<p>Dobaaraa</p>.<p>Hindi (Theatres)</p>.<p>Director: Anurag Kashyap</p>.<p>Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Rahul Bhat, Saswata Chatterjee, Nassar</p>.<p>Rating: 3.5/5</p>.<p>Filmmakers have always been fascinated with the subject of ‘time travel’. Anurag Kashyap’s latest ‘Dobaaraa’ is yet another exploration of the genre. The director’s first in the territory holds the nerves of the audience till the end with its fine blend of suspense, drama and technical finesse. The film makes you constantly think about the logic, flow and time zones of the plot..</p>.<p>Adapted from the original script of 2018 Spanish film ‘Mirage’ by Nihit Bhave, ‘Dobaaraa’, in a nutshell, is the story of how Antara’s (Taapsee Pannu) effort in her present (2010) to ‘change’ the course of events in the past (1996), in turn, ends up changing her future in 2021. As confusing as it may seem in writing, it is not the same case while we are watching the film. </p>.<p>Though the science-fiction part of the film makes it a tad confusing to follow and a bit overwhelming by the end, the plot’s mystery, a racy screenplay, sharp editing and anxiety-building sound design make the film an engrossing watch. </p>.<p>The film also borrows the elements of horror and whodunnit at several places. One cannot miss the smartly placed references to ‘Back to the Future’("Great Scott!"), ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Terminator’, and of course, Christopher Nolan. Along with the science-fiction elements such as time travel, alternative reality, parallel universes, the film also narrates stories of love, endurance and otherwise vilified infidelity in a humane way. </p>.<p>Kashyap’s films always stand out for their music and headstrong female characters, and ‘Dobaaraa’ is no different. Though the usage of ‘songs’ are minimal in the film, they have been aptly placed but the show stealer is Shor Police for its background score. </p>.<p>Taapsee Pannu, reuniting with Kashyap after ‘Manmarziyaan’, showcases yet again her ability to carry the entire film on her shoulders. Though the story is told from her perspective, we never really get to know more about her, and that’s a minor quibble. Rahul Bhat, who was brilliant in ‘Union Leader’ and ‘Ugly’, lights up the screen once again. </p>.<p>Kashyap’s signatures are hard to miss throughout the film though they are less in number as it is his first in the genre. The cheeky, witty lines providing comical relief in eerie situations is a hallmark of a Kashyap film.</p>.<p>Balancing drama and craft, ‘Dobaaraa’, contrary to its reputation of being ‘totally incomprehensible’, is actually a good marriage of elements that caters to all sensibilities. But undoubtedly, its predominant focus is on our brains. </p>.<p>This is the film you should definitely take your brains to, and ‘use’ it. </p>
<p>Dobaaraa</p>.<p>Hindi (Theatres)</p>.<p>Director: Anurag Kashyap</p>.<p>Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Rahul Bhat, Saswata Chatterjee, Nassar</p>.<p>Rating: 3.5/5</p>.<p>Filmmakers have always been fascinated with the subject of ‘time travel’. Anurag Kashyap’s latest ‘Dobaaraa’ is yet another exploration of the genre. The director’s first in the territory holds the nerves of the audience till the end with its fine blend of suspense, drama and technical finesse. The film makes you constantly think about the logic, flow and time zones of the plot..</p>.<p>Adapted from the original script of 2018 Spanish film ‘Mirage’ by Nihit Bhave, ‘Dobaaraa’, in a nutshell, is the story of how Antara’s (Taapsee Pannu) effort in her present (2010) to ‘change’ the course of events in the past (1996), in turn, ends up changing her future in 2021. As confusing as it may seem in writing, it is not the same case while we are watching the film. </p>.<p>Though the science-fiction part of the film makes it a tad confusing to follow and a bit overwhelming by the end, the plot’s mystery, a racy screenplay, sharp editing and anxiety-building sound design make the film an engrossing watch. </p>.<p>The film also borrows the elements of horror and whodunnit at several places. One cannot miss the smartly placed references to ‘Back to the Future’("Great Scott!"), ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Terminator’, and of course, Christopher Nolan. Along with the science-fiction elements such as time travel, alternative reality, parallel universes, the film also narrates stories of love, endurance and otherwise vilified infidelity in a humane way. </p>.<p>Kashyap’s films always stand out for their music and headstrong female characters, and ‘Dobaaraa’ is no different. Though the usage of ‘songs’ are minimal in the film, they have been aptly placed but the show stealer is Shor Police for its background score. </p>.<p>Taapsee Pannu, reuniting with Kashyap after ‘Manmarziyaan’, showcases yet again her ability to carry the entire film on her shoulders. Though the story is told from her perspective, we never really get to know more about her, and that’s a minor quibble. Rahul Bhat, who was brilliant in ‘Union Leader’ and ‘Ugly’, lights up the screen once again. </p>.<p>Kashyap’s signatures are hard to miss throughout the film though they are less in number as it is his first in the genre. The cheeky, witty lines providing comical relief in eerie situations is a hallmark of a Kashyap film.</p>.<p>Balancing drama and craft, ‘Dobaaraa’, contrary to its reputation of being ‘totally incomprehensible’, is actually a good marriage of elements that caters to all sensibilities. But undoubtedly, its predominant focus is on our brains. </p>.<p>This is the film you should definitely take your brains to, and ‘use’ it. </p>
