Carwaan

They refused to make the cheap pun, so I did!

ALRIGHT - Let's get down to it.

I've actually been waiting for this movie ever since the trailer came out! It seemed weirdly Piku-esque and the cast recommended itself almost immediately. (This has NOTHING to do with Dulquer Salman and his adorable face.)

The story is about Avinash (Salman), whose father dies in a bus accident and how he deals with it. His father's body is sent to someone else and he receives someone else's dead body instead.

So, he sets off with Shaukat (Irrfan) and Tanya (Mithila Palkar) to exchange the body with his father's.

This is essentially a road trip film - where three people are thrown together and they all end up learning something more about themselves.

First of all, let me mention, it is set in South India - this is something I appreciate and LOVE, because frankly, I'm tired of every road trip movie being set in the snow or in exotic locales. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are captured BEAUTIFULLY, through the small towns and the local flavour. The cinematographer, Avinash Arun has done a brilliant job bringing us into the quaint little corners of the southern states we occasionally ignore. But, when you tear yourself away from the gorgeous locale, the story rings true too. All three main characters face issues with their fathers, issues they can't confront them about anymore, and they learn to forgive and grow with each other by communicating.

Personally, I felt like the set up for the story was a bit hurried. Establishment of Shaukat and Tanya as a friend and an individual felt a little incomplete. Some of the scenes that should have indicated the closeness or connection between Avinash and the other two seemed a little forced. Individually, the actors have performed very well. Dulquer Salman, thankfully, chose a quieter, more sensible film as a debut, which is a novelty, and teaches us to expect more from him in the future. Mithla Palkar, who has been gracing our mobile and laptop screens in web series for years is quite apt and comfortable in her character. Irrfan, who has been more open to humorous characters since Piku, unleashes all his comedic potential, with great one lines and fun commentary. His portrayal of a clown with a vulnerable side, is very VERY well done and the constant laughs can easily be credited to his delivery and charm.

The music in the film is a surprise. It did not receive a big release and there wasn't exactly a party song launched - but it grabs the attention of the watcher. It should find itself on your Saavn playlist. When I say 'your', I of course mean my mother's, because nobody else is reading this review. But the music really stands out with its dabbling in the Malayalam rap/ lyrics and playing around with local instruments mixed with beats.

All in all, i would give it a rating of 3/5 - it holds its own in a heavy weekend with Fanney Khan, Dhadak and Mission Impossible fighting for a spot. It is DEFINITELY worth watching at least once, if only for Dulquer Salman's unbelievably cute face. (That goes for all the guy movie goers too. You're not gay, he's just that cute.)