If you are not into offbeat films, you may want to give this movie review a pass.

I have always been a fan of Abhay Deol, and look forward to his films. Maybe that’s because his movies can be harsh, in an in-your-face kind of way, and can also be very close to reality at other times. Dev D and Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye are two of his movies I’m referring to here. It was after these movies were released that I started following his movies. But, I digress… back to the movie review.

Road, Movie is based on a journey taken by Vishnu (Abhay Deol).

During his journey Vishnu goes through different emotions. At times he is having fun, at times he lusts. Vishnu learns that he should share, goes through a phase of feeling hopeless, and displays quick thinking through the course of the movie. Every dialogue in the movie is meaningful, and it takes a while to get to the deeper meaning of each sentence. Vishnu’s dad runs a small business of selling hair oil. This hair oil would become a key life saving element for Vishnu towards the end of the movie. Vishnu gets hold of an old Chevrolet Truck which contains all the equipments necessary for screening a movie. He does not intend to show movies to people, but circumstances force him to.

There are some breathtaking shots in the movie, shot in Rajasthan. Every scene looks so well composed, and aesthetically superb. Innovative camera angles and locations made me feel I was watching a movie of international standards. So, not surprisingly, the movie has been nominated for many awards. The slow pace, with excellent dialogue interspersed with patches of silence in between, and lots of things unsaid and left for the viewer to imagine just adds to that extra element of creativity.

The background score is awesome, and with not much song and dance the director has ensured that the focus is not lost. The movie touches upon various social issues like the water problem, the law and order situation, and the way women are living in the deserts of India. Like I said, the movie just touches upon these issues and these do not form the central theme, as Vishnu tries to complete his journey of 6 days.

Abhay Deol has been very well supported by Satish Kaushik, and Tannishtha chatterjee. There is also a child actor in the movie, Mohammed Faizal Usmani, who is brilliant. I have always seen Satish Kaushik doing comedy roles, and hence the role of a burly mechanic, wearing filthy clothes, and being serious, was refreshing to see. It was the first time that I was watching Tannishtha and I liked how she played the role of a Rajasthani widow. She can actually act and it is about time that our directors started using such actresses.

Road, Movie is an off beat movie that is a superb combination of creativity and acting at its best. Thank you Dev Benegal.

Rating: 4/5