Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh make a comeback together after 30 years with Habib Faisal’s Do Dooni Chaar. The debutant director has tried to tell a simple tale of a teacher and his family and their tireless endeavour in coping with the ongoing inflation in Delhi and, at the same time, getting pleasure from the simple things in life. The film begins with the narration by a daughter who is describing her family. Their story begins when they have a simple scooter, but towards its end they have luxurious car.
A middle-class Punjabi, Santosh Duggal (Rishi Kapoor), a school teacher, resides in a flat in Delhi with wife Kusum Duggal (Neetu Kapoor) and kids Archit and Payal (Archit Krishna, Aditi Vasudev). Santosh is a school teacher who tries to make ends meet with his meagre income by giving extra tuitions after school. His teenage daughter, son and wife love him and dream to have a good life. He is happy with his average income and the family lives in its own little paradise till the day Phupho, Duggal’s younger sister, arrives from Meerut, with an invitation to a marriage at her in-laws. But then, she lays down the ultimatum to her brother that he should come to her house in a car. The only problem is that the Duggals don’t own a car. Phupho’s simple solution? “Gaddi Khareed lo.”
Duggal, as usual, starts giving excuses but his wife Kusum, saddened by her sister-in-law’s tears, puts her at ease by promising her that they will arrive in a car. Thus begins the journey of the Duggal family gearing up for the big purchase in their life.
They start calculating the expenses that they will incur at the wedding, right from new clothes to the gifts and the brand new car. It throws the entire house out of gear. At first, he plans to hire a car but then the expenses turn out to be too high.
Duggal decides to take a loan on his salary. Everybody, right from the principal of the school to the owner of the coaching classes and his neighbours, advise him against investing in a car.
Finally, Mrs Duggal comes with the brilliant idea of borrowing a neighbour’s car to the wedding. The mishaps they face at the wedding and the insults hurled by the neighbours after returning the car makes Duggal adamant on buying a new car for his family.
Duggal is tempted by a lot of things, from buying detergent powder in bulk which promises a brand new car as the first prize to a letter written by his well-to-do student bribing him to pass him in his exams. Besides, the four of them don’t agree on anything — the car, the make, the colour. Like Payal says, “Hamaare ghar par discussions aise hi hote hai.” A mad journey ensues. After putting together all their resources, they realise they don’t have the cash for the down payment. Here ensues a hilarious trip to get the money.
Despite a 30-year gap, not only have Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh come back with the same chemistry on screen, but they also manage to look convincing as the simple middle-class couple. Both newcomers, Archit Krishna and Aditi Vasudev, have done a commendable job in the film.
Debutant director Habib Faisal has tried to bring in interesting elements, like the students painting their teachers’ scooter with lewd pictures to get back at him or his son’s involvement with his teacher, and match-fixing, the daughters’ obsession for worldly things, the teachers’ daily routine or their middle-class life.
How the children start respecting their father’s profession after a chance meeting with his old students add their own endearing moments to the movie.
On the whole, Do?Dooni Chaar is a light breezy family entertainer one should not miss on the weekend with family.