Do Dooni Char (2010)

Real, sweet, simple and sensitive -  these four words define Do Dooni Char, which is a tribute to all the teachers and the teaching community. It is a movie that makes you remember all those teachers who have taught you the most important lessons of your life. It is a movie that makes you realize that life isn’t easy. It is a movie that shows you that it’s not easy to get everything you wish for in life. It’s a movie that touches upon the nuances of real life.

Do Dooni Char is the story of a mathematics schoolteacher Santosh Duggal [Rishi Kapoor] who struggles very hard to make both ends meet for his family. His wife, Kusum Duggal [Neetu Kapoor] handles the domestic chores struggling to keep the household expenses low while his daughter, Payal Duggal [Aditi Vasudev] hopes for an upscale lifestyle. Mr. Duggal’s son Sandy Duggal (Archit Krishna) wishes the same and secretly attempts to upgrade his standard of living by trying his hand at betting.

Mr. Duggal’s extra earnings from tuition classes can’t meet the high expectations and aspirations of his middleclass family. Every small raise and bonus has too many takers. The real journey, however, starts when the Mr. Duggal, who currently has a scooter, decides to buy a car for his family due to societal pressures. Stuck between car models, bank loans, EMI and down payments, Mr. Duggal tries all he can to get his family a car. If he manages to succeed or not and how exactly is what the rest of the narrative is all about.

To sum up, the entire film is based on financial issues faced by Mr. Duggal and his family and the narrative runs on a single conflict – Duggals purchasing a car. Still, the narrative doesn’t seem monotonous at any point though it does get slow. Also, indeed the film focuses on the life of lower middle income group and the scarcity of resources but it isn’t a sad or depressing movie. Director, Habib Faisal has made sure to keep it lighthearted while telling a very real and sensitive story.

There are parts of the movie which everyone can instantly relate to. First of all, the common man shares the same demands, dreams, insecurities and situations as shown in the film. Moreover, we all have had moments when we really want something but can’t get it due to financial restraints. That is precisely what has been highlighted in the film. Also, the part where Mr. Duggal’s daughter comes home and tells him she got a job at a call center and then doesn’t get permission to do it is also very close to real life. We see such scenarios everyday in real life.

The film has some very sensitive scenes. For instance, when Mr. Duggal finds out his son has been earning money through betting, instead of beating him up, he takes him out and engages him in a casual yet very meaningful conversation. Such are scenes that show what parenting is about.

Not only is the story touching but the dialogues are also very well written and some of them touch your heart instantly. For example there’s a sequence where Mr. Duggal says, “khali fees bharnay se papa ki duty nahie hoti poori, papa ki duty hai bachoon ki khushiyan and us main no discount!” This might be a simple dialogue but ask a father how real it is and only he will be able to tell you what all it takes to keep his kids happy.

The actors have done a superb job and what else could one expect from these two Kapoors? Rishi Kapoor gives a fantastic performance and makes the role of an honest teacher look very real. Nitu Kapoor has given a perfect come back with this role and looks beautiful and elegant. She has given a very natural performance, which was demanded by her role. Even the kids are suited for their roles unlike most kids in Bollywood films. So the film does score good points as far as the performances are concerned.

The second half of the film is slightly slow and one expects more essence in it. The climax could have been much better and interesting. Still the movie doesn’t make you press the forward button. While talking about the weak points of the film, we can surely talk about the music because it is very weak. A better soundtrack could have easily increased the ratings of Do Dooni Char.

All in all, there’s a lot that Do Dooni Char teaches. It teaches that more than anything else in life, it is self esteem and respect that matters, which can’t be gained by money. Do Dooni Char is not for those who seek glamour, fun and music in a film. In fact, this film would please those who are struggling for something in life and will motivate them to work harder but I would suggest you all to wait for the master print to watch it since it’s not on at Pakistani cinemas – Hafsah Sarfraz

Rating :- 3 out of 5

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 2010, Genre – Comedy, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Arindam Chaudhuri, Director – Habib Faisal, Music Director – Meet Bros Anjan Ankit, Anjan, Cast - Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Archit Krishna, Aditi Vasudev, Akhilendra Mishra, Supriya Shukla

Amitabh Bachan and Raakhee in Kabhi Kabhie (1976)

Amit Malhotra (Amitabh Bachchan) woos Pooja (Raakhee) with his poetry but, in accordance with their parents’ wishes, she marries an architect Vijay Khanna (Shashi Kapoor) while Amit goes into the family business. Pooja and Vijay form a happy family with their son, Vicki (Rishi Kapoor), who falls in love with Pinky (Neetu Singh), the daughter of Dr and Mrs Kapoor (Parikshit Sahni and Simi Garewal). The Kapoors and the Khannas discuss the dilemma they face in telling Pinky that she is adopted. Pinky finds her birth-mother, Anjali (Waheeda Rehman), who pretends to her husband, Amit, and their daughter, Sweetie (Naseem), that she is her niece. When Vicki arrives, he hides his connection with Pinky and works in Amit’s quarry; Sweetie falls in love with him. Vijay brings Pooja with him on a business trip to build a hotel. When he realises that Pooja and Amit were lovers, he laughs it off, but when Amit finds out that Pinky is the illegitimate child of Anjali and an airforce pilot who died before their marriage, he rejects Anjali. Events come to a head when Sweetie, on discovering that Vicki and Pinky are lovers, tries to commit suicide by heading for the part of the quarry where the blasting is about to begin. She is saved by the concerted efforts of all. Amit suddenly remembers Anjali and rushes back to the house to find her about to leave. The film ends with the marriage of Vicki and Pinky, where the three sets of parents perform the rites and Sweetie is the bridesmaid.

Kabhi kabhie weaves together two different stories, contrasting romantic love over two generations in the context of love in the nuclear family unit. The first story, the Romantic poet who cannot free himself from the past, was inspired by the life of the film’s lyricist, Sahir Ludhianvi, while the second is about adoption and its impact on families.

The theme of family love is very strongly developed here and is used to establish a generational contrast. The happy families are those who place an emphasis on trust and love. The norm is the nuclear family, characterized by great love between husbands and wives, parents and children, whether natural or adopted, the joking relationships of in-laws and the love of friends for each other. The final scene allows Pinky’s adopted parents, her natural parents and her new husband’s parents to take an equal part in the kanyadaan or the giving away of the bride.

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1976, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Yash Raj Films, Director – Yash Chopra, Music Director – Khaiyyam, Cast - Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Waheeda Rehman, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor, Naseem