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 bencher's but definitely for the connoisseurs.
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 bencher's but definitely for the connoisseurs.