dialogues seem stretched... but believe me..once you watch the movie, you wont grudge the mistakes.

Maybe everybody will not appreciate or like the movie as much as I did. But this movie atleast deserves one watch. There are much lesser movies which we keep on watching and cheering, like KANK, pyaar ke side effects, bas ek pal, and umpteen others. This movie is much much better than all of them put together. If you liked Iqbal, Omkara or any of those sort of movies, I am sure you will like this one too.. And If you still dont like it, well my future reviews wont be of your taste, and I am sorry for that...

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Movie Dor

The Plot

As you might have read from newspaper or net reviews, Dor is the tale of two Indian women, Meera(AYESHA TAKIA) and Zeenat(GUL PANAG). Beautiful Meera is the wife of Shankar and they reside in the ancient, traditional haveli of Shankar's orthodox parents at Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Gutsy & pretty Zeenat loves Aamir and both of conduct their secret nikaah(marriage) amidst the breathtaking hills of Himachal Pradesh. Both Meera & Zeenat have a destiny in common; their loved ones are leaving to earn their living in Saudi Arabia. The future looks promising yet scary. Both of them wish their dear ones good luck and hope they come back soon. Aamir's parents, in the meantime, also reconcile with their daughter-in-law with whom they had mixed feelings before.

Months pass by and Meera continues to receive money by post from Shankar and which she dutifully hands over to her in-laws. She also gets to speak for a while with him regularly, courtesy the neighbour's cell phone. But one fine day, Meera receives the news of her husband's death. According to Saudi authorities, Shankar's roommate Aamir had pushed him from the balcony of their apartment during a bitter fight. Meera is shocked beyond her wits and goes numb with sadness. Zeenat too receives news about Aamir's arrest and also the grim fact that Saudi court has sentenced him to death. An Indian representative from the external affairs assure her that Shankar's death is an accident but unfortunately they don't have enough time to convince the Arab authorities. She is alone & helpless. But there's still one chance; a rare opportunity. Aamir can go scott free if Shankar's wife forgives him. Leaving nothing to chance, Zeenat, with some money, sets out in search of Meera. On the way, she encounters a local conman Behroopia(SHREYAS TELPADE) who entertains people in the front and steal their belongings from their back :)

Behroopia offers to help her in her quest. Can she trust him? And even if she does manage to meet the widowed Meera, will she earn her forgiveness and get back her love?

My Review

Director Nagesh Kukunoor is known for his varied themes (all dealing with human triumph) and also the simplistic, endearing manner in which he moves the story forward. And the same goes to Dor too. But for once, we can forgive Nagesh for spending more money to offer us visually mesmerising shots of valleys, rivers & hills in Himachal Pradesh and the lonely yet magestic deserts of Jodhpur. Beautiful camera work.

The music is slow yet has depth to it. It moves in sync with the changing emotions in the movie.

Performances are very impressive although not memorable.

This is first movie of actress Gul Panag that I've seen and she has handled the complexity her character demands bravely. I think she needs to do more movies and also improve on emotional scenes that require tremendous display of expression.

Ayesha Takia is marvellous, considering that she has not yet had anything similar to such a hugely challenging role in her not-so-long career. Some of her scenes could have been done better but she's like wine. She will mature with age :)

Shreyas Telpade is the surprise packet in the movie and the person who draws the maximum whistles from the audience. Will not tell you why. You will enjoy his every moment in the movie. Wonderful.

Nagesh has also borrowed cast Pratiksha Lonkar and Girish Karnad(as Shankar's parents) from his earlier movie, Iqbal. Needless to say, they are absolutely convincing.

And like Alfred Hitchcock and Manoj Shyamalan, our Nagesh too makes a friendly appearance in the movie as shrewd, manipulative businessman Mr.Chopra.

What are the cons? Alas, I find some.

IS DOR A REMAKE OF 2004 MALAYALAM MOVIE PERUMAZHAKKALAM?

First things first, Nagesh Kukunoor says in some of his interviews that his inspiration for Dor was from a true event he read where one woman went in search of another woman to save her husband's life. As much as I like to believe that, I still wonder if he happened to see a Malayalam movie Perumazhakkalam released in 2004 and directed by Kamal. The story is EXACTLY the same but considering the Malayalam cinema budget, we do not have picturesque locales of Rajasthan or Himachal Pradesh. The entire shooting was in Kerala with two highly talented actresses Meera Jasmine in the role of Zeenat and Kavya Madhavan as Meera. And if I have to compare the two movies, and with due respect to both directors, Kamal's Perumazhakkalam is the better movie but Nagesh Kukunoor has a more unique and refreshing style to his direction. And regarding performances, undoubtedly, Kavya & Meera Jasmine score better.

Which brings me back to my first question. Did Nagesh see Perumazhakkalam and if so, was he doing a remake? I find it quite difficult to believe that two directors got their inspiration simultaneously from some true event.

Any which way you look at it, Dor is, without hesitation, very good cinema. It's a story of human spirit rising over tragedy. Not very moving or inspiring but one that you will like anyway.

Director- Nagesh Kukunoor

Year- 2006

Starring - Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag, Shreyas Telpade, Nagesh Kukunoor

Verdict - I watched simply because its a Nagesh Kukunoor movie. I guess that's reason enough for you too.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Watched DOR at Inorbit yesterday (Friday) To be honest I wasnt as keen to watch it as much as my wife as I thought it would be not the kind of movie I would want to start my weekend with... But buoy what a watch it turned out to be.. Mindblowing stuff if you are the types who appreciates sensible cinema.. Absolutely awesome and sensitive performance by Gul Panag, Ayesha Takia, with a dash of humor from Shreyas Telpade.. I wont go deep into the story line since I hate to spill the beans but would just like to say that no one can make a masterpiece from a very simple story line besides Naagesh!! Hats off to him for this one.. I feel this one has surpassed his much acclaimed Iqbal by a 1000 miles.. Coming to the music of the film, Salim-Suleiman unravel their unexplored music prowess in this album by delivering brilliant Indian classical music.. All in all a great watch.. watch it before the typical bollywood potboilers push this masterpiece out from all the multiplexes in the coming weeks...

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.

Nagesh Kukunoor deserves kudos for bringing out this tale of two women so poiganantly through this beautifully crafted film. Very seldom do we see the woman theme so intensely and deeply portrayed with one actually feeling the emotions which the characters of the film depict.

• 
  • Flag This Review
  • Irrelevant
  • Fake
  • Junk
• Thank You! We appreciate your effort.