Quite rarely, we get to see a film which sets out with seemingly no culmination to the narrative in view. True to its title, the film is a meandering long drive we often go for with no destination in mind. It opens with a young woman named Veera being kidnapped by a contract criminal in a skirmish with a rival gang on the eve of her nuptials.
What follows is a road movie, accompanied by scenic shots of the raw and rustic landscape, with every location showcasing the rough terrain, almost untouched by the hustle and bustle of urban settlement. The same can also be said of the two protagonists, Veera and Mahabir, who distance themselves from the humdrum of society and its expectations from them as the film progresses. It has most of the elements of its genre, along with the protagonists’ trip to self-discovery, except that it still gave me a sense of being on wheels long after the lights had turned on.
While some may label the relationship that Veera shares with her abductor Mahabir and her sympathy for him as Stockholm syndrome or also romantic love, the film presents us with neither. It steers clear of conventions and established tropes in relationships, something that Ali has tried to showcase in his earlier films as well. It leaves us with two leads who share an understanding that is hard to label, which is reflected in Veera’s attempt at convincing Mahabir to take her along with him.
The two leads come from disparate backgrounds. While Veera is a member of the elite, affluent and influential section of the society, Mahabir is the birth child of the depraved in it. But the contrast ends here, as both defy the stereotypes of their background and place in the world. Both find common ground in their traumatic childhood experiences, which they have been trying to put behind them for a long time and share an unspoken bond of empathy. Both find their social circles constricting and ultimately a handicap in living full-blooded lives.
The scene where Veera loses her shoes in the wide desert is poignant in how she lets go of her inhibitions and fear and accepts her new surroundings and the approaching days of nomadic abandon. Her travels reach a high point in the scene when she finally loses a sense of her former self and dances without a care in the world, as Mahabir looks on with hesitation into an uncertain future with the remote promise of freedom and peace. He observes her for much of the film, trying to come to terms with his desire to lead an unblemished life free from his difficult criminal past, but knowing all along that he would be doomed if he were to give action to his thoughts.
The film caters to and brings out the poetic sensibilities of Ali, which have also made their presence felt in his earlier work-almost to the point where the main character mouths a few couplets herself. It has a lot of spontaneous sequences which seem to not have been a part of the original script, and which form a harmonious synergy with the frames of unrefined locales explored in the film.
Bhatt has the opportunity to emote a gamut of experiences and does not fall short of the challenge, making the monologues and her private talks to herself her own, without making them appear facile and an awkward break from the long silences.
Hooda has very little lines and has to rely solely on his body language in providing an insight into his Mahabir which goes beyond the gruff exterior and irascible temper. While it’s clear from the start who the primary focus of the film is, Mahabir feels neglected, often being reduced to being a mere observer on the outside rather than a character with his own inner struggles who is confronted with an unprecedented situation. His character arc is sidelined as he is only an agent of bringing out the free-spirit that marks its heroine in the later parts.
(Spoilers)
Rehman and Ali weave the former’s score effortlessly into the narrative, enhancing the storytelling. Although the storytelling is restrained in many places, like when the audience is informed of Mahabir’s passing (which is done in a no-frills, prosaic manner), the sentiment behind the film is evident in the scenes towards the end. Slightly flawed yet earnest, it is Imtiaz Ali’s bravest and best film to date.
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