DOR

Hyderbad blues,Rockford,Boollywood calling,3 deewarein, Hyderbad Blue 2,Iqbal and now DOR, Nagesh Kukunoor has given us some of the best movies in recent year, each one of them so simple yet so heart touching. Hats off to him.He is one of the guy's who are changing face of hindi cinema, movies who's strength is their story not stars, not item numbers or glamour.
Dor takes you by complete surprise. Of course you expect a certain aesthetic and technical finesse in a Kukunoor creation.Story is told in an uncomplicated, sensible manner, minus bollywood melodrama, and a glamor overkill. It's also amusing enough to keep you in splits throughout. Dor is about lives of two women, Zeenat (Gul Panag) Himachal Pradesh and Meera (Ayesha Takia) in Rajasthan.
Meera is a affectionate, spirited but abiding young woman who lives with her husband in a traditional joint family set-up in Jodhpur. She and her husband are very much in love and share an intimacy demonstrated very adorable manner in the film. Her husband, Shankar lands a job in Saudi Arabia, and the lovers part amidst a restrained show of sadness. He sends home money for the family and Meera rents a cell phone once a month, so she can indulge in conversation with Shankar.
Zeenat on other hand is a independent, self-assured, practical but slightly cold woman. The story doesn't reveal much about her background or her family. But her portrayal is of women with courage and strong will.She is in love with Amir, who marries her despite opposition from his parents. The two tie the knot in a simple ceremony. The next day Amir must leave for Saudi Arabia as he gets a job there. His parents come to bid him farewell. He tries to win their approval for his new bride. However, it is only after he departs that they finally embrace Zeenat.
Shankar and Amir become room mates in Saudi Arabia.Then Shankar falls off the balcony and dies. Amir is convicted for murder and thrown into a Saudi prison. and get's death sentence. The ministry of external affairs intervenes and explains to Zeenat that the only way Amir might be set free is if Shankar's widow condones Amir. So, Zeenat sets off on a quest to find Meera, treasuring a single document that could set her husband free.
Meera is now condemned to a peripheral existence. Her bangles are shattered. She is disrobed off her vibrant ghoonghat and made to wear deep blue widow's garb. She is put into a cold, dark room with a lone beam of light, where she silently moans the death of her husband and suffers the loss of freedom, alone.Sadly its true portrayal of widow's in india, specially in rural area, where widows are still blamed for thier husband's death and men can start a new life,where as women have to live in social stigma for rest of their lives.

When Zeenat reaches Rajasthan she encounters Behroopia (Shreyas Talpade), a conman who first entertains her and then steals her belongings. He has the talent for slipping effortlessly into the guise of real-life characters like your local taxman or police inspector and mimic different bollywood actors. Zeenat encounters Behroopiya at a local dhabha in Rajasthan, whilst she is thinking about her plan of action. He forecasts her future and entertain her with his skills in exchange for a plate of food. In return he flees with her money and belongings.However he later helps her to find Meera. Zeenat befriends Meera and they form a strong bond of friendship and mutual respect for each other.

Dor is a must-watch;The film is entertaining and also has multiple messages that are delivered in the subtlest manner.The film is shot against picturesque locations in Himachal and Rajasthan. The script as usual is engaging; the dialogs entertaining, witty and yet quite profound. You also have several sub-plots that surround the main story. And every scene seems to have been well etched out.
Ayesha Takia looked like a sweet doll,with innocence of child on her face, bushy eyebrows and the ability to strut her acting prowess. And she goes for the kill with an award-winning performance. Happy and content one minute, depressed, vengeful or naive the next, she does justice to all the various shades of Meera's spirited yet repressed character.
Shreyas Talpade is a natural at comedy and his impersonations will make you smile. However, his character commands more than just lots of laughs. In a drunken stupor he sheds his buffon like exterior to reveal his true feelings and this transition seems so natural.
Gul Panag looks lovely without makeup, her dimples lighting up the screen, you will just fall in love with her. Her portrayal of Zeenat is pretty decent, her character coming across as strong yet restrained. The supporting cast, despite having short roles, manage to hold their own.
Another wonderful aspect is the rural setting of the story as opposed to an urbane backdrop. Is Dor one of the most profoundly moving films in recent times? Most probably it is. When it comes to portraying a forlorn yet undefeated sisterhood it stands tall and stately right up.