'Do Dooni Char' is easy on the eye and mind

Habib Faisal's 'Do Dooni Char'

A good movie is one that outlasts the popcorn. And this week's offering at the turnstiles sure does that and more because it is totally unpretentious, completely wild and whacky but extremely poignant in the dilemma that it handles. And it does all these without straining my limited gray cells.
Habib Faisal's 'Do Dooni Char' is another of those sweet and simple movies coming out of Bollywood's new age directors that adds to the growing list of must-watch movies like 'Khosla ka Ghosla', 'Oye Lucky..' and 'Dev D' that showcases the common man and his down-to-earth problems.
The story is about the Duggal family who are trying to figure out how they can stand up as equals amongst their middle class neighbourhood in Delhi's Punjabi heartland of Lajpat Nagar where "car-shars" and "daru-sharus" are common parlance. Of course, there is a moral question that head of the family Santosh Duggal must answer before the car is his!

Five reasons to watch 'Do Dooni Char'
1. The obvious first reason is the chemistry between real life couple Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, who are coming back on the screen as a pair after three decades. The duo crackles on screen as they did in some of their memorable romances of yore like 'Khel Khel Mein', 'Rafoo Chakkar' and 'Kabhi Kabhie'.
2. Director Habib Faisal has taken a leaf out of Dibakar Banerjee's movies by sparing great attention to detail throughout the movie. The Lajpat Nagar residence of the Duggals is life like as is his scooter and the pieces of furniture you find in the house. There is nothing artificial in the Duggal household.
3. Rishi Kapoor matured from playing the romantic hero to an adorable papa some time ago. His daddy dearest roles in 'Hum Tum' and 'Fanaa' were well appreciated. But, as Santosh Duggal, Rishi adds a feather in his cap by bringing in some classic touches. His over the top affection and his butt-scratching are two aspects that any Delhi-wallah like myself will connect with instantly.
4. Neetu Singh Kapoor looks as lovely and lively as she did 30 years ago when she decided to chuck it all up and take up the role of playing mom in real life. She brings a certain freshness as the suffering-yet-smiling Mrs. Duggal who understands her husband but supports her kids when they make fun of his old-fashioned lifestyle.
5. Archit Krishna and Aditi Vasudev, who play the junior Duggals aren't mere props in a movie that totally belongs to the Kapoors. The scriptwriter in Habib Faisal (he wrote the scripts for 'Salaam Namaste', 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' and 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'), ensures that the kids precocious to a point that is acceptable to middle class sensibilities.

Five reasons to avoid 'Do Dooni Char'
1. Honestly, I cannot come up with too many reasons to miss watching a movie where the highlight is its simplicity. Of course, one can point out some flaws in the script like the family not being able to afford a new fridge that could at most cost about Rs.500 in installments today.
2. While the director has ensured that the movie doesn't preach middle-class values and highlight the failings of the rich, there are some scenes where the moral bit is overstated. The dilemma of the school teacher who is offered a bribe to pass the dumb kid of a rich man is believable, but the resolution is a tad over-stretched.
3. Don't go for the movie expecting too many punch lines. 'Do Dooni Char' isn't a patch on the rip-roaring comedies like 'Golmal' or 'Chupke Chupke' (both Hrishikesh Mukherjee classics) or the more recent 'Khosla ka Ghosla'. But, there are some great moments between Rishi and Neetu as well as with the neighbours.
4. If you are going to watch the movie for thrills and spills, better watch the cricket match between Australia and India. This movie has nothing that gets the adrenalin pumping. In fact, the entire movie is set at a pace that is so slow that you could actually take a pee break in between and miss nothing.
5. For a movie that tells a middle class tale, there is a voice over that gets on your nerves off and on as does the background score, though both these cannot be termed as reasons for giving the movie a miss. They find mention only because the author cannot think of any other valid reason for not watching this movie.
My Take: 'Do Dooni Char' is a movie about the common man told in a style that is anything but common in today's era of style over substance type of movies. The Duggals are characters you want to know in real life. And Rishi and Neetu just take up from where they left off as a romantic pair.
Source: India Syndicate