A screenplay that dissolves past, present and future is always interesting. Adding twists to such a story is ‘Dobaaraa’. In Hindi it means 2:12 (two hours and 12 minutes). The film is available on the Netflix OTT site.
Ane is a boy living with his mother in Pune. One night, through the window of his house, he sees a fight between a husband and wife going on in a neighbor’s house. There is no problem if you watch and stay calm. He goes to the house where the fight takes place and is killed on his way back. 25 years if cut. Antara (Taapsee Pannu), who works as a nurse in a private hospital, moves into a new house with her husband and daughter (the same house Ane used to live in).
While using the old cassette, video recorder and television with antenna, Antara is shocked to see the boy Ane Teriya through the TV. Antara tries to rescue the boy, knowing that the boy will be killed in a few minutes, with both the past and the future converging. So the screenplay is about what kind of problems he faces.
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is an official adaptation of Oriel Pavlo’s ‘Mirage’, which was released in Spanish in 2018 . From the beginning you get a sense that something untoward is about to happen, and the subsequent scenes are full of surprises. Curiosity prevails as we progress with plot twists that take us by the hand with confusion and questions.
Basically the film is the story of a mother who discovers her daughter and a boy who struggles to convince himself to the world. But the way it is told through time travel without any hesitation is interesting. The film sprinkles in some humor here and there to convey the importance of this moment.
Achani Taapsee is in the entire film as she struggles to understand the happenings around her, wanders in search of answers to her confusions, struggles of a mother in search of her daughter, respects her husband’s division and bids farewell. He carries the whole picture. Powell Gulati scores in the end with his performance. Although these two characters are the main characters, Rahul Bhatt, Nasser, Sukand Goyal and others have given necessary performances.
2 songs by Gaurav Chatterjee come and go in the course of the story. But, the background music never fails to add the necessary vibrancy. Sylvester Fonseca has masterfully created the atmosphere of fear in his camera. Aarti Bajaj’s sharp cuts help the entire film flow smoothly. A major strength of the film is the fine framing of the front and back scenes.
In the film, it is repeatedly said on the radio that storms are likely to increase adrenaline levels in humans. ‘Topara’ can also boost your adrenals.
