Lifestyle Buzz

Dodging the wrath of scheming policemen and brutal water dacoits, they reach the mela - a place of merriment that bears metaphorical significance in the context of the film. As they unfold the magic of the moving cinema before the deprived inhabitants of parched lands, they celebrate life as guests and hosts in the same breath. Amidst the hullabaloo, Vishnu also finds time for some forbidden pleasures with the banjaran. The sudden death of the ageing mechanic ends the sojourn on a poignant note. Vishnu is back again on his beaten path, apparently aerated with the respite.

If the film leaves you mesmerized, it’s for the awesome cinematography - a splendid documentary on life in its naked splendor - vast wastelands, dusty terrain, ramshackle food joints, vacuumed faces, bustling fairs … Else, the story moves just like the vintage truck, suffering abrupt stops from time to time.

Of the cast, Satish Kaushik clocks another incredible portrayal. The vulnerability of hope, the facade of cheer, the futility of penance and the impermanence of life - his face weaves many a tale in the given footage …he adds great depth to the otherwise rundown narrative. He is ably supported by Mohammed Faisal, the kid ripe with insights more than his exposure permits.    

Abhay Deol is well known for his offbeat tastes and maverick ways - but does that condone his mediocre acting. His face is unmoved throughout the journey. Bobby, if not Sunny, could have done a better job for sure. Tannishtha is highly unconvincing as the gypsy girl.  For a Banjaran, her ways seem quite refined, so is her love making.

There are many silly frames competing for the crown - like the one in which Vishnu humbles the water mafia don with a sermon on hair-oiled masculinity, leaving the brutal don tamed …to allow a barter between oil and water. Or the banjaran who sings in a dialect but speaks surprisingly fluent Hindi.

With a bright English August behind him, director Dev Benegal had his possibilities split wide open. But the road that he’s taken leads him nowhere in particular. That it’s less travelled is hardly an escape route.