Do Aur Do Pyaar
Starring: Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz, Senthil Raman
Direction: Shirsha Guha Thakurta
A standout performance from Vidya Balan reiterates that she can single-handedly carry a film on her shoulders. This time around she just does not reiterate but drives the nail straight in.
Shirsha Guha Thakurta makes her debut as a director. She brings the signature sensitivity of a woman director. At no point in time during the 147-odd minutes are you disengaged with the slice-of-life narrative of a couple suffering the inevitable boredom that visits a marriage. The likes of Basu Bhattacharya and Bheemsen have worked on it with great pain and artistic excellence. Shirsha keeps it simple. While the famous earlier works had the talent of Tanuja and Sharmila Tagore alongside great actors like Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, and Uttam Kumar, here it is Vidya Balan carrying it on her own.
It must be however stated that everyone else in the film is infected by her calibre and enthusiasm. Interestingly, importantly, the filmmaker does not take to preaching or indulge in needless flesh show. Unlike the “statement” Shakun Bhatra makes in ‘Gehraiyaan’, here the principal characters are sucked into the vortex of daily humdrum of life, till life takes over. The linear journey of a couple from “we are happily married” to “we are married” in the gyan that penguins are monogamous builds up a case as to the need to do a reality check of our relationship within the formatted fence of matrimony.
Kavya Ganesh (Vidya Balan) a dentist (not a doctor!) is the delight of footloose photographer Vikram (Senthil Raman). Suffocated in a relationship of 14 years with her husband Ani (Pratik Gandhi), Kavya is exhilarated in spirit when she is with Vikram. She shows no signs of waiting to keep or break her relationship with Ani (two years of courtship and 12 years of marriage) has reduced the relationship to discussing AC temperature, electricity bills, garbage bags and the likes. With Vikram, life is like toothpaste. A short treatise! Not that Ani is happy with the marriage either. When he is not busy selling “corks”, a business he inherited from his father and bartered for his dreams and visions, he too in the sly is in a relationship with Nora (Ileana D’Cruz).
The simple marriage has expanded with Vikram and Nora making their demands. Sometimes visible, sometimes not and the couple manage to keep going. The comfort of inertia in the midst of the mundane. Kavya, a Tam Bram, and Ani, a Bangla boy, visit the family of Ganeshans (Thalaivasal Vijay and Rekha Kudigili) at the death of the elder patriarch in the family. Old fires are ignited, all wounds revisited, old relationships renewed bringing upon Ani and Kavs scenarios they did not expect or are unwilling to address. The relationship between Kavya and her Dad is very well etched.
‘Do aur Do’ now has to deal with closure. Is it the marriage or the newfound relationship that dies. Interestingly, treatment is realistic raw without being needlessly fleshy. Sit to hear some amazing dialogues (Amrita Bagchi and team), some chuckling moments, and most importantly, some probing questions. Sensitive at most times it is nice to hear the Revathi raag in the backdrop of the happenings around the corpse at Ooty. The manner in which Kaveri breaks into Tamil is endearing. Secrets of a successful marriage (just turned up every day!) to its distress (you ruined my life) make for stances that keep you shifting your empathy. Thalaivasal Vijay as the Tamilian Dad – strict, loving and caring — is brilliant. Ileana adds the glam quotient. Senthil Raman is picture perfect and as the NRI who is involved in a relationship outside of his character is extremely impressive. Pratik Gandhi is called upon to match Vidya and that tall call he answers.
Vidya Balan is brilliant. In a scene here, Dad faults her for not having a bindi — she quickly adds one. She looks transformed. She looks a million dollars! Why does she not always have it? This is one of her very best performances.
The lyrics of a song say: ‘Khwabonmein jo sochatha…’ that is that. I loved the simple film. Simple because it mirrors life without taking sides and deals with simple people. Go for it. Don’t miss tasting this slice of life.
