Review of Do Aur Do Paanch

Introduction

This is a comedy film that really brings out laughs from start to finish, with a warm moral message at the climax. While the film has many flaws like its long running time, this doesn`t matter as its positive aspects outweighed them.

Performances from Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor shine as their chemistry together is very magical. Here they are at their best as rivals. The scene when both get drunk is very touching and funny at the same time and shows the versatile talent they have. Also the performances from the rest of the cast is good as this film requires them to be and will never dissatisfy the audience.

The film has an average musical score that helps with the narrative and plot structure, and the main song `Do Aur Do Paanch (Two + Two = Five)` is one of the most memorable. Kids will get a kick out of seeing this film and so will adults as the film plays on both levels without being too dumb or too serious.

The film does have some poor technical values especially in the editing department, yet this never affected my viewing as content is the real winner here. The animation at the start of the film is a neat way of introducing the characters and the plot of this film. It is also quite funny and adds pleasure to viewing. Forget the technical aspects of this film and look towards the acting, comedy and songs, which will delight all audiences in the many years ahead...and remember kids two plus two equals four!

Video

The DVD is presented in a full screen picture ratio of 1.33:1. The film was shot with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, which means this DVD has been subjected to some cropping. Yet this doesn`t affect viewing as cropping from a 1.66:1 to a 1.33:1 is not too bad and not much of the sides of the picture are missed. The only time the cropping was evident was during the animation credits where some names have been chopped off. I would have preferred if the film were presented in its original aspect ratio as originally intended.

With no signs of any compressed artefacts the picture displays a decent amount of detail, which conveys information that makes viewing clear and easy to understand. But due to the age and negative damage, the film is in pretty bad shape. Grain is very much apparent and wear and tear is in all forms on this DVD. The film does remain aversely clean but when the wear and tear signs kick in (especially during reel changes) then expect dust marks, ripped black marks, brown spots and speckles. That said this is one of the cleanest version of the film I have ever seen at home and those with the VHS version should ditch that for this DVD.

There is some slight shimmering and moiré effects present in the film transfer and will make its presence felt but this is due to its NTSC limited field resolution. Also colour fidelity is very mixed. While displaying vibrancy and natural colours in certain scenes like in the main song `Do Aur Do Paanch`, moments of reddish/brown hues can be seen on other scenes. Once again this is due to the age of the print and DEI has done its best to make the film look as good as possible. It`s a shame that the producers couldn`t look after this print; after all it is a classic Indian film! The colours during the animation sequence are rather good and show no signs of any colour bleeding or over saturation. The blue background is very well handled and adds depth to viewing.

Dark and contrast details are spot on and help with the overall visuals that the film is presented on this disk.

Audio

The sound on this disc is in mono, its original format. Some light hissing can be heard during quieter moments while the dialogue is very clear and has warmth to it. The sound is never too distorted and will never dissatisfy you.

Features

The menus are average in design but has easy navigation.

Conclusion

DEI has tried its best to author a good disc but if the original source is poor and damaged for life then there`s not much one can do. At least the print comes from an original 35 mm print rather from a weaker source, which would have made the film look really bad. Kudos to DEI for doing its best! Recommended if you`re interested in the film or are a die-hard fan.