Kaisi Ye Dor feels like an ode to the Sooraj Barjatya school of filmmaking. It’s set in a smalltown, is vocal about family values and family bond, and is teeming with people who are super sanskari. And the conflict in the film, which is designed as an old-fashioned love triangle, gets resolved without much effort. It also contains good old-fashioned music, reminiscent of the golden era of Hindi films, which utilised folk melodies.
Tripathi Ji (Brijendra Kala), is a strict cop who isn’t at all happy with his wayward son, Abhimanyu (Nikhil Pandey), who is a tourist guide in Benaras but in reality cons foreign tourists into spending more and more money into frivolous things.Abhimanyu is of the belief that the end always justifies the means and can’t seem to reconcile himself with his father’s honest ways. Though he doesn’t get along with his father, his mother, (Sunita Rajwar), always supports him. Things take a turn when he falls in love with Rashmi (Jashn Agnihotri), a rich girl who has come to explore her roots. They start off on the wrong foot but later become close. His father thinks that he would wake up to the realities of life after marriage and forces Abhimanyu into an arranged wedding with Vidya (Ratna Neelam Pandey), a traditional and well-educated girl. There’s no connection with them at all. He refuses to consummate his marriage and doesn’t even speak to her. Things thaw up when he notices how diligently she’s taking care of his parents. But in the meanwhile, he’s also reconnected with Rashmi and soon, has to take the decision to choose between the two.
The film was shot at real locations at UP and that lends authenticity to the film. It feels like it was shot guerilla style, as it has crowds gawking at the camera at some places. The camerawork also suffers from jump cuts at times, which is understandable, given the circumstances. The film is told in linear progression, but the editing isn’t that much up to the mark. As said earlier, the music, while not in sync with today’s scene, does hold your attention because of the melody and well-versed lyrics. The good thing about the story is that it doesn’t turn the other girl into a vamp. One sympathises with her as well. The commendable thing is that the in-laws are shown to be totally supporting the bahu. The plot could have been more taut, though. And the ending is too abrupt. The film has been directed well otherwise by Ratna Neelam Pandey and Sandeep Choudhary.
The three leads, Nikhil Pandey, Ratna Neelam Pandey and Jashn Agnihotri, have all acted well and have done full justice to their characters. Veterans Brijendra Kala and Sunita Rajwar have lent able support, as usual.
It’s an old-fashioned, family oriented film, reminiscent of the ’60s socials. In an era where toxic masculinity is the byword, its softer narrative might just surprise you.
