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Review: Dobara Phir Se is actually more than just a boy-meets-girl story

Review: Dobara Phir Se is actually more than just a boy-meets-girl story

The film's winning attribute is writer Bilal Sami's subtle subversion of widely held ideas about love and marriage.
Updated 25 Nov, 2016

I’ve been on the fence about Mehreen Jabbar’s Dobara Phir Se.

The film is a boy (Adeel Husain)-meets-girl (Hareem Farooq) story, but it isn't really as simple as that.

When Hammad (Adeel) and Zainab (Hareem) meet at a party at their friends Saman and Vasay's (Sanam Saeed and Ali Kazmi) house, Zainab is unhappily married to Asim (Shaz Khan). By the end of the party, Hammad's taken Natasha's (Tooba Siddiqui) number and the two start dating. Eventually, Zainab becomes available and Natasha gets dumped. So begins the film's core romance. We see Hammad and Zainab get together, fall apart and overcome a series of obstacles to get together again.

The events of Dobara Phir Se follow this rather predictable pattern, and by the end of it, it's fairly easy to summarise the film in a line or two. But doing so is dismissing all the little twists in the tale that are so well woven in the story that they don't really call attention to themselves.

And I think that's where the magic of Dobara Phir Se lies.

Dobara Phir Se stars Ali Kazmi, Sanam Saeed, Hareem Farooq and Adeel Husain in main roles
Dobara Phir Se stars Ali Kazmi, Sanam Saeed, Hareem Farooq and Adeel Husain in main roles

The winning attribute of the film is writer Bilal Sami's subtle subversion of widely held ideas about love and marriage.

The biggest instance of this: Zainab is divorced with a child, Zaid (played by Moosa Rabbani, who buoys up the film with charm only 10-year-olds could have), and she goes through the usual trials of post-divorce life — the struggle for financial stability, sparring over Zaid's upbringing with the ex-husband, her own guilt and confusion about introducing a new man (that is, Hammad) in Zaid's life.

But her marital status is not an 'issue' in this romance drama in the way we often see 'issue-based' films and TV serials. Not once in her interviews does director Mehreen Jabbar say that it is a film about a divorced woman. Zainab is divorced, as many people happen to be, and in not making a big deal out it, the film is more successful in introducing the idea in people's minds that there is life and love after divorce, it is not necessarily a 'haye Allah' moment when a man takes a happen-to-be-divorced woman home to meet his family as his prospective wife (although some random chachas may gossip about it, and that's okay).

Ali Kazmi as Vasay blows kisses to his mehendi guests as he enters in a bridal doli
Ali Kazmi as Vasay blows kisses to his mehendi guests as he enters in a bridal doli

There are other instances of this subtle subversion: Sanam Saeed plays Saman, a rather spunky, freewheeling kind of gal, who may come off as a little too loud, a little too brash, a little too bossy in her interactions with boyfriend-turned-fiance-turned-husband, Vasay. But there is no humbling of this woman, she suffers no downfall for her aberration from the docile norm. She bhangras her way into her mehendi and Vasay cheekily peeks out from the doli he is carried in as they get their happily ever after. It's a welcome contrast to the blushing brides and biwis of Bin Roye, for example, and again there is the blissful absence of pointed dialogues that call attention to what a different kind of girl Saman is.

Dobara Phir Se simply does a great job of showing instead of telling.

It's fairly easy to summarise Dobara Phir Se in a line or two, but doing so is dismissing all the little twists in the tale that are so well woven in the story that they don't really call attention to themselves. The winning attribute of the film is the writer Bilal Sami's subtle subversion of widely held ideas about love and marriage.

But this is not to say that the script doesn't have its flaws.

There are some far-too-convenient happenings in the story.

(SPOILER) For instance, Zainab and Hammad are reunited in the film by Zaid, who lands up at Adeel's apartment after running away from his father's house where he was carted off when Hareem was having her book launch. But why was he sent there in the first place? Hareem explains to Zaid that his father won't let him attend the launch, which is pretty darn cruel of him considering a) it's a pretty important moment in his mother's life and b) the book is inspired by and created for him. So why doesn't Hareem fight her ex-husband on this, when she's stood up to him in the past. Her attitude is more like 'go on son, get out of the way for a little bit because the script says so', and I feel the writer could have come up with an alternate way to bring Zainab and Hammad together. Events like this make the film a little too neat and predictable.

There are also some underdeveloped angles to the story, like Natasha (Tooba) as the thorn in Zainab's side. The two tolerate each other's presence with some very mature politeness, which of course is entirely plausible, but the fact that Natasha dutifully comes and goes from Hammad's life without causing much emotional discomfort to Zainab is what I find hard to believe. The film completely downplays the jealousy that is only natural between two women in love with the same man.

We see Tooba Siddiqui as Natasha get her heart broken in Dobara Phir Se
We see Tooba Siddiqui as Natasha get her heart broken in Dobara Phir Se

The script also has the benefit of excellent packaging. Dobara Phir Se wouldn't be the same or even worth the watch if it wasn't for its cinematography and music. The film woos its audience with beautiful sights and songs, keeping it entranced throughout its two hour duration. There was a really happy buzz during the intermission of the Karachi premiere two days ago — it was obvious people were glad they came.

This makes Dobara Phir Se, coming during a period of cinematic drought in Pakistan, a most timely release.

Dobara Phir Se opens in cinemas today.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Comments

madhusudan Nov 25, 2016 10:06am
I wish it get release in india. And has Fawad Khan signed any new film or drama?
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Dipak Singham Nov 25, 2016 10:20am
Dobara fir se but both the words meaning is same. Name should be either dobara or firse.
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cuupuu Nov 25, 2016 10:56am
Another movie about the elite. It is like they can't get enough of themselves.
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Ajay vikram Singh Nov 25, 2016 11:05am
@Dipak Singham - Ghalti se mistake ho gyi.
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Talha Nov 25, 2016 11:31am
@Dipak Singham It is "Phir Se", not firse.
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Muniba Nov 25, 2016 11:39am
Muniba:We are going tonight in dubai to see it only with the sole purpose of promoting Pak Movies unfortunately we have v limited choice of cinemas to go and see this movie it should have been released on a bigger screen here and a bigger cinema..still we will enjoy it im sure :)
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Asif Nov 25, 2016 12:08pm
I wish the movie was released in India...Big fann
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Aamer Nov 25, 2016 12:36pm
i will watch it today.
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shereen Nov 25, 2016 01:15pm
@Dipak Singham its the title of a song from noori's first album. Stands for reprise. Just a fun way of saying the same thing.
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saif Nov 25, 2016 01:25pm
@Dipak Singham "Phir se" here means "from the beginning". So "dobara phir se" would mean "from the beginning again"
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naeem Nov 25, 2016 01:33pm
Well, isn't that precious.
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Pak Khan Nov 25, 2016 02:07pm
@saif That would be Dobara Shru se not Phir Se
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Hello Nov 25, 2016 04:54pm
Well, I'm a sanam saeed fan and it seems like she doesn't have that big a role, so not gonna go for it. (Not that I can anyway being from India) but hey, good luck and lots of love to Pakistani movies from India. I'm sure this is just the beginning. Ps your dramas are the BEST!
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Irfan ul Huq Nov 25, 2016 06:03pm
@Dipak Singham The name is correct.It means "Again from the start"in Bengali it means"A bar protham theeke" This is Urdu and not Hindi!
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Sadaf Haider Nov 25, 2016 08:08pm
@madhusudan Fawad is doing Maulla Jat and Albela rahi
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Mohammad I. Sheikh Nov 25, 2016 10:44pm
Big fan of Mehreen Jabbar and appreciate number of her TV dramas. I hope it also releases in New Jersey(USA). Will try to watch this weekend. Note: Mehreen if you are reading this: please also include in your next project senior artist like Nadeem Baig, Babra Shreef etc. It will be a treat for lot of us.
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Irfan Nov 26, 2016 12:32am
@madhusudan Fawad is currently working in two Pakistani film. Which are scheduled to release next year
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Ali Nov 26, 2016 01:49am
Watched it couple of hrs ago, liked it! Good one.
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Hassan Nov 26, 2016 01:27pm
@madhusudan I wish the mutual cultural boycott finishes soon. Fawad Khan is doing three films in Pakistan,expected to release next year. Remake of the classic cult Pakistani maula jatt, a biopic of Pakistan's first pop icon alamgeer,called albela rahi, and air force -war epic produced by HUM films.
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m muneeb Nov 26, 2016 03:55pm
I LOVE YOU ALL ACTORS IN MY PAKISTA BUTT DOBAR PHIR SAY MY FAVOURIT
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A shAH Nov 26, 2016 04:34pm
Sorry but this was dull dull dull.
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Mohsin Bhimani Nov 26, 2016 09:57pm
@Dipak Singham Dobara or phir se means "again" Saying both words together means "Yet once again" Hope this clarifies the confusion.
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Mohsin Bhimani Nov 26, 2016 10:01pm
@Hello Thanks for your courteous remarks. Wish the hatred among the countries change into love forever
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Mohsin Bhimani Nov 26, 2016 10:03pm
@saif Guys what's wrong??? Phir se doesn't mean shuru se. It means AGAIN. The title of this movie in English wud be YET ONCE AGAIN
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Hassan Niazi Nov 27, 2016 01:55pm
@cuupuu i think u didnt watch mehreen Jabbar's Ramchand Pakistani
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ASIF K JAFRI Nov 28, 2016 10:08am
We live in Canada and always went to see all of the Pakistani movies to support the emerging cinema industry. Just few common viewer comments about this movie. This was huge waste of time and $$. People who are making the movies (writer/producer and director) need to learn from Indian industry. You are making movie for people to like and entertain. This movie was extremely long and boring TV drama. It is about time, we have done enough experiments and now need to get better on making movies. I was also shock to see empty cinema.
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cuupuu Nov 28, 2016 10:49am
@Hassan Niazi I am talking about this movie not Ramchand Pakistani. And i think Ramchand was an exception for Mehreen. You can wiki and check most of her dramas/movies are about rich/ privileged people.
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Adil Nov 28, 2016 12:27pm
One of the worst movie i ever seen, music was good but rest is just waste. Through this time when the hindi movies are banned we should produce some good movies to fill the gap and attract the audience, but movie like this seems like a hidden agenda to bring back the indian movies :-P Come on guys i am a huge supporter of our film industry and revival of cinema. We have some of the best writers, actors and singers, we need to use them wisely to make a good movie.
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Aamer Nov 28, 2016 01:21pm
I saw this movie over the weekend. It was pefect. It was as if i was watching a American movie. it was great.
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