Ferrari Ki Sawaari

My son wanted to buy me an Audi for Father's Day. His exact words to my wife when she asked him what he wanted to gift me for father's day were, "Papa ki car bahut purani ho gayi, unko Audi le dete hai". Although this has nothing to do with the movie "Ferrari ki Sawaari", I mention this incident because father-son bonding (on which the movie is based) is always an exciting and emotional topic, a topic close to the heart & filled with anecdotes like the one above.

"Ferrari ki Sawaari" starts of exactly like a Ferrari with great momentum, promising to be an interesting ride with the father-son duo as the main characters. But, somewhere down the line, the movie fails to keep up the initial momentum and though a great topic it lacks the quick wit and punch-lines which is a signature of Vidhu Vinod Chopra production (Munnabhai series & 3 Idiots).

There are some great moments in the movie, like the one where Sharman Joshi's character goes to a traffic constable to pay a fine for jumping a signal which no one saw, just to show the value of honesty to his son. Or, when he breaks a piggy bank to buy a cricket bat for his son and deliver it in the middle of a match. The movie revolves around this father son (& grandfather) relationship, with central theme of cricket. In India cricket and movies always generate a larger than life response and their combination is sure to win hearts of millions of Indians. "Ferrari ki Sawaari" also exploits this formula well, added to it the emotional connect between father and son, which deliver some tear jerking moments too.

Sharman Joshi is brilliant as a middle class hardworking, sometimes helpless, father and most fathers will connect with him at some level. Ritwik as Kayo and his son delivers an impactful and subtle performance. Boman Irani as usual is in his element as a grandfather (and an ex- Ranji cricketer) who feels he has been short-changed in life.

But for me something was amiss in this whole movie which failed to make an impact and leave me with an after-taste. The plot moves a little slowly, seems dull & going around in circles at some point. Besides the 3 main characters, other characters fail to support them effectively and appear patchy at places. The much talked about Vidya Balan's item number lacks the thrust and fails to deliver.

I enjoyed the movie at places but was not able to take it back home with me.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari review :

Ferrari ki Sawaari is a sweet feel good family entertainer. Simplistic story, relatable characters, underplayed humour are some of its rare virtues. Any hiccups?!! Well, maybe the sluggish pace in second half. But that's easily excusable as the film manages to bring a smile on your face and cheer you up thoroughly. In short, good!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Rajesh Mapuskar's 'Ferrai Ki Sawaari' is a decent film, that relishes on simplicity. However, this film's actual merit is its leading man, the sinfully under-rated Sharman Joshi, who shines in his part & delivers a career best performance.

'Ferrai Ki Sawaari' Synopisis: How the pursuit of an Indian cricket legend's Ferrari makes a young boy's dreams of playing cricket at Lords a reality.

Rajesh Mapuskar & Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Screenplay is simple & uncomplicated. Its a decent story about dreams & hope. However, the writing in the first-hour, is extremely slow. Rajesh Mapsukar's Direction is noble. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are fine. Music by Pritam, is ordinary.

Performance-Wise: As mentioned, Sharman Joshi delivers a career best performance. He's excellent from start to end. Boman Irani has essayed this kinda character a number of times before, but the actor manages to impress, as always. Ritvik Sahore is a talented, sincere performer. Deepak Shirke is amazing, so is the entire supporting case. Acting Giant Paresh Rawal stuns in a cameo, while Vidya Balan's item number is energetic.

On the whole, Watch 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari' for its simplicity & Sharman Joshi's winning performance.

This is a modern day fairy story with a heart of gold. Slightly manipulative emotionally but forgivably so.

Sharman, a Parsi, chronic do-gooder, an honest RTO officer, probably below the new Parsi poverty line of Rs 90,000 pm, wants to send his son, Ritvik, to a cricket coaching camp at Lords, London. He's a cinch to get selected but the only hitch is the Rs 1.5 lac fee. Many loan rejections later, the only way out seems to be via a wedding planner, Seema . Who's willing to give him the amount as a gift if he can arrange a Ferrari for a few hours. So that a corrupt corporator's useless son can get married in it. The problem is, there is only one Ferrari in Mumbai. Belonging to Sachin Tendulkar.

Another problem is posed by Sharman's dad, Boman Irani, who hates cricket, thinks most cricketers are salesmen. And is dead against sending his grandson for the camp.

The story line is simple and thankfully remains so through the film, with possibly my only issue being with the suicide angle and the breakdown towards the end. Else, it remains light, chirpy and cheerful all the way through. The film is lit up by some very well written characters and excellent performances. The waiter at the Mumbai Cricket Association who wants an autograph because in an inconsequential match 38 years ago, the cricketer had taken 8 wickets on a dead pitch. The bumbling but good hearted security guard at Sachin's flat. Sharman's boss who informs him that the wheels of loans against Provident Fund grind correctly but exceedingly slowly. The cop nicknamed Mahatma Gandhi. The corporators dramebaaz son. The cricket coach. The bubbly wedding planner. The gun happy corporator. Sharman and Boman, who do an as expected great job. And above all, I loved the son. His smile lights up the screen and our hearts in a truly honest performance.

The background music, with the cricket song and also the title song deserving special mention. Keeps the mood effervescent through the film. Some moments, as mentioned above, and an unnecessary lavani number by Vidya Balan are the only discordant notes in the film, everything else being spot on.

The film is about our nations obsession with cricket. How it touches the hearts of millions. Of how some of our cricketers inspire a few hundred thousand to dedicate their lives to the sport. Its about the simple but sometimes forgotten values of life. Honesty. Behaving correctly. Doing good. And about something that most current newspaper headlines make us forget. That good things happen to good people

Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a joy ride, yes. But there is so much drama in this joy ride, that you stop enjoying it and wonder when it'll get over. But overall, it's a decent film. One might actually enjoy it, but it's very long and dramatic. It starts off with great intent, but becomes too much of a fantasy towards the end. It's nowhere close to the recent films from the Vidhu Vinod Chopra films (3 Idiots or the Munna Bhai series), but is a modest effort nevertheless.

Acting: 7/10 Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10 Technical Aspects: 8/10 Is it worth your time and money??: Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a movie with its heart at the right place, but it just doesn't deliver enough. It's a family movie, for kids and parents will enjoy it, but I don't think youngsters will like it so much. Unless you want to take along your parents (like I did) or kids, wait for the DVD.

For a detailed review, please visit sasikanth.me :)