Daayen Ya BaayenFrom the makers BHEJA FRY and MIXED DOUBLES, comes DAAYEN YA BAAYEN. First of all, there's very little that one knows about DAAYEN YA BAAYEN. Perhaps, they must have thought it would pick up after the release. Remember how BHEJA FRY became a rage only through word of mouth?
The car has suddenly become an important part in Bollywood. Just a few weeks back, we saw Rishi Kapoor-Neetu Singh's endearing film, DO DOONI CHAAR. It was about a middle class family's journey from a two wheeler to a four wheeler. The wonderfully narrated story was about hope, values and aspirations. Now, we have yet another film, DAAYEN YA BAAYEN, which is a slice-of-life tale about a villager getting a car as the prize for winning a jingle contest. It's a refreshing story about life set in the breathtaking locales of Uttarakhand.
Ramesh Majila (Deepak Dobriyal) returns from Mumbai to his small and splendiferous village for good. He takes up the job of a school teacher and plans to open a Kalakendra in the village to foster budding talents.
He strikes gold as one of his random verses qualifies as a car ad jingle and wins him a swanky red car. He becomes an overnight village hero and his car practically becomes the mode of transportation of the entire village. However, this also gets him a few envious detractors. All's well until the day his car gets stolen. The hunt for the stolen car guides him to a path in life, where he has to take the right turn to redeem his pride.
DAAYEN YA BAAYEN starts on a promising note, but loses 'direction' mid-way. It veers on a 'bumpy' and banal path after coming back on 'track' in the climax.
Debutante director Bela Negi must be credited for her immaculate characterisation. You soon get used to the relatable motley bunch of villagers and their quirky mannerisms. Be it the interactions between Ramesh and his son or his nagging wife, all make you grin.
It's in the middle portions that the film falters. The narrative unnecessarily beats around the bush with Ramesh giving verbose and uninteresting school speeches that students (and the audience) pay no attention to. The introduction of the car gets the narrative the much-needed 'boost' which culminates to a tumultuous yet appealing climax.
The copious uproarious moments throughout win brownie points. The track with a kid constantly pelting stones at the car is too funny and so is Ramesh's dumbfounded reaction on winning the car. Amlan Datta's cinematography wonderfully captures the picturesque terrains of Uttarakhand. The scene where, Ramesh with his son walks along the narrow stone steps and a rainbow shimmers on the horizon in the background is absolutely dazzling! Music by Vivek Philip is pleasant. Costumes by Nikunj Vyas enhance the realistic feel.
After OMKARA, SHAURYA, DELHI 6, GULAAL Deepak Dobriyal once again delivers a superlative performance, this time around, in the main lead. His quirky traits are enjoyable. Child actor Pratyush as the son is lovable. Badrul Islam and Manav Kaul are awesome. Jeetendra Bisht along with his two sidekicks is hilarious.
Barring the occasional speed-breakers, DAAYEN YA BAAYEN is a long yet smooth ride. Go for it without expecting a masterpiece, you'll enjoy it.
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