Celebrating Seven Years of Karwaan: Akarsh Khurana’s Endearing Road Movie

Akarsh Khurana directs ‘Karwaan,’ a film that attempts to find humor in mortality. Despite some pacing concerns, the film is generally not offensive. The story takes detours, exemplified by Dulquer’s character, Avinash, a frustrated office employee with dreams of leaving his job to pursue photography. The film is similar to ‘Kodachrome,’ a Netflix film about a father-son road trip. In ‘Karwaan,’ the father is deceased when the film starts, and he opposed his son’s photography aspirations. Discussions on digital versus actual photography from ‘Kodachrome’ are included in the film. Khurana offers a fresh perspective on estrangement and reconciliation. Irrfan’s character, Shaukat, a Muslim car dealer, is a highlight because of his candid nature. Irrfan has several memorable scenes, including a wedding scene and instances where he makes Hindi jokes. His interaction with a woman wearing a burqa is a noteworthy performance. The music seems misplaced, and the pacing suffers after the midpoint. The film’s compassion for its characters is what makes it enjoyable. The film has touching scenes, such as a woman pointing out the wrong coffin. Director Akarsh Khurana reflects on the film’s impact, recalling his work with Irrfan and appreciating Dulquer’s contribution.