Will Karwaan help Bollywood realise the untapped potential of road-trip films as a compelling storytelling device?

RSVP’s upcoming release, Karwaan feels breezy and profound. With a fresh and promising cast of Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar, this film is a pure road trip movie — not a genre that Hindi films have explored extensively. Sure, there have been journey films with Imtiaz Ali becoming the poster boy of this space. But a road trip movie, where hurdles, roadblocks and bumpy rides that one faces for real become key to the film’s development and emergence, are pretty rare. Karwaan promises this in its trailer and therefore, intrigues. Its humour is lighthearted but it is also a journey of self-discovery and one’s unexplored relationship with a parent. [caption id=“attachment_4468991” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Mithila Palkar, Dulquer Salmaan and Irrfan Khan in Karwaan. Image via Twitter[/caption] Road trip movies are almost a genre within themselves in Hollywood and international cinema. They range from comic to touching to scary to, simply, engaging stories for everyone. Here in India, we had Piku by Shoojit Sircar, where the film’s lead characters make discoveries about each other during a journey; and Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met, where the challenges of a journey bring out the best in its characters. Navdeep Singh’s NH10 — generously drawing from Eden Lake — is a scary road trip film that felt relevant to true crime in Haryana. The pure road trip film though is more evolved in Hollywood. Perhaps this has something to do with America’s fantastic roads, which allow for endless long rides down beautiful highways, motorways and freeways. Only now, in the past five to seven years, do we have stretches of road where an Indian film can flourish. No wonder Karwaan chose South India where driving is quite pleasurable and mostly safe. As for road trip movies in Hollywood, there are plenty. Some are worth recounting as these stories continue to remain relevant, and if adapted well, can become engaging films in India. Thelma & Louise is the first film that comes to mind. Now considered a feminist classic, the film follows the unforeseen attempted rape and abuse of Thelma and its aftermath. When her friend Louise violently shoots the perpetrator, their relaxing weekend trip becomes a journey to escape — both from the law and from their realities. Their second crime when they blow up a truck — — because of its abusive driver — shows intent to punish those who cross a line. The film’s uncompromising stand of women standing up against abuse rings true to India today. Getting harassed or abused is fairly common for Indian women who drive on city roads; and incidents of rape and molestation on deserted stretches of highway are frequently reported. The film’s anti abuse stance rings true till date. [caption id=“attachment_4718651” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise. Image via Twitter[/caption] Not many know that Steven Spielberg made his directing debut with a road trip movie, Duel, in 1971. Made for television (ABC Network to be precise) it was his first full-fledged feature film as director. Starring Dennis Weaver, the film is an edge-of-the-seat thriller with barely any dialogue and just focused on a man’s escape from gruesome death by dodging a gigantic truck that inexplicably seeks to crash into his car and kill him. The film leaves little room to think and is quite brilliant, establishing that all one needs is a good road and a solid sense of filmmaking to make a good thriller. Films based on road trips don’t always explore morbid subjects. Karwaan belongs in the space where emotions are brought to the fore through casual conversation. Hollywood has examples of similar films. Sam Mendes made Away We Go, an indie about an educated, young couple in America seeking to discover the best place to bring up their unborn child. A simple exploration of the lives of the people they know and their relationships, their self-discovery in the films ends as they learn that home is where you build one for yourself. In a similar vein is the touching Nebraska by Alexander Payne. Critically acclaimed, this film tackles the poignancy of an ageing father who drives off to collect a sweepstakes prize to the state of Nebraska. By accompanying his father, the son understands what it means to lose a sense of independence and their relationship strengthens without a lot being said. It’s a family film structured on the nuances of a father-son relationship. Payne also made Sideways with Paul Giametti and Thomas Haden Church, celebrating a mismatched friendship while driving through wine country in California. Funny, witty and sad in equal parts, Sideways is a tribute to middle aged buddies seeking fulfillment beyond their lives gone by. Barry Levinson’s Rain Man, made in 1988, is the most touching portrayal of estranged brotherhood where they discover affection and kinship during the course of a journey. In the film, Tom Cruise’s character starts off hoping to use his challenged but gifted brother (played by Dustin Hoffman) to his advantage. As they drive through different places, he discovers that he cares for his brother and they develop a close bond. The best example of a road trip film actually being a typical family drama is Little Miss Sunshine. Capturing contemporary American reality, this is a story about a dysfunctional family where unemployment, financial strain and broken relationships are left behind to bring alive a child’s dream. Their journey to help their little daughter win Little Miss Sunshine unites them all. Battling their dysfunctionalities that they discover accidentally through the drive from New Mexico to California, they join Olive, their little girl, as she delivers an outrageous burlesque dance performance onstage as a show of unity. [caption id=“attachment_4718571” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A still from Dil Chahta Hai. Image via Twitter[/caption] In international cinema, a classic that is both beautiful and profound is Motorcycle Diaries. Starring Gael Garcia Barnal, Walter Salles retells the evolution of a latent revolutionary in Che Guevera by capturing his early bike trip through remote South America. The film remains unmatched in visual mastery and its authentic narrative. Journeys have been integral to some successful films in Hindi cinema. Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Highway are good examples of a journey turning into a revelation for the film’s leads. While the Shah Rukh Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer Jab Harry Met Sejal failed recently, it’s because the plot didn’t have anything worth saying. A pure road trip film can explore stories beyond profound revelations and romances. Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis, is a good example of a simple comedy embedded in a trip flick. Karwaan, with its easygoing charm and unpretentious acting, promises to be a fresh retelling of the road trip, hopefully setting off more such engaging films for an audience that seems to be perennially on the move.