Dor (2006)

Better Late Then Never

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I watched it very recently on YouTube. It is a 2006 drama by Nagesh Kukunoor - a tale of two ladies, far away from each other, unknown to each other's existence but yet connected by a tragedy. A must watch with a powerful story and amazing acting, especially by Aayesha Takia. Story (9/10): Dor is the story of two ladies - one, Meera (Aayesha Takia) is the wife of the deceased and another, Zeenat (Gul Panaag) is the wife of the convict. While one is trying to cope with the loss of her husband, another is on a mission to do everything possible under the sun to save her husband from execution under the Saudi law. While the government is in process of exploring all the diplomatic options, there is a ray of hope for Zeenat. However, that hope can't materialize without the help from Meera - wife of the very man, for the murder of which, her husband is convicted. While Zeenat has an agony of her own, Meera is fighting another battle in rural Rajasthan where the life of a widow is pretty much the same as dead and only her body has some material value. For someone who loves dancing and music, giving up all forms of entertainment, colorful clothes and any kind of interaction with the outside world is pretty much like a life sentence. As Zeenat tries to befriend her to convince her for help she discovers Meera's struggles and motivates her to break the shackles and claim what's rightfully hers.Acting (9/10): This is perhaps Aayesha Takia's best and the only serious performance in her career after Socha Na Tha. Her portrayal of a very young widow, who isn't able to understand the restrictions but somehow makes peace with it, is brilliant. Gul Panaag is good overall but lacked impact in intense scenes where Aayesha Takia was very comfortable. Girish Karnad, playing Aayesha's father in law who is far more worried about his "haveli" and so-called reputation than anything else in the world is impressive. He is one of the few actors who are equally effective in both, positive and negative, characters. Shreyas Talpade, playing a Rajasthani local who helps Gul Panaag reach Aayesha Takia, is good with his dialogues, comic timing and Rajasthani accent. Overall, the movie was well supported in terms of acting. Direction (7/10): Nagesh Kukunoor was impressive. His tendency to spend time on the background of Meera's marriage (relationship with her husband in a conservative society) and portrayal of her aspirations gave a much deeper understanding of the character. Unfortunately, he didn't work that deep on Zeenat's character. The movie is a little baffling in the beginning and few times goes off track. The climax was great and justified the length. Overall (8/10): Overall, the movie is a great watch, especially for a predictable but still a very well executed story.

This is yet another Indian film released by the infamous Eros Video. I say infamous because Eros forces the viewer to watch a long series of advertisements and promos--many of which you cannot fast-forward or skip through. And, to make it even worse, AFTER you push the play button on the menu, you are forced to watch MORE ads!!! Additionally, there is a giant EROS pasted on every frame of the film!! It's enough to make me stop watching Bollywood films or at least try to find DVD from another distributor. These people are really, really getting on my nerves! "Dor" is an unusual film in that it's only about two hours long--very short for an Indian picture. While it has a couple musical interludes, it does not have the usual massive production numbers--mostly because it's a 'smaller' sort of movie. And, it's unusual in that it has a strong feminist message--one that calls into question the traditional roles of Indian women.The film begins with two couples from completely different parts of India. Both marry at the same time and both husbands almost immediately set out for Saudi Arabia to work for several months to make their fortunes. Shankar's family is Hindu, Amir's is Muslim. While the families don't know each other, the two men end up becoming roommates and friends. You never see any of Amir's or Shankar's life in Arabia--the film is DEFINITELY much more focused on their wives. Soon, Zeenat learns that her husband, Amir, is now in prison--waiting execution for killing his friend!! Interestingly, you never really learn more about the incident--you just know that Zeenat is convinced it was an accident, as murder is not in her husband's character. In a last ditch effort to save him, she travels across India to Rajastán. Why? Well, because according to Sharia Law (Muslim law code in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia), a condemned man MAY be pardoned IF the victim's family agrees to the pardon. So, Zeenat goes all alone and with little money to a big city with only a photograph to guide her to the victim's wife, Meera. Along the way, she meets up with a strange and colorful thief who inexplicably becomes her friend...along with Meera.The film is fascinating to an outsider like me, as you see some interesting parallels between modern and traditional roles for women and widows. Zeenat, though Muslim, is very modern--independent, strong and admirable in her tenacity. It was also touching how her in-laws (who initially hated her) take to her and see her as their own. Meera, on the other hand, is more traditional. As a widow, she is expected to remain unmarried and be obedient to her in-laws--though the in-laws turn out to be incredibly selfish folks. And, because of this, even if Meera wanted to forgive Amir, they certainly would not allow this. All in all, this and the dynamics of the relationship between Zeenat and Meera make this a fascinating and feminist film. Fortunately, it's not just a feminist film but a darned entertaining saga as well--well acted, directed and highly entertaining. My only complaints are very, very minor and only came at the melodramatic ending (it wasn't bad but wasn't exactly realistic--Meera kept looking for Zeenat and never thought to call her name?! Odd to say the least).By the way, if you interested in another Indian film about widows, try watching "Water" by Deepa Metha. It's heartbreaking and as good as "Dor", but a bit darker in tone.

Dor is one of its kind..yet another masterpiece from Nagesh Kukunoor! It is a powerful story of love, friendship, trust, sorrow, laughter...you name an emotion, and you will probably find it somewhere in Dor! The storyline is strong..characters well-etched! It is a tale of going above and beyond for the one you love.The main protagonists Zeenat and Meera are as different as chalk and cheese! Zeenat is a strong-willed girl, who makes her own decisions, and is willing to bear the consequences. On the other hand, Meera comes from a traditional and orthodox background, and is the ideal obedient daughter-in-law to her obstinate in-laws! Her only ray of hope is her loving husband! Throughout the movie, we can see that each of these women has her own share of obstacles to overcome..and how they cross the hurdles in their path. Comic relief is provided by the Behrupiya..and his mimicry skills are worth applauding! Gul Panag is excellent as Zeenat. Ayesha Takia is very endearing as Meera. Shreyas Talpade has done a swell job as the "Behrupiya". He sure has a carved a niche for himself in Bollywood! The other cast is apt, and each character is well created and justified. The music is very good, and well-suited to the story.All in all, once again, an excellent piece of work from Nagesh Kukunoor!

there are lots of movies made in bollywood. but few are real movies, movies which make u feel human, the stories which can happen in life. Stories which touches the cord and makes u feel the agony running on the reel on a wide 70 mm screen. but alas in India there are really few movies made which shows the glimpse of talent lying untapped. Dor is a beautiful movie because it touches the revolution undergoing in India..and what a brilliant place to choose Rajasthan..to depict the silent suffering woman coming up to terms of life. Though i am a fan of Nagesh from the day i watched Hyd Blues...but Iqbal and Dor just boldly defies the big budgeted melo dramas having no real worth of a movie. This one is for the people who like to see their movies as a fully cooked good meal and you relish the taste long after the food is gone.