Do Dooni Chaar

I don't remember when was the last time i saw a movie with such a simple but strong storyline. I won't term this movie as a comedy but it definitely had humor in it. The plot of the movie is so simple that any middle class Indian would be able to relate to it, the dream of Duggal Family to become the owner of a four wheeler from a two wheeler(as you can already make out from the title). Rishi Kapoor essays the role of a low earning maths teacher which he played to perfection, hardworking and still hated by his students(reminded me of some of my school teachers), Neetu Kapoor was the housewife who in parts reminded me of my mother, hardworking and tired but still non complaining. Add to that two kids who always have complaints from there parents as they are trying to become a part of the high society friend circle. The house and the society in which the Duggal's stayed kept me guessing through out the movie as to which part of Delhi was it as it could have been any middle class Punjabi dominated area of Delhi. Add to this a lot of complicated situations to the life of the Duggal's in their effort of buying a car and you get a complete family package. It is a movie without the usual glam sham which you expect from a Hindi movie but considering the story and the excellent acting of Rishi Kapoor, I don't think there was a need for any. See this if you like simple family movies without any melodramas.

Thank God, I'm watching lot of good films nowadays!! It is good for mental health!! Do Dooni Chaar is a movie that is excellent in all aspects. Be it the casting, the dialogues, the direction, or anything. Just one word, excellent!! There have been crap movies in the past, there have been movies in which the director attempted to do something good ,but ended up as a failure. I suggest such people watch this movie. This is a textbook for people who want to make simple films with great intentions. Of course, Do Dooni Chaar hits the right target, and that is the success of the director. No wonder, after watching this movie Sachin Tendulkar wanted to act in this director's movie. And one more thing, this movie is produced by Arindam Chaudhury, the famous economist and the founder of IIPM. He has done a good thing to produce such a great movie. So, what's the movie about?? It revolves around the life of Duggal family, consisting of a dad, mom and two children. Real life couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh have come up together on screen after so many years, ant the chemistry is extra ordinary. The girl and the boy who acted as their children are equally good. The story is completely natural, simple and refreshing. The movies like Do Dooni Chaar should be made, this is doubtlessly a real gem in Indian cinema, one of the best movies of the recent times!! Habib Faizal, you rock!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The storyline is funny, the acting is good and the best part is the movie is not too out there. My biggest pet peeve with most bollywood movies is that everything is too loud and exaggerated.. This thankfully isn't one of those movies.

The story is about a middle-class teacher and nothing is out of the ordinary. No glamorous daughter who hangs out in pubs all night, no over-dramatic wife, no weird spoilt filmy children. As a matter of fact, the attention to detail with which the director has shown a middle class family is just too darn amazing.. There are so many little things you can notice about your average everyday middle-class family that not only make you wonder the amount of effort that was put into researching, but which also make the movie genuinely funny and likable! Like I particularly liked the scene where Rishi kapoor adjusts the wires of his nightlamp to make it work (presumably as it was without a plug), or how neetu singh is washing the verandah in slippers and socks.. such little things! The acting is also very good.. rishi kapoor makes it look effortless.. neetu singh does a convincing role of your everyday housewife.. the kids even though in college thankfully aren't also prancing around singing songs in college either... If you need to see the real Delhi this is the movie you should watch.. really good clean fun!

Was flipping through channels on Sunday night after having nothing better to do and saw this wonderful movie do dooni char. Captured essence of middle class life so succinctly and reminded me of my childhood. Best was ending of movie when narrator (daughter of protagonist) claims that consumerism is not bad. In family's desire to buy a car they could rediscover their dad, started taking pride in their lives and his brother and father came close to each other. Their effort to win lucky draw by opening thousand boxes of detergent reminded me of how dutifully mom was collecting each edition of local newspaper when they had a maruti draw or how I used to try KBC phone religiously in college. Typical middle class dreams and desire to fulfill them. How one has societal pressures of showing one in good position in marriage at one's relatives, how neighbors fight and learn to live together and how old teachers always live in heart of students.

Do Dooni Char is one small episode portraying a middle-class Delhi family struggling through their financial limitations. It is a humorous and enjoyable feature though it is more impressive for its authenticity and realistic feel rather than the story itself. That's where the film scores. The spirit of Delhi and its middle-class families is wonderfully captured. The sets, the costumes and the props are all very simple and thus create an enchanting sense of everyday realism which is very missing in Hindi films. The writing itself is not particularly great, but the film has its moments and it actually deals with problems not usually dealt with in Indian movies, such as the modest salaries professional teachers get paid for their efforts and how this affects their image. This specific issue is conveyed through the main element of the narrative, namely the lack of a car in math teacher Santosh Duggal's family, which also includes his wife and two children. He is forced to use a scooter and at some point this starts saddening him and those who surround him. Quite a lovely way of conveying a concept, and it is generally well done, but at times the movie is way too messy and hard to follow. The film has one more plus and it is the casting, particularly of Rishi Kapoor, who delivers a moving and convincing performance with natural ease. Neetu Singh Kapoor is very good, especially considering the fact that she had not acted for decades. The kids do well and Aditi Vasudev is also good in narrating the film. Do Dooni Chaar is one nice film which is not flawless but is colourful enough to entertain and enlighten.