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.

To start with FERRARI KI SAWAARI may not be a perfect film since it does have its flaws including its over length and few avoidable scenes & songs. But ignoring its weak points the film is indeed "One of the Best FAMILY movies of 2012" which even reminds you of another perfect family entertainer, 3 IDIOTS presented by the same production house.

The film obviously revolves around the subject of Cricket and A Ferrari, yet it's not entirely a SPORTS movie as you might be thinking. On the contrary, it is a film based on relationship between a father, a son and a grandfather. In poetic words it's a film based on cricket where the team consists of only 3 players and the rest all are simply cheering for them in their own unique ways.

FKS firstly becomes an enjoyable experience for everyone because of its emotional theme which talks about the most untouched or tense relationship in a middle class family that is between a father and his son. It enlightens a young father about how to bring in more positivity into this important bonding taking it onto a different level altogether.

Secondly it very importantly teaches you the value of Forgiveness when a person simply forgets and forgives his dear friend for having played a dirty game with him (ruining his entire life), arising out of professional jealousy & greed. And I rate a particular scene in the film, between Boman & Paresh as one of the best scenes of current times, capable of teaching you the art of forgiveness in just a few seconds.

Thirdly but most importantly, FKS actually gets converted into a worth watching film because of its two flawless performances by Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani wherein they both quietly surpass their own benchmarks set in their other famous masterpiece 3 IDIOTS. Sharman Joshi is simply exceptional in his simple yet impressive performance of an honest father. He infuses great positive energy in the entire film, especially in the opening and last 15 minutes when you honestly cannot stop falling in love with his character on screen. Complimenting him beautifully there is Boman Irani who undoubtedly is one of the most talented character actors in Hindi Film Industry at present. Boman simply takes over from Sharman like a relay race post intermission and delivers an even better performance than his 3 Idiots. Completing the trio is Ritwik Sahore, the kid who despite of being placed in front of such great actors, superbly makes his presence felt with elegance. Further, this team of 3 gets great encouragement from a brilliant supporting cast lead by Seema Pahwa, who is superb as the wedding planner and completely steals the show in many of her scenes.

Paresh Rawal is bang on in his short cameo and so are the other actors contributing a lot in the overall impact of the film. Cinematography adds to the excitement related with the Ferrari along with a fine background score. But musically, Pritam is just OK with nothing great as one does not remember the songs once out of the theater. The tag line of the review calls it a 'near perfect' film since FKS does have few weaker moments in its narration which could have been tackled in a better manner.

For instance the complete side track of a corrupt politician and his son's wedding seems to be a bit over the top with many cardboard like characters. The plot also takes too many liberties with the Ferrari moving freely on the roads without being noticed and the song with the car flying in the air in reality looks absurd and avoidable. As seen in many earlier movies on cricket, the scenes featuring the game once again remain the weakest ones. Like, how can one look for hitting the wickets when the ball is being pitched way outside the off-stump (when Boman is bowling to his grandson)? Now as mentioned before, Why I would like to ignore these drawbacks in totality? That's because we all lack one major feature in our lives which is called POSITIVE THINKING and FKS is full of the same positivity we all are looking for. We don't get to see such positive films too often and that doesn't mean that it is a 'weepy movie' at all. The film has a father and his son living their lonely life with a great positive attitude, people or neighbors helping out each other in the times of need and it even has good policemen, miles away from the routine kind of men on duty seen in every other film.

Keeping that in mind, FERRARI KI SAWAARI is indeed one of the best FAMILY films of 2012. It is a fine first time attempt by director Rajesh Mapuskar backed by the same talented men (Vidhu Vinod Chopra & Raj Kumar Hirani), who gave us Munna Bhai films and 3 Idiots. So that should be another big reason why it deserves to be seen by all.

This movie is a must watch for all. There's a lot to learn from it. I had not much expectations from this movie but it throbbed by heart. Since it's Vidhu Vinod Chopra's script i gave it a try. Sharman Joshi(Rusy) played it good. it deliberately inspires you, the movie teaches lay people about how to set an example to our children especially single fathers who raise kids all by themselves. Few scenes may bring tears, this movie is about how a struggling dad tries to full fill his son's dream. Paresh Raval has played a villain's role in this movie. In-spite of the movie having no romance triangle like any other Hindi movies but it delivery is outstanding. I assure you that it wont be disappointing-Ferrari Ki Sawaari I reckon families to watch this movie. it' 7.5/10

An aspiring cricketer son Kayo (Ritwik Sahore) and his completely pessimist grandfather Deboo (Boman Irani); Rustam (Sharman Joshi) lives in a small world with a big dream that he and his son have seen together; to send Kayo to Lords, London, for cricket-training and finally get him into the Indian cricket team. The only hurdle in front of him is the 1.5 lac rupees that he has to collect for his son's trip. Here, comes the 'Ferrari' into picture as the most unexpected and the best ever help. But with it, comes another grand adventure in the life of Rustam.

Rajkumar Hirani's latest offer Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a must watch this season. The simple yet powerful storyline, the strong characters (even the supporting actors are commendable), and of course, the dashing and the dazzling red beauty Ferrari; the Vidhu-Raju magic has worked again.

Sharman Joshi as the simpleton and the clean hearted widower becomes the show stealer of the movie with his stupendous performance. He perfectly fitted into the middle class family scenario wherein he is the only bread winner. He entirely carried the movie in the best way possible and he could finally say that this is his solo lead.

Boman Irani, as the totally pessimist father who later turns out to be the soft hearted grandpa, showcased another of his commendable performances.

Young Ritwik gave an impressive performance as the mature and understanding son, Kayo. Paresh Rawal shined in his small yet intense role.

Director Rajesh Mapuskar did a great job by introducing a different story that actually moves you. The father-son relations between two different generations and the level of understanding, really grip you throughout the movie. Though certain scenes seem to be a little unwanted, they are soon overshadowed by the brillinat scenes later. Sachin Tendulkar's invisible importance in the movie is unavoidable.

Though the music does not play much of an importance in the movie, it is enjoyable. You might even forget that Vidya had made a friendly appearance in the movie.

Watch Ferrari Ki Sawaari for Sharman Joshi and his adventurous ride with the Ferrari.

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.