'Dobaaraa' review: Don't miss out this intelligent, fast-paced adaptation
Taapsee Pannu starrer Dobaaraa was released on Friday. The Anurag Kashyap directorial is an adaptation of the Spanish film Mirage (2018). A story of time-travel and parallel realities, Dobaaraa has been written by Nihit Bhave and co-stars Pavail Gulati, Saswata Chatterjee, and Rahul Bhat. The fast-paced, entertaining, and complex thriller demands you put your thinking cap on and exploit your grey matter! We review.
Premise deals with time-travel, connects two people together
The film follows an inquisitive kid Anay (Pankaj Rajput) who, in 1996, witnesses a gruesome murder and dies soon after. The narrative jumps to 2021, where Antara (Pannu), a nurse, moves into what was once Anay's home and finds herself stuck in a time-loop (where a span of time keeps getting repeated). The thriller tethers these two people together who're connected by a cause.
Weather is also a solid character in the film
The first noteworthy aspect that caught my attention was the weather doubling up as a character as it turned into a precursor of future events. Often, the dull, despondent clouds aren't merely literal, but also metaphorical and define the characters on screen. Impressively, despite being a remake, it's not a frame-to-frame reconstruction, with instances and events having been localized to fit the Indian context.
An intelligent, fast-paced story of what-ifs and could-haves
Dobaaraa's biggest strength is its expeditious screenplay that moves like there's no tomorrow. It's a story of what-ifs and could-haves backed by a potent premise. Antara's action creates a ripple effect and sets in motion a series of head-scratching events which mount incredible tension in the first few minutes. The rest of the film is devoted to running against time and unraveling these knots.
However, the story becomes too convoluted at times
Dobaaraa has two many threads meshed together and at times, the plot becomes too convoluted. This makes it slightly tough to keep track and one is at the risk of running out of breath trying to catch up with the film's speed. Dobaaraa also tries to inject humor sporadically but the jokes don't land since they go against the overall temperament of the thriller.
A Pannu show from the first frame to the last
Taapsee Pannu becomes the pivot around which the story spins, and she brilliantly plays a seemingly nonplussed woman who stitches fractured memories and disoriented realities together. Chatterjee is in terrific form and it's a pity that the thriller only utilizes him in a few sequences. I would have loved to see more of his sinister character—a symbolism of evil forever lurking in the background.
Gulati disappoints in emotional scene toward the climax
Bhat doesn't have much to do but he constantly reminded me of Alvaro Morte from Mirage, who played the same role. The mannerisms are similar to the T! While Gulati does well everywhere else, his craft seems to falter in a consequential dramatic scene in the climax. His emotions seem rather suffocated and choked, and it painfully takes away from Dobaaraa's otherwise intense screenplay.
We recommend 'Dobaaraa' for the rollercoaster ride that it is!
Dobaaraa is the kind of film that will have you jotting down notes! With its taut length, a script that has already tested waters, and a filmmaker backed by decades of experience, Dobaaraa has a lot going in its favor. It deserves a slot on your watch list, even if you have, and especially if you haven't, watched the original. Dobaaraa gets 3/5 stars.
