A beautiful movie - Dor

About nine years ago I saw Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor. It is in Hindi and was produced in India. It is one of the finest movies I have ever seen. Recently I saw it again. I wanted to pay tribute to this beautiful movie.

The movie has a wonderful ensemble cast including Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag, Shreyas Talpade and Girish Karnad. It was shot in beautiful locales in the desert in Rajasthan and the mountains of northern India. At the heart of the movie is a very emotional story. The crux is that if someone ever does an act that harms you would you in turn forgive that person or not. Without giving too much of the plot I think one has to see the movie to marvel at how the director has taken such a difficult subject and given it complete justice. All the characters are so real. One can relate to their humanity and challenges.

The two leads Ayesha and Gul have performed very well. Ayesha is so honest in her portrayal of a young widow who is dealing with in-laws that are very unfair to her. The pain in her eyes is evident. She expresses her sadness through her dialogues effectively. Gul is very good as the young wife who has to travel to another part of the country to find someone who may be able to help her with her husband’s case in Saudi Arabia. She is relentless in her pursuit. She is very determined to help her husband. Gul has performed this role with a lot of nuance and grace.

Shreyas is the main supporting lead. He brings a lot of comedic relief to this movie. His scenes with Gul are touching. He eventually starts liking Gul’s character but since she is married he understands that they can only be friends. Whenever he comes on the screen it is a pleasure for the viewer. He helps Gul a lot in the movie so that she is able to achieve what she was planning to do. There is a sequence in which he mimics the voice of a few famous movie actors. He did very well in that scene.

I did not like a few things about the movie but overall that did not impede my liking for it. The most prominent was the director casting himself in a small negative role. I think it was not a good casting choice. Perhaps another actor would have suited that role better.

The music and soundtrack of the movies is one of the best I have heard in the last 20 years or so. The song ‘Yeh Honsla’ is beautifully sung and is a heartwarming song.

The cinematography of the movie is top notch. The cinematographer has shown us the various colours of the movie so beautifully. He shot the locales very well. Each frame looks so nice. Whether it be the mountains of north India or the desert of Rajasthan, the cinematographer has succeeded in bringing life to the different locales.

This movie has one of the best climaxes I have ever seen. At the end I had no choice but to cry. The way the actors acted and the director directed the last few minutes is very powerful and emotional.

Overall I would give this movie a 5 out of 5 (if I was assigning a rating). Despite its few shortcomings its overall experience is wonderful. It has a simple story which is very real and relatable. I think Nagesh Kukunoor is one of the best movie directors in India. He works very hard on his movies and brings together a great team of people (actors, musicians, writers, cinematographers) so that his vision for that movie can be fulfilled.