Karwaan review: Quirky road movie with a wink of wisdom

Karwaan

Hindi (U/A)

Cast: Irrfan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Rating: Two and a half stars

Dulquer plays a techie in Bengaluru, with a boring job and a barking boss. Not much of a social creature, his after hours are mostly spent brooding over a plate of noodles in a corner of his accommodation.

A man of few words, Dulquer has an unlikely company in Irrfan, a workshop owner with a mouth bursting with profanities. Our Mr Judgemental is also equipped with a pair of eyes that get easily scandalised by a girl in shorts. And contempt brims over if she reaches for a drink.

The two actors, pitched at the opposite ends of the behavioural graph, give great mileage to this small, unassuming road movie. And the fact that Dulquer knows how to effectively underplay a character helps Karwaan stay true to its humble moorings.

Dulquer boasts an impressive bibliography down south, with a string of offbeat gems. And it’s no surprise that the Malayalam star, who often gravitates to films sans frills, picked a small vehicle for his Hindi launch. Here, as a man of average existence, Dulquer brings to life the everyday pathos of youth. And Irrfan is the best he could ask for to bring out the contrast.

The two are tasked with delivering a wrong body to the right address, but end up doing a post-mortem of their own lives. Both are joined by Mithila Palkar, the flagbearer of today’s Instagram generation, whose idea of "cool" is strictly sex, smoke and booze.

All the three have issues in the "father-wala department". And that's the only common thread. The rest of the time, the quirky bunch (all formidable in their own respect) manufactures some pearls of wisdom amid some self-realisation.

Of course, there are a few bumps, but on the whole, Karwaan makes for a pleasant road trip.