Review: 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari ' is a full family entertainment flick

Film: Ferrari Ki Sawaari
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Ritwik Sahore
Director: Rajesh Mapuskar
Rating: ***1/2

Having worked previously as assistant director on films like 3 Idiots and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, a simple feel-good flick with a message was what was expected out of Rajesh Mapuskar, and that's exactly what he delivers.

Cricket, Ferrari and the adventures of a middle class Parsi family is what this film revolves around. Ferrari ki... has a lot going on for itself on the surface. An interesting story line, a strong cast and of course the whole suspense involving whether or not Sachin Tendulkar will grace the film with his presence, is going to draw in huge crowds.

Any film with a comic element tends to venture into the realms of ridiculous, but in the spirit of the genre you just go with it. Rustam (Sharman Joshi), or Rusy as he is called by all, is an RTO officer and a damn straight one at that. As a doting father his life’s sole purpose is to make his son Kayo’s (Ritwik Sahore) dream of becoming a cricketer come true. This ever-smiling father-son duo live with a grumpy yet sweet old grandpa Deboo (Boman Irani) who spends his days watching TV and cracking peanuts.

When Kayo is given an opportunity to go to London to be part of a prestigious cricket camp, Rusy takes it upon himself to somehow get hold of the large fee of Rs1.5 lakhs in order to send him to London. Thus begins a crazy ride (or sawaari if you prefer) to get the money by “borrowing” Sachin Tendulkar’s Ferrari for a few hours in order to loan it to an MLA for a wedding. The events lead to one crisis after another and amidst all this, you come across way too many clichés, but if I make another peep about the plot I would be entering serious spoilers territory.

The connection between the Sachin’s Ferrari and a child’s desire to go to London and attend a cricket camp seems a bit farfetched, but then again in the spirit of the genre...

The best part about Ferrari ki... is its sincere performances. It’s not a star-studded ensemble but when you have such simple characters, you don’t really need one. Joshi is adorable as the honest and kind-hearted Rustam. Boman Irani is downright brilliant as a crabby old bawa and is successful in drawing out many laughs throughout the film. Sahore too is quite cute and does well as little Kayo.

Apart from the main caste there are many colourful characters without whom the film would not be half as entertaining. Seema Bhargava as the loud-mouthed wedding planner, is just hilarious and owns every scene she is in. The security guard who lets Sachin Tendulkar’s Ferrari just roll out of the gates without any question is another one to look out for.

The background score of the film can be described in one word, 'happy'. The music is upbeat and makes you want to jump up, throw your hands in the air and do a tapori street dance right there in the theatre. That said, the film could have easily done away with Mala Jau De and the title track Ferrari Ki Sawaari. Vidya Balan’s Lavani item number has been generating much buzz but it adds nothing to the film and in fact comes as an unwelcome pause in an otherwise decently paced film. The title track going ffff... rrrrrr... dekho ferrari is just plain annoying.

All these factors combined with a tear-jerker of an ending makes Ferrari Ki Sawaari a full family entertainment flick. It is a good way to spend your weekend and definitely your money’s worth.