Dono

Dono (2023) : Movie Review -

Dono Review: Avnish Barjatya makes his debut with Rajshri Productions' "Dono," starring Rajveer Deol and Paloma Dhillon. Today's romantic dramas are far different from what Rajshri used to make way back in time. From misunderstandings, breakups, and reconciliations, we have come to the 'move on' term in the romantic drama genre. That's relevant to today's generation, but is everyone concerned about it like everyone was with Rajshri's family dramas? The answer should be no, because move-on and live-in terms are still not fully socially accepted. Yet, we have filmmakers trying to tackle the subject, which is somewhat relatable to youth and far from family audiences. Isn't that a sigh of worry? It could have been a good, modern take on the dual love stories, trying to cross each other over, but fails short in conviction.

Dono is about a young man, Dev (Rajveer Deol), who has to attend the wedding of Alina, whom he has loved since childhood. Having no excuse to skip the wedding, he is forced to go to the wedding to find himself nothing but torment. There he meets Meghna (Paloma Dhillon), a happy-go-lucky girl (at least that's what she pretends to be from the outside), who learns about his love for Alina by mistake. They become friends and spend good time during the pre-wedding festivities. Meghna has a past; the one who is present with her at the wedding, and she is disturbed by his presence. Dev can see it and feel it, and that's what brings them closer, unknowingly or knowingly. Will they accept this unspoken feeling? Will Dev be able to get over Alina, and will Meghna forget her possessive ex-boyfriend?

Dono is set in Thailand-I mean, the wedding portion-without foreign culture. It shouts about modern love theories and weddings but is stuck with decades-old theories of society. The soon-to-be coulple cannot kiss each other, as if they never kissed while dating. The girl has to receive all the looks because she is a girl. Is that what you call a modern love story? The main protagonist is more outdated than Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Devdas, who cannot speak a word about love to his girl, cannot propose, and yet expresses his loneliness to his best friend. If he couldn't speak to the girl, how can he speak about the same with his best friend when he was the one at fault? Dono's writing defeats its main purpose, which is to be modern. Rajshri is known for traditional dramas, so Dono defeats that purpose as well. Moreover, the screenplay is too long and tedious. It's impossible for one to hold their seat for two and a half hours. Avnish's writing should have been more complete, and the screenwriting is too below the mark.

Rajveer Deol looks handsome in his debut and is pretty promising in some scenes. But he needs to work on his dialogue delivery, as the accent isn't flawless. Paloma literally looks breathtaking in many scenes whenever she is all dolled up with all that traditional makeup kit. Traditional beauty is always ahead of glamour and skin show, and Paloma follows the same rulebook here. Alina's character had to be glamorous and extra modern, which is portrayed well by Kanikka Kapur, who brings her own scenic beauty to it. Aditya Nanda is nothing but a chubby boy, while Rohan Khurana, Manik Papneja, Poojan Chhabra, and others are decent in their roles.

Dono is shot overseas, so it's definitely a lavish film to watch. The cinematography is good, especially with nature's shots and the wedding shoot. All you see is beautiful girls wearing traditionally gorgeous clothes and boys in classic fashion-well, that's a fine job done by a costume designer. Dono lacks tight editing, though. With one or two songs trimmed, they could have made it with a standard runtime of 130-135 minutes. Those extra 15-20 minutes aren't worth it. I still think Avnish's writing was more problematic than his direction. In the first half, you don't feel bored because it never looked like a film directed by a debutant. It's engaging and pretty handsome. The second half takes it down because the writing goes too low with its graph. There was nothing that could have saved it anyway, but Avnish did try. After all, there is a happy ending and before that, one or two suspenseful moments, but everything is predictable, including the characters' behaviour (that non-smiling man, though). Overall, Dono comes with a finite amount of conviction that's brought down by half-baked theories.

RATING - 4/10*

This movie story and screenplay goes in slow verbal pace which makes this movie a feel good type movie. I can assure that this movie will get mixed review because it only target and catch the nerves of young age audiences, also the new married couples. I find it's audience is niche in theatre. If we compare to current trend of theatre like jawan, pathaan, gadar, etc. At current condition theatre seeking for bumper pack movies. However, we also can't deny that in the crowd of biggies some movies like, zara hatke zara Bach ke, rocky rani ki prem kahaani, etc, a simple love story done well in box office. As movie is good, direction also seems professional, acting is not something that we love to say remarkable but it feels good in whole movie, story is good but one criticism is, it somehow seems routine like we can predict the screenplay. As I am youth and I feel that this film exactly catch my taste. Like we talk about zara hate zara Bach ke which is not extraordinary but some factors like cast and song of the movie goes exceptional thus that get hit even though it is just a simple good movie. In the case of dono movie, cast performance seems good but this cast has not a potential for box office success and songs are also average thus we can't expect some exception to happen.

Overall in my view movie is must watchable. Rajveer and paloma, star debutant work is good but not remarkable but they show potential for coming future. Abinash direction is good and the suggestion is work in fresh and exciting project rather than simple story. It's just my view otherwise his dono movie is well made.

"Dono," the 2023 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama, directed by Avnish S. Barjatya, emerges as a captivating exploration of contemporary Indian youth and their evolving perspectives. With a fresh cast featuring newcomers Rajveer Deol and Paloma Dhillon, this film proves to be a refreshing addition to the genre.

The movie skillfully captures the essence of today's generation in India, shedding light on their forward-looking aspirations and the personal validation syndrome that often accompanies young adulthood. It's a relatable reflection of the thoughts and struggles faced by many young people today.

Rajveer Deol, Paloma Dhillon, and director Avnish Barjatya shine in their debut performances, bringing authenticity and depth to their characters. The chemistry between the lead pair adds a layer of authenticity to the romance, making it engaging and relatable.

One standout feature of "Dono" is its music, with songs by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy that are bound to leave a lasting impression. The film masterfully blends these melodies into its narrative, enhancing the overall experience.

But what truly sets "Dono" apart is its exploration of the concept of closure and moving on. This theme resonates deeply with the young audience, making the film more than just a romance; it's a story of personal growth and self-discovery.

For fans of family dramas and romance, "Dono" is a must-watch. It offers a fresh take on love in the modern age and the pursuit of one's dreams. As it delves into the complexities of relationships and personal validation, it provides a captivating and relatable cinematic experience. So, if you're looking for a movie that combines heart, drama, and romance, "Dono (2023)" should be at the top of your list.

Very nice movie, Avnish S barjatya has done fsbulous job. Rajveer deol is new generation romantic star of bollywood, paloma is sensation. Both have proved themselves as award winning actors. Songs are situationable with story, scenes and locations are attractive. Indian cultured based modern love story with a social messege. What Young generation thinks movie focuses about their thought in new era of new India, parents should understand their feelings. Best direction, best story, best acting. We all famiy members like this movie with heart. Best of all for new comers. I recomend to audience must watch movie.

It's a wonderful movie one can expect from Rajshree...Paloma and Rajveer are wonderful in the movie...The simple story told in a fresh way without fake sets...The approach is realistic...Avnish just stole the show...million times better than Rocky and rani ki nonsense story...must watch...it's youthful, beautiful and good as expected...songs are too good...every song fits it's situation and goes with the story...The movie never sinked and you feel like watching more of it...as if we want to watch more of it....my heart goes for it...Avnish carried the legacy really well...doesn't seem like his debut movie....