(Detail from the poster)Feel-good tearjerker that leaves you with a feeling of great warmth
Ferrari ki Sawaari is one of those feel-good tearjerkers that have you leaving the cinema with a feeling of great warmth. Directed by Neeraj Vora and produced by successful showbiz maverick, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the movie has a good combination of great cinematics, superb acting and powerful, touching moments.
The film stars Sharman Joshi, well known for his role as Raju in the record-breaking blockbuster 3 Idiots which still remains the highest international grossing Bollywood movie in history, earning him a best supporting actor award at the prestigious IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards). His outstanding emotive acting is no different in this movie as he delivers to us the role of a happy-go-luck yet caring father, Rusy, who is mightily attentive to the needs of his son Kayo (Ritwik Sahore).
Kayo is an extremely gifted young boy who has an exceptional talent and passion for cricket, enough to earn him a chance to play at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. This comes with a hefty price tag, however, too expensive for his single dad Rusy who drives a little scooter and has an unglamorous job in the government transport office. After a chance meeting with a faintly boisterous wedding planner called Babboo Didi (Seema Pahawa), Rusy ends up attempting to borrow the Ferrari of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for a client of hers in order to earn the money for his son’s trip. However, things do not go as planned and result in interesting circumstances for this usually congenial, law-abiding citizen who now borders on being a criminal!
Despite its common, feel-good movie structures like the grumpy, old man who eventually changes and the over-zealous helpful elder, the movie succeeds in taking us through a beautiful journey of love between a father and son. There is a certain degree of magic present brought about by superb moments of editing that flow, sometimes almost having a life of its own. These moments are more technical in nature and have less to do with the plot, which sometimes gives too much attention to less significant characters.
The movie diverges slightly from mainstream Bollywood with the complete absence of a heroine. The most featured female face we see is in the supporting role of Babboo Didi whose character is used to create comedy, producing chuckles from the audience. About a minute is devoted to the deceased mother of Kayo who is dreamily depicted as a loving mother in a brief flashback that Rusy has, though she is not focused on afterwards. Ultimately, this movie focuses on paternal bonds and dreams with side themes of friendship and betrayal, which occur in the life of Rusy’s grouchy father, wonderfully played by Boman Irani.
Despite drawing subject matter from cricket, the movie is not a sport movie but it will have a wide appeal to those who love the game. The passion of young Kayo is undoubtedly that of many young boys in India and all around the world who live and breathe the sport and undoubtedly dream of a chance to represent their country.
Most of the music in the movie has elements of light-hearted, fun or breezy in it with a slight touch of mischievous added by the friendly appearance of well-known actress, Vidya Balan, in her sassy performance of the song Mala Jau De. While there might not be any absolute smash hits produced by the album, it still does a good job of complementing the feel of the movie.
This movie is a good, positively cathartic journey into love and can be enjoyed for the tender emotions that it stirs within us as well as its lovely and dreamy cinematography that delicately transports us into a different space. It has both substance and charm, mainly brought about by its magnificent acting, making it a piece of work not to be missed. – Viresh Prahalath
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