A Cocktail of Emotions

Dor – A Review

So, how was the movie?’ my husband asked. My daughter and I had just returned after watching ‘Dor’. We were too moved to answer as the lump in our throats was one too many. ‘Was it a story about a thread, a string or a rope?’ he asked obviously trying to humour us into a mood change. We both gave him ‘that look’, which we reserve for such special occasions and walked off. It was a while later that I told him what the movie was all about.   

 I had heard earlier that Dor was a remake of a Malayalam movie based on a real-life incident. ‘Perumazzhakalam’, which literally meant ‘The Big Rain Season’, was described by my friend as a movie ‘where every black cloud that passed over Kerala had been immortalized’. So when we were transported into a vacillating sequence from the snowy hills of Himachal to the arid deserts of Rajasthan, it was indeed a pleasant surprise. And throughout the smooth transition of scenic beauty from lush greenery to golden sand dunes, an amazing Behroopiya also kept us entertained. My friend had also described the Malayalam version as a ‘last minute drama which was very real but very boring’. In ‘Dor’ however, nothing was last minute, everything was real. And ‘boring’……well, I cannot speak for others since the earthy dialogues and the artistic cinematography perhaps would appeal to only a small section but I was mighty impressed. As I have been with all of Kukunoor’s earlier attempts.

     Perumazzhakalam and Dor both have a common thread. Fate is unkind to two girls when one is widowed and the other’s husband is arrested for the accidental murder. The only way the ‘living’ husband can be saved is if he is pardoned by the widow of the deceased. Both the movies are simple stories of a woman seeking forgiveness for love. In both, the central theme transcends religion and goes above the absurd societal rules that a human being is bound with. In both a humane decision is made by forgiving an enemy’s unpardonable sin. However, the glaring difference is that if in the former there is not much interaction between the girls, the latter deals very much with a flowering of friendship between the complex characters.

    Perumazzhakalam is one pathetic saga of how a Muslim girl from Calicut goes to a Palakkad Brahmin household for forgiveness and is rebuffed everyday. Even when she finally meets the troubled widow, she is rejected. It is only after she goes back that the Brahmin girl changes her mind and goes in search of her. Dor is about Meera and Zeenat, two bereaved widows each in her own quest. Zeenat, with only a photograph for identification, fights her fears and embarks upon a journey all the way from Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan to save her husband. Meera, on the other hand, fights within herself to break free from the barriers of century old traditions.

   In Perumazzhakalam, the Brahmin widow is thrown out of her house after she grants pardon and in the end lives an independent but contented life with her daughter. In Dor the climax is an anti-climax with female bonding at its best. It is the culmination of a sublime world where principles give way to an enduring bond of friendship.

   When two different worlds collide the result is often a thunderous explosion. However, Kukunoor with his usual dexterous approach towards humanity stirs up a unique cocktail of emotions. Through Dor, we are shown the different aspects of tradition and culture. If one phase features how low one can go, the other facet also highlights how high one can fly. This film is devoid of the usual flavours of masalas that most Hindi movies are made of. Yet it is rich in taste. One could easily call it a film about woman’s emancipation. And yet the controls are so well manipulated that the message is conveyed in a subtle manner. Without an ounce of the usual bluntness. Without the tedious monologues that exemplify Woman’s Liberation. Maybe that was the reason I loved watching Dor.

  And finally, before I forget……. No, Dor is not a story about a thread or a string or a rope. Instead it is a poignant tale about courage, dedication and hope!
                                                                       

Nargis Natarajan