Karwaan : Life is in the journey not the destination

Something about the road and while you are on it teaches you a lot. Come to think of it I think driving now has a much larger impact and place in our lives. It’s the only time in the 24 hours that we cannot look at a screen. Sure if you want to argue and say you can in GPS format or messaging but you should not. You need to have your eyes on the road along with your peripheral vision in active mode and your mind completely aware. At all times. I think this allows your mind to think and that leads to feeling things some more. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Life is a journey not a destination.’ Without the distraction of technology, you could enjoy that journey some more.

Karwaan tells a story about a son who receives a call that his father who was on a religious trip has passed away during his journey and his body is now being sent to him. Avinash played by Dulquer Salman goes to Shaukat potrayed by Irrfan Khan, for help. The two then move towards the airport to collect the body and perform the last rights only to realise the body received is not Avinash’s father’s. This sets the tone for the film and the two men now set out on a journey to fix this “technical glitch.” Tanya played by Mithila Palkar, joins them in their journey as it is her Nani’s body that they are trying to take back in the first place. What ensues is a trip where three different people are compelled to look beyond their perceptions and judgments and acknowledge the fact that different people think differently. And that is okay. Straight up, my only reason to watch the film was Irrfan Khan. And he does not disappoint. He is the reason the film gets a rustic, experienced vibe and of course the comedy in tragedy tone that the story rides on is on this man’s shoulders. A man of layers, his character is such that of an onion. The more you peel the more there is to it and the deeper you understand the essence of its being. Dulquer Salman shines in his first Hindi cinema as he sails through with his art, effortlessly depicting language is not a barrier in acting. He has brought that calm and experience in his character as well, charming his way through in a way you only realise at the end of the film. Mithila Palkar only adds to the goodness of the above actors playing the latest generation’s card to the T. Bringing a certain spunk and rebelliousness that her character emulates she is enough to cause friction and thus a story.

Running a total of 120 minutes the movie could definitely use some more snipping as it loses pace very often. And more often than not it is Irrfan Khan or Shaukat who snaps you out of your almost nap, making the dialogues the hero of the film really. The music is minimal and the travel song ‘Chota Sa Fasana’ is pleasing to the ears having a nice ring to it. Director Akarsh Khurana is also a poet thus has penned the lyrics of this one and that’s nice to know. Being a road trip oriented film, the journey has been captured nicely but could have depicted some more, if there weren’t so many angles to the story. Director Akarsh Khurana has tried something new, making it both a gutsy and risky move. Well this one has played out positive as it is refreshing to see a story without a romantic angle to it.

Karwaan is smooth and sometimes a little too much that it does allow your mind to wander off away from the screen. But then like any surprise turn, bump, pot hole or just people showing up in front of your vehicle while you drive, it brings your attention back to the story with its one-liners too. So essentially it’s the totality of the film that is to be savored rather than a climax or destination. A breezy one, not to heavy yet still remains with you after you have left the hall, Karwaan is a good watch as it makes you smile, giving you various perceptions through its varied characters all at once and tugging on your judgments that will most likely be tested.