Chef: Saif Ali Khan's earnest performance takes the cake in this visually beautiful film

Can I just say — I really like Saif Ali Khan. Not to sound like I’m talking about a crush, but on one of Kareena Kapoor’s umpteen appearances on Koffee with Karan, she mentioned that Saif has that rare combination of mental and physical stimulation. And I get her. The most recent example of what she’s referring to, was Vishal Bhardwaj’s Rangoon — a misunderstood film that bombed at the box office. Not only does Saif look dapper in the film, he possibly bagged the best performance too. This makes a film like Chef even more important. It could be a make-or-break film for Saif, who has a bunch of (what most people will call) offbeat films lined up. [caption id=“attachment_4113447” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] From the poster for Chef[/caption] Chef begins with a background story of a younger Saif, Roshan Kalra — a Chandni Chowk boy who stays in an overbearing joint family. His father wants him to be a doctor, but food is his first love. He runs away from home at 15. So far, so predictable. However, cut to many years later, Roshan is in New York, and has pursued his dream. He is a chef in a fancy restaurant but his ambitions are hidden under his ego. The wondrous boy with dreams in his eyes, has turned into a man with anger issues and adulting woes. We are shown that he has a strained relationship with his ex-wife and son. Roshan Kalra is stuck in a rut. His ideas aren’t fresh anymore, and he’s at a point where a passion for food alone isn’t helping him. We relate, Saif, we do. Since I’ve see Jon Favreau’s Chef, it’s evident while that a lot is similar in the two films — this is an official adaptation — there’s a lot that’s different as well. For starters, the focus of this film dives straight into Roshan Kalra, therefore giving Saif the chance to show his acting abilities (whereas I took our time to fall in love with Jon in the original Chef, an understated film for the most part). Sobhita Dhulipala plays Scarlett Johansen’s character (well cast I must say), Roshan’s sous chef, but she’s also his shoulder to cry on. A beautiful relationship that doesn’t feel the need to define itself — this dynamic is missing from Bollywood’s done-to-death cliched supporting characters. When he gets fired from his job for misbehaving with a customer, she comes to comfort him and voila, we finally see the first plate of food. Creamy, white fettuccine that looks bland. But I’m guessing this is the point? We’re supposed to be on a food journey, so it’s obvious that this is the part of the film where Saif’s character is finding himself. Bland fettucine shall give way to tasty fettucine in no time, I suppose. But his food woes are interspersed with his issues as a father. His relationship with his son is awkward, to say the least. However, with not much reason to stay on, Roshan decides to head to India to be with his son. Chef unwinds slowly; it’s yet to pull me in, but I’m getting there. We then meet Radha (the effervescent Padmapriya), Roshan’s ex wife — a Malayali girl living in Kochi, where she raises their son, Arman, alone. The north-south divide has been explored to maximum comic affect and Saif’s charming comic timing shines in these parts. Saif and Padmapriya have realistic chemistry; their conversations flow freely and effortlessly. On rediscovering his love for his family, Saif decides to stay for longer than he anticipated. And here’s what finally hooked me — the visuals of Saif and Svar Kamble (who plays the son Arman) on a house boat in Alleppey with the beautiful backdrop of Kerala. The film has been beautifully shot. Thankfully Raja Krishna Menon doesn’t exploit Roshan’s mid life crisis to make the film more dramatic. We are told instead, that Radha is travelling for work and needs Roshan to take care of Arman. Incidentally, she also has a special friend who’s hunky enough to give any man a complex. Just on cue, Roshan’s fatherly instincts rise and he decides to embark on a food adventure with his son — good call. Let the food party begin! The fact that his son has never tasted the famous Chandni Chowk chole bhature is all the ammo Roshan needs to fly Arman to Delhi. A quick note to praise the dialogue writer of Chef — the words in the film are as crisp and deep as the visuals. But while I’m sinking further and further into Saif Ali Khan’s charm, here’s my biggest grouse — where’s the food? Yes, we get glimpses of idiappam, aloo tikki, and mouth watering Amritsari langar, but Chef so far is more about Saif’s character’s growth and his relationship with his son, than with his relationship with food. By mid-point, Roshan faces the biggest challenge of his life so far. Should he take up the offer of starting a food truck, and reinvent himself, or stay in this rut? Your questions are answered in the second half — thankfully filled with far less talking/exploring and far more food. Running a food truck is no joke, but we finally see a spark in Roshan. Chef takes its time to unfold but the pace is now different. The focus has shifted from character building to food-building. And it’s in the pursuit of good food, that Chef truly comes into its own. Chandan Roy Sanyal plays an old friend who joins Roshan and Arman in setting up the food truck. Their camaraderie is endearing. In a generation obsessed with Masterchef (guilty as charged), we had nothing back home to fawn over. Chef fills that space for us woke millennials — it explores concepts of food, reinvention, passion and thriving/constantly being creative in an age of over information. Saif carries the film well, and is at the center of a talented supporting cast. And while we wish there was more food to love and see in the film, Chef is a refreshing change from the usual Friday fare from Bollywood. It’s a smart, well-crafted film that’s shot beautifully. And coming from a director who’s last outing was Airlift, this is no mean feat. Watch the trailer for Chef here:

(This is a first-impression review of Chef_. Stay tuned to_ Firstpost.com for the full movie review, by Anna Vetticad)