Road, Movie: A review

A smart, crisp script makes Road, Movie a welcome change from the usual fare. It’s fresh and thought-provoking, minus the melodrama.

iPod-toting Vishnu (Abhay Deol) is wedged in a hair oil-selling family. All he wants is to escape the reach of Atma tel’s malodours. The opportunity soon presents itself. Driving a friend’s antique cinema truck across the sands of Kutch, Vishnu leaves for an unnamed city by the sea. Stacked at the back of the truck are a few cartons of hair oil nestled in the hope that the rebellious heir apparent might deign to sell some. The oil will come in handy on the way – just not in the way Vishnu’s father hopes.

Thus begins Road, Movie. An apt name in that Dev Benegal’s latest is a textbook road film. Plus, it’s about life on the road where cinema offers the breaks. Vishnu sets off in the antique Chevy truck, picking up passengers along the way – a smart-mouth dhaba boy (Mohammed Faizal) with big dreams, a big-hearted mechanic (Satish Kaushik) and a banjaran girl (Tannishtha Chatterjee), the love interest. On the way, there are villains – a cop that is lulled by cinema, thirst that threatens to usurp life, and jal dakus (water bandits) that must be contained.

Eventually life must get off the road – but only after friendships have been forged, understandings have been reached. By the end of it all, Vishnu might even allow a tel malish and champi.

In terms of performance, Abhay Deol as Vishnu is dependable as usual. Tannishtha Chatterjee shines as the banjaran. And when she sings to the skies, you can’t help getting goose bumps. You wish she looked a little more Rajasthani, though. Mohammed Faisal as the fast-talking dhaba boy is wonderful in the early banters with Abhay. But the one to watch out for is Satish Kaushik as the wise and endearing mechanic who travels wearing all his clothes and is headed to the mela.

The antique truck too is a character in itself – hogging screen space for most of the film. And the art direction team should score full points for it. Bright blue with Mere Jeevan Saathi scrawled on one door, Chalte Chalte on another, it doesn’t get more filmy. And cinema plays an important role here – becoming a magical escape for locals, and on a different level, for the travellers.

Cinema binds all the characters together – the city slicker, the locals, the water bandits. As does water. One of the most touching scenes is when the travellers finally quench their thirst after hours of scouring the desert for water. And as you imagine the amount of water wasted daily, guilt pangs are sure to rise.

One of the highlights of the film is seeing the desert through the lens of cinematographer Michel Amathieu. Kutch has perhaps never looked as beautiful as in Dev Benegal’s latest film. Particularly arresting is the scene where the banjaran girl is first spotted, her dark robes billowing against the wind. Spirit or human, victim or villain, you wonder, half expecting her to be a mirage against the sands.

Sadly, a sluggish pace outweighs the positives. As the rickety truck trudges on, you find yourself asking, “Are we there yet?” What could have been a fast-paced adventure fails to grip as the camera remains focused on the unending roads ahead. In fact, when the magical mela finally arrives, pulsating with crowds and lights and music, it’s a welcome break from the monotony of the road. Quicker narration could’ve helped the film considerably.

Yet, even a day after the movie, some scenes continue to haunt. Like that of the banjaran women travelling miles in search of a water source, and the one where Tannishtha’s character teaches the travellers to treasure each gulp. And when you next sight a roadside tubewell dripping water, it is these cinematic moments that reverberate once again.


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