Dor

Movie depicts the Dor of life. Its unusual from a maker like Nagesh to produce such an emotional flick but he was brilliant in it. Specially the role of Gul Panag was splendid.This role must have been made for some one like Smita Patil or Shabana Azmi and Gul did real justice with it. This story revolves around the pain and agony a young widow whose husband is accidentally (Not quite sure) killed by his roommate who happens to be husband of the liberated woman Gul. The movie circles around her journey to find the woman who can get her husband free. Shreyas played an excellent role in this movie and surely second best role wise. Ayesha also played a good role along with Nagesh and Girish Karnad. All in all this is a movie worth watching. A 9/10 from my side.

-Vaibhav

I very much enjoyed this movie and thought performances by both females leads were good. I especially liked Zeenat's (Gul Panag) courage, quiet dignity and fortitude in the face of an overwhelming and frightening situation for a young bride. I am of the opinion that she acted better than Ms. Takia, but both were very good. Mr. Talpade is also excellent as the comic foil and does a admirable job of plaing the jester. He is a con man with a heart of gold and proves this in his dedication to the cause at hand. I enjoyed his performance in Iqbal and here as well. It is really worth seeing this movie - the scenery is also breathtaking especially the scenes of Himachal Pradesh! The story line is also a different one - I have not seen such a topic in Hindi films.

One of the better movies of recent times.. you hardly get to see a more realistic reflection of the life in rural India. Kudos to cinematography to create such a holistic picture of Rajasthan... and what a breath taking view of the Opening Act.

Nagesh Kukunoor has definitely done his homework before making this film. It touches so many real issues faced by India.. the fiercely independent Zeenat, the overtly coy Mira, the odd jobs a beherupiya has to do, the dependency a family has on a son who's abroad, the young girl who was dumped at birth, the state of mind of the elderly, the list is endless...

Every actor of the film deserves kudos for giving justice to his / her role. Ayesha Takia needs to do some such similar role to repeat the phenomenon; a different take from what she has done so far... She is refreshingly different. Well Shreyas, you are getting better at acting.

One word to summarize.. Gul Panag, awesome !! Look forward to your next film..

Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor is perhaps the best film of 2006. It is a moving, inspiring and very involving piece. Sadly, such films, despite being generally well appreciated, get little notice amongst the majority of cine-goers and fail to do well commercially. I can't get it, because this one like many others has what it takes to be famous and widely popular. This is the story of two women: Zeenat and Meera. They are very different but they share the same experience. Zeenat is an independent, strong-minded and worldly Muslim woman. Meera is a traditional and highly disciplined girl whose life outlook is fairly old-fashioned and innocent. Both women have lost their husbands, only that while Meera's husband is no more, having reportedly been killed by accident, Zeenat still has a chance to get him back. That's where we get the film's main conflict: Zeenat's husband is the one held responsible for Meera's husband's death. He is now awaiting his death penalty in Saudi Arabia (where both he and Meera's husband had been employed). As fate would have it, Meera is the only one who can save his life, as in accordance with Saudi law, if the widow of a deceased man signs a form of forgiveness, the murderer can be released from punishment. Convinced of her husband's innocence and determined to save him, Zeenat sets on a journey to Rajasthan to find Meera and plead for help. Their acquaintance and ensuing friendship is what brings the film's best moments, all that while Meera is still unaware of Zeenat's true identity and the purpose of her visit. Both women find solace in each other, particularly Meera, who, inspired by Zeenat's attitude, discovers her inner strength and starts looking at life in a whole new way.

Dor is such a riveting movie experience. Movies of this sort, which are often labelled 'arty films', are generally known for their slow pace, but here there isn't a single dull moment. It is excellent in writing, direction and acting, and is consistently engaging. The script is stupendous and is effectively developed. Everything is kept simple and genuine, devoid of any possible redundancies or clichés. The movie is shot across breathtaking locales, and their exotic and cryptic beauty is perfectly captured by Kukunoor, who is of course aided by Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography. The musical duo Salim-Sulaiman compose a winning soundtrack which efficiently fits the film's mood and cultural background and enhances the narrative. The film's instrumental theme song in particular is a true pleasure. The characters of Zeenat and Meera are excellently played by Gul Panag and Ayesha Takia, respectively. As Zeenat, Panag is thoroughly convincing in a strong yet subtle performance that is perhaps her best. Ayesha Takia is even more impressive in a performance that just keeps growing on you with every new scene right until the end. She looks cuter than ever and her raw simplicity is incredibly charming, while she brilliantly captures Meera's innocence, vulnerability, repression, and ultimately her inner growth and coming-of-age. The two ladies are supported by several actors who play their roles with utmost conviction, including Shreyas Talpade and Uttara Baokar. As opposed to what many others seem to think, I did not find Dor to be feminist or something of this sort. I see it as a culturally rich, fascinating and inspiring picture about humanity and friendship against the most impossible circumstances.

Simple movies are the hardest to make in India. Being a traditionally colorful culture that subdues to the varying degrees of pomp and glitz, it is rare that something so simple yet powerful comes across.

'Dor' comes from the able hands of my personal favorite Nagesh Kukunoor. The man who revolutionized the so called 'parallel cinema' by giving it a relatable look with the classic- 'Hyderabad Blues'. With time his understanding of the cinematic life cycle has only matured and this is quite evident in his recent works.

I was on the flight from Frankfurt to Bangalore when I happened to see his brush with India's real religion – Cricket. 'Iqbal' brought to light more than just a story. It brought to me glimpses of an India we all can relate with. An ounce of style with the right amount of emotion made me appreciate this creative genius flying on an unknown land that evening. It was then I realized Nagesh was more than just a movie maker. He was indeed a 'mirror maker' who showed us visions of various parts of our own society. Parts we rarely get to see. Parts that are easily forgotten in the razzmatazz of everything else that surrounds us.

At the risk of trying to avoid this write up from becoming another review, I am attempting to capture the mood of the feature rather than the semantics of it. 'Dor' goes across the nation towards the Northern part of the country. Two stories running parallel to each other but united by one tragic cause. We have a story of a couple from the foothills of a valley in Himachal Pradesh. We have another story of another couple from the dune hills of Rajasthan. People from two completely varying faiths and cultural limitations find each other in the face of a tragedy. Simple people with not so simple challenges. People like you and me.

But then 'Dor' is so much more than just that. It is about the ignored woman section in India. It is about their eternal struggle in a male-dominant world. It is about the anguish a young widow faces in her close minded and medieval society. It is about a friendship that is born out of grief and put to test. A test that can easily make or break it. It is about mending broken hearts and ailing relationships. It is about hope that is so easily lost in the chaotic lives we are part of.

'Dor' is about the delicate threads that bind us as human beings.

Indians have always been fed on a rich diet of fiction and endless melodrama. To escape from reality is the easy way out but to own up to it and reflect takes a bigger individual. 'Dor' attempts at encouraging us starry-eyed scapegoats to pause and look into the mirror we live in.

As I said, simple yet powerful representations like 'Dor' are easy to ignore. But it only adds up to the injustice such genuine pieces of work meet with. I sincerely hope this is not the case with 'Dor'. Do yourself a favor and be a part of this qualitative journey for once.

As for me, I have found my mirror and I acknowledge what I see. I hope you can do the same.