→Filming and music: added about music |
→Locations and casting: added a bit about rakhi incident |
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[[Gul Panag]] was impressed with Kukunoor's previous film, ''[[Rockford (film)|Rockford]]'' (1999) and her constant correspondence with him fetched her the role of ''Zeenat''.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> Kukunoor felt that Panag had characteristics of someone who was lean and fit, good height, large frame, and with an appropriate skin tone.<ref name="rediff_kukunoor"/> After a successful audition, she was chosen for the character that she felt was a difficult one to portray.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> Critiquing the actress with "I see urgency, pain but no sadness"<ref name="rediff_panag"/> and "I see anger and vulnerability but no guilt", the director pushed Panag to her limits. She felt that Kukunoor was such a man of conviction that he constantly forgot to eat and this once caused him a stomach infection.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> [[Gul Panag]], on the other hand, said that her role was very multi dimensional, multi-layered and hence it was quite tough to play the character. She said that Kukunoor helped her in defining her character with ease and said, "Nagesh looked at the minutest detail and was an immense support to me as an actor."<ref name="indiaglitz_intws"/> |
[[Gul Panag]] was impressed with Kukunoor's previous film, ''[[Rockford (film)|Rockford]]'' (1999) and her constant correspondence with him fetched her the role of ''Zeenat''.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> Kukunoor felt that Panag had characteristics of someone who was lean and fit, good height, large frame, and with an appropriate skin tone.<ref name="rediff_kukunoor"/> After a successful audition, she was chosen for the character that she felt was a difficult one to portray.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> Critiquing the actress with "I see urgency, pain but no sadness"<ref name="rediff_panag"/> and "I see anger and vulnerability but no guilt", the director pushed Panag to her limits. She felt that Kukunoor was such a man of conviction that he constantly forgot to eat and this once caused him a stomach infection.<ref name="rediff_panag"/> [[Gul Panag]], on the other hand, said that her role was very multi dimensional, multi-layered and hence it was quite tough to play the character. She said that Kukunoor helped her in defining her character with ease and said, "Nagesh looked at the minutest detail and was an immense support to me as an actor."<ref name="indiaglitz_intws"/> |
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It was in ''[[Socha Na Tha]]'' (2004) that Kukunoor noticed [[Ayesha Takia]] and until then he assumed her to be a glamor doll. After getting convinced about her acting skills, she was roped in for the character of ''Meera''.<ref name="hindu_kukunoor">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-22]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2006/09/22/stories/2006092201140100.htm |title= Making movies his way|last=Us Salam|first=Ziya|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> Takia said that though her character emotionally drained her, it was not tough to portray and that she could learn a lot about life. She further said that, "''Dor'' was indeed an exciting challenge for the actor in me. I am happy that it was also a very exciting role, which not many actors get to portray at such a young age."<ref name="indiaglitz_intws">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-23]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|last=Shahriyar|first=Faridoon|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/25558.html |title='Dor is Based On a Real Life Story,' says Nagesh Kukunoor|work=Indiaglitz.com}}</ref> She also said that with ''Dor'', she was not only in the film industry for glamor, but also for her acting prowess.<ref name="apunkachoice_kuku"/> |
It was in ''[[Socha Na Tha]]'' (2004) that Kukunoor noticed [[Ayesha Takia]] and until then he assumed her to be a glamor doll. After getting convinced about her acting skills, she was roped in for the character of ''Meera''.<ref name="hindu_kukunoor">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-22]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2006/09/22/stories/2006092201140100.htm |title= Making movies his way|last=Us Salam|first=Ziya|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> Takia said that though her character emotionally drained her, it was not tough to portray and that she could learn a lot about life. She further said that, "''Dor'' was indeed an exciting challenge for the actor in me. I am happy that it was also a very exciting role, which not many actors get to portray at such a young age."<ref name="indiaglitz_intws">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-23]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|last=Shahriyar|first=Faridoon|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/25558.html |title='Dor is Based On a Real Life Story,' says Nagesh Kukunoor|work=Indiaglitz.com}}</ref> She also said that with ''Dor'', she was not only in the film industry for glamor, but also for her acting prowess.<ref name="apunkachoice_kuku"/> While filming, Kukunoor bonded so well with Takia that he requested her to be his sister. Since she did not have a brother in real life, she got quite emotional with Kukunoor's brotherly proposal. This affection eventually solemnized in the form of a [[Raksha Bandhan|rakhi]] symbolically.<ref name="rakhi_takia_kuku">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-20]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|url=http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20060920-3.html |title=Ayesha Takia finds a brother in Nagesh Kukunoor|last=Kumar|first=Nikhil|work=Apunkachoice.com}}</ref> |
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When Kukunoor was thinking of a character full of disguises, he first came up with an old man. When the thought of a scene with the three major characters dancing in the dunes came up, he realized that an older character could not realistically dance in the desert sands. He immediately felt that [[Shreyas Talpade]], whom he knew of knowing [[mimicry]], could be used for ''bahuroopiya''.<ref name="rediff_kukunoor2"/> Kukunoor, who worked previously with [[Girish Karnad]], said that he was the strength for the film and added that he found him not only to be a good actor, but also a good human being.<ref name="hindu_kukunoor">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-20]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|last=Sankar|first=Anand|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/09/20/stories/2006092001060100.htm |title= This one is spun differently|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> |
When Kukunoor was thinking of a character full of disguises, he first came up with an old man. When the thought of a scene with the three major characters dancing in the dunes came up, he realized that an older character could not realistically dance in the desert sands. He immediately felt that [[Shreyas Talpade]], whom he knew of knowing [[mimicry]], could be used for ''bahuroopiya''.<ref name="rediff_kukunoor2"/> Kukunoor, who worked previously with [[Girish Karnad]], said that he was the strength for the film and added that he found him not only to be a good actor, but also a good human being.<ref name="hindu_kukunoor">{{cite web|date=[[2006-09-20]]|accessdate=2008-03-01|last=Sankar|first=Anand|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2006/09/20/stories/2006092001060100.htm |title= This one is spun differently|work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 16:57, 1 March 2008
| Dor | |
|---|---|
 Movie Poster | |
| Directed by | Nagesh Kukunoor |
| Written by | Nagesh Kukunoor |
| Produced by | Elahe Hiptoola |
| Starring | Ayesha Takia Gul Panag Shreyas Talpade Girish Karnad Uttara Bhavkar Veena Sajnani |
| Cinematography | Sudeep Chatterjee |
| Edited by | Sanjib Datta |
| Music by | Salim Merchant Sulaiman Merchant |
| Distributed by | Sahara One Motion Pictures Percept Picture Company |
Release dates | September 22, 2006 |
Running time | 147 min |
| Country |  India |
| Languages | Hindi Urdu |
Dor (Hindi: डोर, Urdu: ڈور, translation: String) is a 2006 Bollywood feature film, written and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. It is about two women (and of the life of a widow), who are bound together by the string that fate ties them together with. The film is a remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam film Perumazhakkalam (2004) directed by Kamal, although it has not been attributed.
Synopsis
Zeenat (Gul Panag) is an independent Muslim woman living in Himachal Pradesh. She agrees to marry her boyfriend in spite of his parents' reservations. He then departs for Saudi Arabia to start a new job.
Meera (Ayesha Takia) is a simple Rajasthani Hindu girl. Most everything in her life thus far is in accordance with customs and traditions: her formative years, her recent marriage into a traditional Rajasthani family and her daily chores within the walls of her haveli. Her husband is off to Saudi Arabia for his new job.
The two husbands meet abroad and become roommates. There is a freak accident. Saudi law kicks in and promptly awards a death sentence to one of them.
Zeenat hears the news. Her world has now collided with Meera's world. Armed with little more than a photograph, she sets out to find Meera. She meets a behroopiya (Shreyas Talpade) on the way. This guy is a petty con-man but he takes a sympathetic view to Zeenat's plight. They set off on their search for Meera.
When they finally find Meera, Zeenat is put into an impossible conundrum. She cannot reveal everything to Meera and yet she requires Meera's help to resolve the situation. The two of them form a friendship. The friendship brings out the missing part in each woman's personality. Zeenat realizes helplessness; this is totally new to her forthright way of thinking. Meera gets a glimpse of freedom; this brings her out of the shell of her haveli and gives her a new perspective on her own life.
The death sentence is imminent. Zeenat and Meera are now forced to look past their friendship and into the hard realities of their lives. Zeenat is compelled to tell the truth. Meera is naturally shocked beyond belief. But the fact that her friendship has been betrayed is what hurts her more. She refuses to sign the maafinama (statement of forgiveness). Zeenat is initially deeply hurt by this, but eventually accepts this and leaves Rajasthan.
The final sequence shows Meera and Zeenat finding redemption and freedom in each other.
Cast
- Ayesha Takia ... Meera
- Gul Panag ... Zeenat
- Shreyas Talpade .... Behroopiya
Production
Pre-production
The story of Dor began when Nagesh Kukunoor was attending the International Film Festival of India in November 2005. During the festival, he had hinted to a journalist that he began writing his next script.[1] He confirmed this in another interview that after watching the award-winning[2] Perumazhakkalam (2005), whose story is based on a newspaper article, at the Film Festival, he decided to make his own version of the film. After purchasing the story rights from Kamal, director of Perumazhakkalam, he wanted to remake it in a different way. Through his story, he wanted to emphasize the protagonists' ordeal while in isolation in the form of a visual drama.[3] However, the acknowledgments to Perumazhakkalam or its makers was not provided in the filming credits.[4] He conceptualized the movie in thirds; the first and third for the lead characters and the second for the supporting one.[5]
Locations and casting
Kukunoor had not visited Rajasthan or Himachal Pradesh before, but he felt that he would find great locations there. In spite of this geographical inexperience, all went as per the plans while shooting in Rajasthan. However, minor modifications in the script were allowed as per the local surroundings.[3] Though Panag had been Rajasthan before, she felt the scorching summer heat unbearable at times. She liked the only continuous shooting schedule and said that it provided consistency in look and performance.[6] In Himachal, it was slightly different when the crew had hard time framing the mountains correctly. On seeing the captured frames, they shifted all the interior shots to outside.[6]
Kukunoor said that he always wanted to cast those actors who can relate to the audience and hence preferred actors from the non-parallel movies.[7]
Gul Panag was impressed with Kukunoor's previous film, Rockford (1999) and her constant correspondence with him fetched her the role of Zeenat.[6] Kukunoor felt that Panag had characteristics of someone who was lean and fit, good height, large frame, and with an appropriate skin tone.[3] After a successful audition, she was chosen for the character that she felt was a difficult one to portray.[6] Critiquing the actress with "I see urgency, pain but no sadness"[6] and "I see anger and vulnerability but no guilt", the director pushed Panag to her limits. She felt that Kukunoor was such a man of conviction that he constantly forgot to eat and this once caused him a stomach infection.[6] Gul Panag, on the other hand, said that her role was very multi dimensional, multi-layered and hence it was quite tough to play the character. She said that Kukunoor helped her in defining her character with ease and said, "Nagesh looked at the minutest detail and was an immense support to me as an actor."[8]
It was in Socha Na Tha (2004) that Kukunoor noticed Ayesha Takia and until then he assumed her to be a glamor doll. After getting convinced about her acting skills, she was roped in for the character of Meera.[9] Takia said that though her character emotionally drained her, it was not tough to portray and that she could learn a lot about life. She further said that, "Dor was indeed an exciting challenge for the actor in me. I am happy that it was also a very exciting role, which not many actors get to portray at such a young age."[8] She also said that with Dor, she was not only in the film industry for glamor, but also for her acting prowess.[7] While filming, Kukunoor bonded so well with Takia that he requested her to be his sister. Since she did not have a brother in real life, she got quite emotional with Kukunoor's brotherly proposal. This affection eventually solemnized in the form of a rakhi symbolically.[10]
When Kukunoor was thinking of a character full of disguises, he first came up with an old man. When the thought of a scene with the three major characters dancing in the dunes came up, he realized that an older character could not realistically dance in the desert sands. He immediately felt that Shreyas Talpade, whom he knew of knowing mimicry, could be used for bahuroopiya.[5] Kukunoor, who worked previously with Girish Karnad, said that he was the strength for the film and added that he found him not only to be a good actor, but also a good human being.[9]
According the to the DVD extras, Nagesh Kukunoor first wrote the screenplay in English, then had it translated to Hindi.
Filming and music
Talpade, who previously featured as the title character of Kukunoor's Iqbal (2005), observed the bahuroopiyas in Rajasthan and incorporated their dialect, accent, and their body language for his character. About Kukunoor, he said that, "though one tends to go overboard as an actor most of the times, the way he handles the character as a director, Nagesh makes you feel that it is very simple for you to delineate the character."[8] Through his character of a bahuroopiya, Talpade was required to perform mimicry. While he was good at mimicry in college, it was during the filming of Iqbal, Kukunoor noted this talent of Talpade and eventually Dor came into picture. About his co-actors, he said that it was refreshing to work with Panag and Takia despite the scorching heat of 45 °C (110 °F).[11]
The filming was completed in 37 days in several locations of Rajasthan.[7] Since most of the old palaces in Rajasthan have been converted into hotels, the crew stayed at a palace resort called Manwar.[12] They also resided at a palace resort in Pokhran, while filming was also done at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.[12] Kukunoor, after completion of the shooting, said that it was his most challenging movie as it involved a real-life story.[7]
About the background score, Kukunoor said that "to put soaring music to give it a larger than life film image was pretty difficult".[7] Despite this worry, with Salim-Sulaiman composing the music, he was happy with the way it was composed according to the sequence. Karsan Saquria, Sunidhi Chauhan and a Pakistani singer, Shafquat Amanat Ali Khan were among those who sung the songs.[7]
Awards
- 2006 , Star Screen Award Best Actress (Critics) , Ayesha Takia
- 2006 , Star Screen Award Best Comedian , Shreyas Talpade
- 2007 , Stardust Best Supporting Actress Award , Ayesha Takia
- 2007 , Stardust Awards for Breakthrough Performance – Female , Gul Panag
- 2007 , Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards for Best Actress , Ayesha Takia
- 2007, Zee Cine Critics Award - Best Actress for critics, Ayesha Takia & Gul Panag
References
- ^ Sen, Raja (2005-11-29). "'Final scene of Iqbal still moves me'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Mathrubhumi, Medimix film awards announced". The Hindu. 2005-03-19. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Sen, Raja (2006-09-26). "Why Nagesh picked Ayesha and Gul". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Foreign body in Bombay to Bangkok?". The Times of India. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Sen, Raja (2006-09-27). "The Dor-man and his secrets". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Sen, Raja (2006-09-21). "'I wasn't stalking Nagesh'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f "Nagesh Kukunoor believes in realistic cinema". Apunkachoice.com. 2006-09-18. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Shahriyar, Faridoon (2006-09-23). "'Dor is Based On a Real Life Story,' says Nagesh Kukunoor". Indiaglitz.com. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Us Salam, Ziya (2006-09-22). "Making movies his way". The Hindu. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) Cite error: The named reference "hindu_kukunoor" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Kumar, Nikhil (2006-09-20). "Ayesha Takia finds a brother in Nagesh Kukunoor". Apunkachoice.com. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "'It's great when legends appreciate your performance'". The Times of India. 2006-10-15. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Jain, Priyanka (2006-10-20). "From Iqbal to Behrupia". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
