Dor
Dor is a story about love, loss, friendship, hope and
ultimately, redemption.
Zeenat Gul Panag, an independent and self-assured young woman, lives in a
Kashmiri village where she falls in love with Aamir, who she marries the day
before he leaves to take up a job in Saudi Arabia.
Far away in rural Rajasthan, Meera Ayesha Takia bids farewell to her new husband Shankar, who is also on his
way to a job in the Middle East. The two men, who are now roommates, send money
home to take care of their families. Shankar's father, a proud Rajput now fallen
on bad times, uses the income to fix his haveli. Aamir's family gets some
respite from the hard work of running the local bakery. Meera and Zeenat miss
their husbands and get to talk to them occasionally on the phone.
These two sets of lives come collapsing down when a horrible piece of news
reaches them. Shankar has been killed, and Aamir has been arrested on the charge
of murder. Even though there is reason to believe it was an accident, Aamir has
been sentenced to death. The only way out? If Meera, Shankar's widow, agrees to
pardon her husband's killer, his life can be spared.
Zeenat is determined to seek Meera out and get her to sign the pardon papers.
Armed only with a photograph of Aamir and Shankar taken in their Saudi
apartment, she sets out to Rajasthan in order to carry out her extraordinary
quest. Her first stop is Jaipur where she runs into a Bahuroopiya Shreyas
Talpade, a member of a group that traditionally earn their living by donning
disguises in order to entertain and sometimes, deceive an audience. The
Bahuroopiya first decamps with Zeenat's belongings, but returns when he realizes
what her mission is and offers to help her. Using his knowledge of the terrain
and the clues that Zeenat does not yet realize she possesses, the two of them
piece together bits of information that eventually lead them to Meera's village.
In the meantime, Shankar's father has had to rent out the haveli in order to
make ends meet, while Meera now lives her life as a widow, a shadow of her
former self. Her status, her rights, and her sense of self are all eroded as a
result of her loss. Her only excursions into the outside world are her daily
visits to the temple.
Zeenat, confident that the papers will be signed, goes to Meera's home, where
she is thrown out by Shankar's family. Zeenat waits for Meera at the temple,
intending to plead with her. When the two women meet, Zeenat realizes that Meera
doesn't know of the visit to Shankar's home and decides to hold off on telling
Meera the truth till a suitable moment in the future.
Meera and Zeenat continue to meet at the temple over the next several days and
their interactions lead to the development of a genuine friendship, which is
however always undercut by the tension of Zeenat's mission. One day, Zeenat
learns that the deadline for Aamir's execution has been advanced. She can wait
no more. At the same time, Meera finds out that her future is endangered and
that she is facing an impending doom of her own.
The truth comes out into the open and the two women have a confrontation. Meera
feels betrayed, Zeenat helpless.
How is the situation resolved?
How does Shankar's family react to the situation?
Does Zeenat succeed in her quest to save Aamir's life?
Does Meera find her redemption through revenge or through sacrifice?
The film builds towards a climax where these issues are resolved through a
powerful and unexpected ending.
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