Do Paise ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane ki Baarish – A film by Deepti Naval

I have very recently started following Deepti Naval on a suggestion from Instagram and I am so happy I did. She was one of my favourite actresses in my growing years. I remember her as the pretty girl selling “Chamko” soap in the older version of “Chashme Baddoor”. I loved her effortless saree wearing style. In later years, it also became one of the reasons, I started appreciating and wearing sarees. I loved her simple no nonsense styles, which were different from her contemporary mainstream actresses. And her expressive eyes……. 🙂

In one of the stories on IG, she mentioned about her movie “Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Char Aane ki Barish” released on Netflix. The story line of an ageing prostitute and gay lyricist coming together looked very unusual. Manisha Koirala and Rajat Kapoor were the main artists, along with special appearances of Milind Soman and some more character artists. All this attracted me to select this film on my watching list.

The three main characters in the film are –

1.Debu,(Rajat Kapoor) a struggling songwriter, has been dumped by his gay partner ( Milind Soman) and left him on the streets of Mumbai.

2.Juhi,(Manisha Koirala) an aging streetwalker, finds it difficult to pick up customers.

3.Kaku, (Sanaj Naval) her twelve years old son, saddled to a wheelchair, who is yearning for love and care.

One rainy night Debu and Juhi run into each other. Debu, desperate for a roof over his head, convinces Juhi to take him on as a babysitter for her disabled child. However, Juhi begins to feel left out as the bond between her son and the outsider Debu grows . . . a bond she could never build, with her own child. The film journeys through tender and dramatic moments as the three characters strive to reach out and connect. Debu wants Juhi to give up being a prostitute and tries transforming her into an elegant, dignified woman. Juhi begins to look at Debu with new eyes . . . Can he possibly be a man in her life? Can the three of them be a family?

Debu is the gay, though Juhi tried to seduce him, they could not sleep together. Debu in the meanwhile has started getting some work and being recognized as a lyricist. Since Juhi and her son were his companions in most tough times of his life, he came back and said – “If we can’t sleep together we can stay together as family”, thus giving film a happy and positive ending.

Rajat, Manisha and Sanaj all have acted well their parts and very convincingly. The young actor, Sanaj has shown emotions brilliantly and appears to be a good actor in making.

The film was first released in Cannes in 2009 and received a positive response.

This movie is Manisha Koirala’s comeback movie, in a very sensitive role, said to be inspired by a real story.

The film was screened at the 2010 edition of  Chicago South Asian Film Festival. It was given a moderate rating, calling the plot unoriginal, comparing it to an “elongated episode of “Will & Grace”.

In my opinion, the characters do not appear stereotypical, but a modern, sensitive and realistic portrait of people struggling to find happiness, with the ebbs and tides of human relationship. The film is released on Netflix 2019.

Deepti Naval’s directorial venture will get 4 /5 rating from me. Deepti has made it into a crisp film. If you are looking for an unusual story, you may go for it. The only dark spot in the film is the “darkness” literally. The night scenes in the film are in abundance and are really dark. They should be more lighted as viewing something very dark strains eyes. 🙂

Looking forward to more unusual films! Good luck Deepti Naval !

All pics are from internet.