Dus Tola (2010) Movie Drinking Game
Down a Shot: each time Geeta incites an earthquake with her rhythmic and surrealistic footwork
Down a Shot: each time gold is mentioned in a sentence.
Down a Shot: each time Shankar’s bedridden father falls prey to a coughing fit
By: Vidal D’costa (Two Beers) –
Struck by Cupid, Shankar, a poor bachelor and local goldsmith, works tirelessly to craft a 10-carat (dus tola in Hindi) necklace at the behest of his beloved Sonu, who’s also his neighbour and the daughter of a haughty astrologer. However, his efforts are rewarded tenfold by an abrupt act of cowardice from the woman of his dreams, resulting in public humiliation and heartbreak for Shankar. Of course, there’s no point in crying over spilt molten metal, and in a bid to not lose face again, the dejected but quick-thinking underdog resorts to a secret trick of his trade to get even, to gain back lost honour… And who knows, maybe even uncover another divine pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, i.e, a second shot at true love?
A Toast
The stage play-esque structure and execution of this simplistic and quirky, clean comedy with a pinch of romance lends to its unapologetically old school charm. This might be an acquired taste and not entirely digestible for everyone, but as someone who swears by the odd local ‘tiatr’/stage play setup, this whole package of witty gags, authentic banter between the characters, and great staging felt right up my alley and of course, fits with the overall genre, too.
The chaotic climax is Dus Tola’s crown jewel and leaves one in splits, and personally, it also brought back memories of the cat fights that go overboard and gossip-fueled nature of village life, which acts as a much-needed breather from the otherwise monotonous and altogether quaint rural atmosphere. Believe me, if you haven’t witnessed a messy domestic issue spilling out into the street at your next door neighbor’s place (peak evening entertainment), you haven’t lived! The stunt choreography is comprised of eight grader wrestling moves lifted straight from a WWE match (face groping and tombstone pile drivers in haystacks galore!) and is just the cherry on top.
The non-watered down onscreen depiction of small town gossip/rumour-mongering in ruining reputations is yet another scarily realistic but spot-on aspect that ticks all the boxes of a film that’s set in rural India (you should just hear my local pharmacist drone on about how nightmarish it is to set up shop among rivals, good grief!). The movie also addresses enriching themes of found family while simultaneously incorporating lessons of ‘what goes around comes around’, which ultimately balance out and win out over the bitterness of prejudice, greed, and narrow-mindedness featured in it.
Leading man Manoj Bajpayee offers a natural performance with those heart-melting doe eyes standing out, and he doesn’t miss at infusing his character Shankar with a side of snarky attitude, via instances such as the rapid-fire exchange of rebukes between Shankar and the mystery man from Dubai who is a potential suitor for Sonu, or his witty retorts to Sonu’s father who is prone to spoiling Shankar’s reputation as a goldsmith in order to ‘put him in his place’ for his romantic advances/interludes towards Sonu. Bajpayee’s chemistry with co-star Pallavi Sharda is cute and moving, and it’s no surprise hence that the duo of Geeta, the dancer who inadvertently sparks off chaos with her innocent footwork, and Shankar, the unhinged goldsmith who is equally quick on his feet and possesses a Midas touch for inciting impromptu wrestling matches in the village, would end up being a truly ‘endgame couple’! (as Gen Z would put it)
Lastly, a majority of the first half is devoted to establishing the minor characters of the movie, each of whom are a peculiar lot and without whom many of the gags and comedic scenarios would just feel incomplete- be it the self-aware tantrik at his wit’s end played superbly by Ninad Kamat, or the late actor and Family Man alumnus Aasif Basra excelling with his comic timing as an eccentric goat herder who loafs around with the head of the village at the local tea shop, with a penchant for eyeing cows, local belles, and trouble alike!
While these aforementioned side characters are an absolute menace and laugh riot, others such as Govind Namdev’s Quaazi & his gracious Begum (Vidya Malvade lending her voice to this enigmatic character who comes away with by far one of the best arcs) evoke empathy in their respective roles.
Beer Two
The technical setbacks are Dus Tola‘s weakest link, with the oversaturated orange/’rustic’ filter (a staple of most 2010s Bollywood outings) especially showing its age. The audio mixing, in terms of background score, could have also been far more consistent, with the loud score occasionally drowning out the dialogue. While eventually the movie does pick up pace, the first half could have been overall better paced.
Verdict
Regardless of a slow start, Dus Tola is yet another golden addition to similar, sublime slice of life fare such as the nostalgia-inducing Malgudi Days or the more contemporary Panchayat web series. It more often than not leaves one with a big smile, a belly full of laughs, and proves to be an overall comforting weekend watch.
