Moview Review : Do Dooni Char

Rating : Good (3.75/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2010
Running time : 2 hours 5 minutes
Director : Habib Faisal
Cast : Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Archit Krishna, Aditi Vasudev, Akhilendra Mishra, Supriya Shukla
Kid rating : G

DO DOONI CHAR : HEART-WARMING TALE !

Rishi and Neetu Kapoor make it to the big screen as a couple after many decades. While Rishi has been seen in films like Chintuji and Delhi-6, this is quite the return of the prodigal actress for Neetu. Written and directed by Habib Faisal (who has also written the screenplay for the recent Band Baaja Baaraat), Do Dooni Char makes a perfect comeback vehicle for the still-charming couple. He has put on more than a few pounds (following in the footsteps of his father and brothers), while she has grown slimmer, but they share the same sparking on-screen chemistry as in their heydays.

Rishi is Santosh Duggal, a middle-class Delhi school teacher struggling to make ends meet in the big city, by working two jobs – one at school and one at the tuition center. His harried wife Kusum handles the home front, scrimping and saving, while the teenage children wish for all the toys and trinkets that only more money can bring. Believing in living within their means, they live in a small over-crowded flat, and he drives the trusty old scooter to work.

When Santosh’s married sister invites them for a wedding in her in-laws-family, true to Punjabi form, she wants her brother to flash his non-existent money around to show his well-heeled status to the world, and to keep her “izzat” in her family. And what better way than to arrive by car at her home ? Of course Santosh has no car, so a car is borrowed, but he determines that they must needs have one of their own. This is what this film is about – the quest to go from a 2-wheel drive (literally, the scooter) to a 4-wheeled one (the much desired car) when money is tight and there are many wrong (and tempting) ways to a little extra cash . . .

After a long time comes a film that is clean, interesting and well-made. Faisal writes the film with an eye for detail and character development. The dialogues are believable and earthy, and he fleshes out incidents which lay bare the plight of the Duggals. Thus we have no trouble sympathizing with the Duggal family. Rishi and Neetu are great at what they do, and a big reason why DDC succeeds like it does, but I must also give credit to the actors who portray their children. Aditi Vasudev makes daughter Payal’s sprightly, out-spoken character come alive, while Archit Krishna is quite good as the son, Sandeep, who finds alternative means to get what he wants. The supporting cast members like Akhilendra Mishra who plays car-owning neighbor Farooqi, and Supriya Shukla who portrays Santosh’s sister are also very competent, and help make this heart-warming tale even more believable.

In a world of consumerism and living-by-credit, comes this, dare I say old-worldly film, which tells us of the virtues of contentment and satisfaction. Yes, it might sound a tad preachy, but really is so well done that the message goes down easy. Unlike most current films Do Dooni Char is a simple, modest tale sans the filmi frills and frippery. A film with creativity, class and charisma, it is one of the better films of the year, and a totally worthwhile watch.