Dupahiya (Season 1)
Introduction
The village of Wasseypur in the iconic Hindi film Gangs Of Wasseypur was filled with colourful characters but with violence at its epicenter. In that sense, Dhadakpur in the new Hindi show Dupahiya is a sort of an anti-Wasseypur (or more like Phulera from Panchayat). And the opening shot of the show tells you exact that – Dhadakpur is a crime-free village, the Belgium of Bihar that easily transforms this setting into a character. And interestingly, this character also boasts of a character arc, just like its other characters, wherein there is a crime that finally transpires in the area after 24 years. But staying true to its naive and innocent tone, the crime isn’t a murder or an assault, it is that of theft wherein a motorcycle (more specifically a bullet) is stolen one day. And so, on the surface most of the plot revolves around this one incident. But what makes Dupahiya special is the satire that it aspires to be in its second layer – dealing for a number of social issues along the way. In fact, the opening episode itself opens a pandora’s box as far as the social issues are concerned – you are witness to a marriage discussion between two parties with emphasis being on dowry in the form of a scooter. But as the to-be bride’s priorities change, there is an upgrade on dowry too (read : from scooter to now a motorcycle). Elsewhere, a character suffers from an inferority complex due to her skin colour, a group of characters form the political fabric of the village, and another character aspires to go to Mumbai to become a hero. And all of these satires are nicely engulfed in this wonderfully penned drama that provides ample amounts of laughter, but also backs it with moments to ponder on.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg, the strongest aspect of Dupahiya remains its characterization, with even names of some of the characters backing their traits. So when you are introduced to Roshni (Shivani Raghuvanshi) signifying ‘light’, a fair-skinned character modelled on Snow-White, you are privy to her fickle mind, wherein she shifts focus from one character to another in the very same moment. She has built her ambitions on the materialistic resources – she wishes to stay in Mumbai, wear short dresses and have a good standard of living at the expense of a man who may or may not be the prince charming of her dreams. So when her groom to-be demands a Bullet bike, she is persuasive about it to her father despite being aware of the family income that extends to only a few lacs. Her groom to-be is named Kuber (Avinash Dwivedi) signifying wealth (modelled on the God of wealth except that the character isn’t a God), who demands a motorcycle as a dowry and is more concerned about the bike than his to-be wife. In a scene, you see him specifically visiting the village to get a glimpse of the bike, but doesn’t even bother meeting Roshni. His brother Durlabh (Godaan Kumar) signifying something that is attained with difficulty, has to bear all the shortcomings of his family. From losing out on Roshni for his brother, to having his wedding attire being swapped again with his brother, or his father preferring him to travel in a crammed bus with his relatives, even as his brother travels in a car (initially organized by him). There is a simmering tension in his character that acts as a thread through and through.
Elsewhere, you are also introduced to Nirmal (Komal Kushwahaa) which incidently translates to pure, a damsel in distress who suffers from an inferiority-complex due to her skin-colour. Ironically, her profession includes personality development even as Nirmal envies Roshni who being the better looking between them. And even as she witnesses Roshni about to be married, her position of solitude, and oblivious to a potential groom prospect around her, forces her to opt for a fairness procedure. You are also introduced to the three men of interest in Roshni’s life – Bhugol (an incredible Sparsh Shrivastava) who agrees on the prospect of the groom only because Kuber works in Mumbai, and he wishes to use him as an opportunity to become an actor. You often see him making reels and the entire episode of theft is a result of this frivolous trait. Amavas (Bhuvan Arora) signifying new moon, is the heart-broken and jilted ex of Roshni who isn’t similar to Kabir Singh but still possesses a sense of machismo to him. Yet a feminine gaze of viewing a problem through his sister-in-law, makes him want to help the family out to trace or arrange for the new ‘Dupahiya’, just so that Roshni stays ‘happy’. Banwari (a terrific Gajraj Rao) is Roshni’s father who may have grown on the age-old traditions of dowry in his village, but suddenly finds himself at the receiving end of the same issue, that further escalates when the ‘dowry’ itself is stolen. There are other characters that contribute to the fabric of the setting – a lazy copy who finally wakes up from his slumber after an emotional thread involving the use of the word ‘daughter’, a single mother and the village head Pushpalata (Renuka Shahane) who consistently has to fight the prevalent patriarchy of the village that doesn’t see this issue as a ‘crime’, even while providing an emotional support to her daughter Nirmal.
The proceedings are simplistic but quite rich with its setting that invariably contributes to the humour in the drama. This is true even as the story branches out – Banwari finds himself in a cat-and-mouse situation with the local cop Mithilesh (Yashpal Sharma), even as the two have previously being engulfed in an altercation, Amavas and Bhugol set out for an alternate option of the Dupahiya despite not getting along with their ideologies. This, even as Roshni has seeds of distrust sown within her as she continues the growing interest of Kuber towards the bike and her. In each of these three cases, the writing scores on the character dynamics that remain grounded with the emotions while scoring pretty well with the humour.
There is a little commentary on the repressed nature of characters that is soon set free once they cross state borders. In a scene, you see Bhugol and Amavas spending a fortune on alcohol while having none left for the eventual ‘prize’. I also liked how the writing did offer a searing commentary on masculinity which was veiled as a hilarious sequence. In a scene, you see Amavas and Bhugol dressing up as woman and performing a ‘launda naach’, while shedding their masculine image. This was particularly true for Amavas who had a stoic and rugged demeanor to him, that is soon up smashed while desconstructing his masculinity.
I did feel that the drama did briefly lose its steam in the middle when some of the emotional moments didn’t exactly land. There were a few screenplay lags on offer, particularly felt in the middle because the conflict itself was simplistic, and it demanded a faster resolution. The phase involving Banwari’s family being boycotted to the entire village suddenly turning up for the wedding, was an emotion that didn’t feel earned enough. Elsewhere, the underlying political landscape that eventually was staged to have a payoff, felt lost in translation in the wake of social issues, and a brief plot involving the media that remained half baked. In fact, the entire track of a character wanting a job to eventually getting one at a small tabloid office, didn’t exactly land as it should have, despite a glaring commentary on unemployment that also extended to the character of Bhugol. So my point being that this was repetitive, and just added crucial minutes to the drama.
That said, the writing doesn’t lose sight of the innocent and frothy tone of the drama, something that stays true right till the end. So even when the even mystery is unraveled, there is a streak of humour that successfully laces the narrative. This, even as the drama ends on a familiar note of realisation on the parts of a few characters, while efficiently capping the respective arcs that makes for a heartfelt watch. There is a feel-good vibe that the drama ends with (along with some pondering messaging), a rare commodity on celluloid these days that is seen to be thriving on mysteries and thrillers. In that sense, the screenplay is pretty good despite its flaws, and makes for a superb watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues add wonderful texture to proceedings while incorporating a layer of authenticity to the drama, through the dialect. This, even as the punchy lines are laced with humour that successfully had me laughing while pondering on the satire that they intended to touch upon. The music and BGM are light and frothy, while tapping into the earthiness of the setting. And the earthy notes also contribute to the fabric of storytelling by enhancing the impact of various scenes. The cinematography is good with frames that reflect on the vibrancy of the village, sufficiently enhanced by the colour grading. The editing is good but the length of the show could have been crisper given the slender premise. The lags in the middle needed to be accounted for a crisper watch. Director Sonam Nair does a commendable job by staying committed to the light and frothy tonality in the drama while scoring wonderfully with the world-building and characterization. The ability of the filmmaker to never venture into a melodramatic space must also be applauded, given how the drama never was preachy at any point. The grip on the narrative marginally loosens in the middle, but the driving force remains the satire that the director exploits wonderfully. The director was pretty solid for most parts of the runtime.
Performances
The performances are pretty solid by the members of the cast. Bhaskar Jha as Deendayal, the goody police aide of Mithilesh is wonderful to witness with a streak of humour that had me laughing at various instances. Pranjal Pateriya as Pinku is downright humourous and definitely manages to tickle your funny bone. Aaloak Kapoor as the father of Kuber and Durlabh has shades of favouritism as a trait that he exploits really well. Anjuman Saxena as the mother Roshni and Bhugol is sincere and earnest even as her silence speaks volumes of the unsaid patriarchy that she has to deal with. Samarth Mahor as Tipu is such an affable character who offers support to both Bhugol and Nirmal at different junctures in the screenplay. While he remains goofy, there is an endearing heartfelt quality that allows you to connect with him.and invest in his journey. Godaan Kumar as Durlabh is a character at the receiving end of his family, almost being treated as a black sheep. But all of it is presented with a tinge of humour that makes you empathize but also laugh at his situation. He was particularly impressive at the end wherein he went all out with his performance and his physicality, that contributed to the humour.
Renuka Shahane is a fine actor and she impresses as the smiling Pushpalata, a character who has had to deal with the patriarchy of the village. Her differential approach in front of the villagers, and her daughter tells us a lot about her wanting to maintain two different images – one that of a strong woman and the other of a caring mother, while being mindful of the two never quite overlapping until the very end. And that remained her character arc that was well portrayed. Yashpal Sharma as Mithilesh does come across as a lazy cop (and I would hardly blame him as Dhadakpur had a crime-free record). Yet, the emotional streak in his character erupts from his own sentiment of not having children – a trait that makes him empathetic towards other parents. And Yashpal Sharma is quite sincere and earnest with his character while opting for a minimalistic approach that was a delight to witness.
Avinash Dwivedi as Kuber may not be a very affable character, but there is an inherent sense of wannabe ‘coolness’ in him that automatically translates into humour. The same stemming from his obsession for a bike, sees him literally sleeping on it for the night, a scene that had me in splits. The proceedings made me realise that he does have a knack for comedy, that had me chuckling for most times during his appearances. Gajraj Rao has a knack of organically surrendering to the subtle traits of his character. Here the trait lacing the character of Banwari was helplessness, and you are witness to a minimalistic approach from him while tapping into all the required set of emotions in an effortless manner. This, while he remains true to the frothy tone of the drama by contributing to the humour wonderfully well.
Komal Kushwahaa as Nirmal is exceptional here. There is a definite arc to her character who suffers from an inferiority complex due to her skin-colour that eventually ends on a part of realisation. Komal brings forth several degrees of vulnerability and insecurity that makes you empathize with her character summing up a sincere act that definitely touches you. Bhuvan Arora as Amavas has a stellar screen presence in a wonderful performance that sees him add another feather in his cap. There are layers to Amavas – he is heartbroken suffering from kleptomania, while wishing the best for Roshni to the extent that he was also willing to shed his masculinity for the greater cause. There is a sense of earnestness tagged to his character that he wonderfully taps into, thereby delivering a solid performance overall.
Shivani Raghuvanshi as Roshni is a treat to watch here given how you witness her focusing on the materialistic parts of life, until there is a sense of realisation. Her arc remains similar to that of Nirmal with the exception being that she suffers from a superiority complex that erupts probably from her looks. You see her switching grooms in the opening scene only for the realisation to kick in at the end, and this arc is wonderfully portrayed by a performer who is making a habit of excelling in a variety of roles. Sparsh Shrivastava continues his wonderful form from last year’s gem Laapataa Ladies. As Bhugol, he is goofy with an impeccable sense of comedy that often had me in splits. Probably, his character deserves a spin-off show on his chronicles in a city that Mumbai which would ensure for an interesting watch. Here, Sparsh remains brilliant to the core while utilizing his expressions and body languages perfectly to depict a character that aspires to be a viral rage!
Conclusion
Backed by superb performances, the first season of Dupahiya is a smartly written social satire packaged as a hilarious village drama that makes for a charming little watch. Available on Amazon Prime.
