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Reachout's
Review of
DoŁŁar
Dream$
| No masala
formula this film. The only masala one comes
across is that of the Gup Chup wala (paani
Puri wala) or the Mirchi Bajji wala.
The film is a witness to the day to day
happenings of Hyderabad. For a Hyderabadi who
carries the Charminar and the Gupchup Bandi
(Push cart) in his heart, this film will be
like a Chota Samosa (small samosa)
with a 1/2 chai (1/2 cup of Tea). |
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Dollar
Dreams, directed by a Harward returned computer
professional turned film-maker MR. Sekhar Kammula, has
shot this movie with a shoe-string budget which is
commendable but he had to compromise on the technical
excellence which was glaringly visible throughout the
movie.
The film opens with one of the Lafoot gang
(that's what they name their gang) Ravi leaving for
the U.S of A. Balu is the next in line running around
the computer institutes for a crash course to land up
in US and make quick bucks. Not just Balu but every
Hyderabadi seems to be engulfed in an irresistable
temptation to make fast bucks and come back.
Disturbed by this trend, Usha picks up her dictaphone
(Giving up a career in medicine) and goes around the
college campuses trying to find out what the
Hyderabadi youth is upto. Everyone irrespective of
which faculty they belong (Arts, Science, or Commerce)
want to take up some course in Computers and push off
to USA. Still easier for girls who marry an NRH (a
non-resident Hyderabadi).
Helping Usha through this excersice is Srinu who is
equally disturbed by this wave and under lot of
pressure from his father who is convinced that he's
wasting his precious time here when he is cut
perfectly to be fit in US. While Phani and Archana, a
cool Hyderabadi couple that they were, enjoying the
tank bund breeze, the chat wala, and a typical Nawabi
attitude, are wonderstruck by unqualified people
making it. So they head for the embassy in Madras as
well.
Ravi comes back for a holiday with an air of cool
attitude undecided if he can really come bcak to
Hyderabad at all, since his priorities have changed
totally.
Balu is agitated by this decision and feels there's no
point in making big money when one cannot take care of
their parents as was the case with Ravi's father who
falls ill when he is away earning dollars.
For an NRH this film would be actually living in the
situation rather than watching it and for others it
gives a real taste of Chai, Gupchup, and a true
flavour of Hyderabadi style.The sequences will
definitely wrench a viewer's heart especially if they
know that there has been a real incident where a
student attempted a suicide after being rejected for a
visa. IT is definitely a good lesson for the parents
who thinks it's no more a seat in Engineering or
Medicine or MBA but a Visa stamping on a passport
which makes them proud.
Sekhar Kammula directed the sequences prefectly with
humour galore and the casting is perfect with
commendable performances from everybody inspite of
being first timers. (There's a girl who acts like
a sutradhar of the sanskrit play pricking at the
conscience of every NRI, to pay attention to the
mother land).
An NRH
would definitely ask for more at the end of the film
like the Paani (Spicy water) after a good session of
Gupchup (Paani Puri). One will either dare to come
back after dreaming or stay back home, like these
people, Balu and Sardar(his friend) to startup a
business, and Srinu to do his MBA at Jamnalal Bajaj.
Ofcourse Usha is still a Journalist.
By
Sachindra Siddella
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