ramangharsangi Just happened to watch this movie on the cable.Have been a fan of deepak dobriyal since omkara,1971 and Tanu weds manu.this movie directed by Bela negi is a revelation in itself.made on a modest budget that reflects in the production values this movie makes up for more than that in the exquisite storyline and memorable performances by the stellar cast spearheaded by dobriyal.A simple story of an ambitious protagonist who migrates to the city to make it big but returns disillusioned to his native village.the quaint and static life in the village makes him morose and erratic.a free spirited poet he seems to be shackled by the conventions of the village.the sole silver lining in the cloud is 'the woman in red' symbolizing entrapment and guile.she looks glittery but is not gold.the director has very effortlessly captured the myriad ethos and essence of life in the hills.Being a native of the Himalayas(lahaul n spiti)I'm familiar with issues that the director has tried to raise.Alcoholism,environmental degradation,petty jealousies, local politics have been captured effortlessly.there are many layers in the plot.The Director has included the 'red car' plot just to inculcate 'willing suspension of disbelief'.the protagonist is just a face in the crowd but the coming of the red car makes the natives look at him in awe mixed with jealousy.the red car leads to minor upheavals in the otherwise salubrious climes of the village.the car symbolises crass commercialization and its adverse fallout.just like the lady in red who looks bewitching but in reality is a ill behaved entity,the red car looks like a harbinger of good fortune for the protagonist instead it leads to more complications in his life.Another 'red'symbol is found in the rhododendron tree known in local nomenclature as 'bransh'.this tree is a native of the Himalayas and occupies abundant frames in the movie. the protagonist finds solace in two things;alcohol and his dream of establishing a kala kendra in the village. his relationship with his son is another sub plot in the movie.the son looks up to his father but his bumblings make him cynical.the father redeems his lost respect in the last frame of the movie.the movie moves along effortlessly and peeps into the life of the innocent hill people.most of the characters are goodhearted without any malice.the hills have been living for centuries but its the outside influx that has led to chaos.village life in Uttarakhand is almost similar to himachal.we share the same culture and values.i could immediately correlate to the characters and situations in the movie.the protagonist ultimately sacrifices his so called prized possession in favour of a calf symbolizing the victory of simplicity over gaudiness.......wish i too could do that !!!!

Abhay Tiwari We have a new film in the horizon, a film which, surges far ahead of the monolithic narrative tradition of Hindi cinema, and has been invented on an entirely new level of story-telling.The plot is rich and complex. Most films have been made on much less substance. It is next to impossible to pen down the richness of the story on paper. Every character is a world in itself. Every misadventure an independent story. The film's narrative opens hitherto closed windows into our social life.The film recounts the story of a village lad called Deepak who tries out his luck in the big city. Unable to gain a foothold after years of struggle, he returns in frustration to his family back in the village. At first, the villagers are enthusiastic about this city- returned young man with plans about their future. Their enthusiasm soon dies down when he gets into the specifics. His idealism only provokes their amusement, and soon enough, the ground reality of village life begins to bruise his high-flown dreams. All this is told, however, without any laborious graveness, and with amusing ease. One day, he wins, quite unexpectedly, a bumper prize in the form of a car. He learns, to his wonder, that a sample from his dabbling in poetry was sent to a contest for the best jingle for an advertisement. He becomes an instant celebrity, and the recognition that his talent has craved from the rural folk finally comes his way. His newly acquired status also lands him into unnecessary debt, and soon the car is put into use as a taxi, even a milk carrier.Yet the vicissitudes and continual disappointments of life are not enough to shake Deepak's optimism and hope for the future. What is cutting to him, however, is the gradual disappointment with life's promises he begins to see in his son's eyes, and the consequent loss of confidence in him. The final part of the story of his struggle to retrieve the respect that he thinks he has lost in his eyes.Seeing the film is like taking a deep sip of life. Its finely nuanced portrayal of life's many colors is sometimes found in novels but rarely seen in films – and never in Hindi novels or films. However the film manages to pack dense complexity of ordinary life in the story and yet remains a light-hearted, feel good entertainer, which is no mean achievement.

aksh1421 Well, the film is a simple tale but it stays with you for a long time. So it would be safe to say it is not that simple after all. There are plenty of rough edges but those give it an earthy feel. I felt that some supporting actors could have been better trained but on the whole most of them give a really good performance and the wife of Ramesh is just fantastic. I love the hills and it felt good to be transported there in a very real way. It left me with a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling that things are changing in our world a bit too fast ... and the desire to hold on to a simplicity that is conveyed in the film is something that everyone will immediately relate to. I recommend it for a relaxed watch on a Sunday afternoon and then again on the next Sunday.

Aliya Bhatt What a fantastic film I discovered recently. I cant believe that I didn't see it before. Daayen ya Baayen is full of subtle humor, nuances, wonderful characters and such a lovely story line. The story seems simple but it is quite complex. It is about a guy going back from the city to the village and finding that not much has changed back here. He finds his raison d'etre in building an art school in he village. But a red car arrives in his life and takes him on a different trip. The story is about this and a lot more - its a life lesson. I can see it again and again for the many nuances and hidden gems all over the film. I enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone who want to see something out of the ordinary.