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Star cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Bharti Bhatt.
Plot: A schoolteacher in a village wins a swanky car in a television contest. And his life goes for a toss after that!
What’s Good: Performances of the actors who are mostly fresh; some light scenes.
What’s Bad: The script looks like it has been written for a television serial.
Verdict: Daayen Ya Baayen will flop miserably.
Loo break: Not too many.
Alliance Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.’s Daayen Ya Baayen is about a school teacher, Ramesh Majila (Deepak Dobriyal), in a remote village in the Himalayas. He wins a swanky car in a television contest, after which his life changes. Ramesh wants the government to set up an art centre in his village.
The series of events that follow in Ramesh’s life after he wins the car makes him wonder whether the car is a boon or a curse. For one, it makes him match the rest of his life with the glamour of the vehicle. Unknowingly, he becomes a borrower and, before long, he is neck-deep in debts. Then, there’s the local bigwig, Jwar Singh (Jeetendra Bisht), who gives him money to repay his debts but takes away his car. Does Ramesh get back his car? Does he get back his lost dignity – lost because of the car? Answers to these and other questions are revealed in the end.
Bela Negi’s story is of the kind which is more suited for a television serial. Since the story revolves around just one individual and also because there is no larger issue involved, it is difficult for the audience to appreciate or enjoy the story. Besides, the heroism of Ramesh Majila is so understated that those looking for him to do heroics would be sorely disappointed. Bela Negi’s screenplay, like the story, does not offer much variation. No doubt, some scenes reveal the middle-class mentality beautifully and are fun to watch but they just aren’t enough. Dialogues (by Bela Negi) are natural and interesting.
Deepak Dobriyal does well but to expect him to carry a film on his shoulders is foolhardiness. He is far from being hero material, even in a film where authenticity and realism are the catchwords. Bharti Bhatt acts extremely well as Ramesh’s society-conscious wife, Hema. Badrul Islam (as Basant) is natural. Manav Kaul is okay as Sundar. Dhanuli Devi scores in the role of Ramesh’s mother, Amma. Pratyush Doklan leaves a mark in the role of Ramesh’s son. Jeetendra Bisht is effective in the role of Jwar Singh. Aarti Dhami (as Deepa), Aditi Beri (as Meena), Girish Tiwari (as the school principal), Dhananjay Shah (as Hema’s brother), Dilawar Karki (as Jwar Singh’s crony) and the others lend perfect support.
Like her script, debutante director Bela Negi’s narration has very limited appeal. She knows her job but she hasn’t been able to make the film one which would appeal to a wide spectrum of the audience. Vivek Philip’s music is okay. Amlan Datta’s cinematography and other technical aspects are alright. P. Kumar’s action scenes are as desired. Editing (Bela Negi) is appropriate.
On the whole, Daayen Ya Baayen will prove to be a supreme disaster – and not just because its promotion is poor!
