Movie Review : Ferrari ki Sawaari

[amazon_link id=”B008C7P4PY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Rating : 3/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2012
Running time : 2 hours 20 minutes
Director : Rajesh Mapuskar
Cast : Sharman Joshi, Ritwik Sahore, Boman Irani, Seema Bhargava, Paresh Rawal, Satyadeep Mishra
Kid rating : PG

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s reputation precedes him. Yes, that reputation – the one of making good, sensible little films. With Ferrari ki Sawaari though I’m disappointed – it is a decent enough film, given that crap abounds, but isn’t a comedy or even very believable. Also since it was touted as kid-friendly, I was expecting a carefree, fun-loving romp. It isn’t that.

The film has a simple enough story – three generations of Parsi men – a boy, his dad, and his grandfather live their busy lives in Mumbai. The boy Kayoze Rustom Deboo (Ritwik Sahore) is a promising cricket player and his clerk father Rusy (Sharman Joshi) tries to send him to the very best schools and coaching he can afford. Of course Kayo is selected for a summer camp at Lord’s, London and the fee is 1.5 lakhs, very much above what Rustom can cobble together.

By chance Rustom meets Babbu didi (Seema Bhargava of Hum Log fame), a wedding planner who needs a Ferrari for a politician’s son’s wedding. A Ferrari isn’t a common car, but Sachin Tendulkar does own one, and Babbu didi on realizing Rusy’s cricket connections (Rusy’s dad has once played in the Ranji Trophy) asks him to arrange for the loan of Tendulkar’s Ferrari. If Rusy succeedes Babbu didi promises to pay him the 1.5 lakh he needs.Of course Rusy knows the impossibility of the situation, it’s not like he’ll saunter upto Tendulkar’s doorstep and they’ll hand him the keys . . .

On the face of it, this is the kind of saccharine sweet drama, full of those much vaunted family values, that we desis are so proud of. So yeah, if you take it as it comes, take the emotional drama in your stride, you will not walk out displeased. It is a clean film, cleanly told, and families can watch it en masse (just be a wary of Vidya’s lascivious winks in the “Mala zhau de” wedding number). The hero of the film Rusy, the sensitive dad of our story, is a good man, trying to live his life as an example to his son. So he insists on paying a traffic fine when he inadvertently runs a red light even though no traffic policeman is around to catch him, he is unflinchingly honest and patient and a good samaritan to boot. The son adores his dad and vice versa.

Of course bad things happen to these very good people, and the contrast is between the oh-so-good-people and oh-so-wicked-world. Rusy’s character is overdone – he is good, so good that essentially he is a misfit in a chalta-hai, corrupt world. When I see the overdone-ness of his character I dismiss any notions of realistic cinema – we are now in fantasyland. Then when the good, honest person has bad done to him, I’m almost obligated to root for him. I say obligated because this is a fantasy anyway; rooting for this fantastical character does not move me. And that’s my problem with this film – it does not move me or engage with me. Has Rusy been a believable character I might have been more involved. As it is, I resent the forced mushiness/contrived emotional drama – why can’t film-makers be braver than this ? Why stick to this formulaic, predictable, cliched story-telling ?

All that said, there are a few things that were done well. Rusy’s dialog about setting an example for his son touched a chord. The father-son relationship between Rusy and Kayo is hard not to like inspite of melancholic Rusy – Kayo is a smiley, sunny kid with more gumption than his dad. I must commend Ritwik Sahore on his performance. Seema Bhargava as the wedding planner and Boman Irani as the elder Deboo are superb. Sharman Joshi as Rusy cuts a rather piteous figure; he smiles wide when he is happy and he smiles wide when he is sad – one heck of a repressed character. There is a more interesting film in here, and it is called “Rusy ko gussa kyon aata hai?” – Mr. Chopra please make that one, I’ll buy a ticket.

Kidwise : Family-friendly, mostly. I’m a little perturbed at the need for an “item number” for this film, but it does have one – that is why I rate it PG and not G.