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Enjoy this trip, savour the destination

BREEZY VENTURE: John Abraham and Patekar are perfect foil to each other

Taxi No. 9211 (Hindi)

Director: Milan Luthria

Cast: Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni and John Abraham

Remember Deewar? No, not the one with that timeless dialogue of "Mere paas maa hai", but Milan Luthria's saga on prisoners of war left behind in Pakistan a couple of summers ago, that disappeared before people could walk in. Now, he comes up with a film where you will enjoy some delectable moments between Nana Patekar and Sonali Kulkarni, absolutely love the camaraderie between John Abraham and Patekar: both perfect foil to each other; one with a smile, the other with a scowl.

The film has a real good pace through the first half, and an unpredictable end. And you alight from Taxi No. 9211, there is that feeling of a breezy venture. A film that is not juvenile with its jokes, and never drowns us in sorrow.

Taxi No. 9211 is a thriller where humour never quite leaves the main occupants. And there is an underlying layer of melancholy that adds a touch of irony to the events as Patekar plays a taxi driver after quitting 23 jobs in 15 years. It is the middle class fascination with a white collar job that forces him to walk a couple of kilometres to his home in the evening after driving his taxi all over Mumbai by the day. You see, he does not want his wife to know.

Keeping him company is Abraham's millionaire who forgets the key to his treasure in Patekar's taxi. This leads to fireworks as the two men gun for each other, then find themselves on the same side of the fence. And as they rediscover themselves, there is a lump in the throat.

Watch Taxi No. 9211 for Patekar at his irresistible best with his deadpan humour. Abraham and Kulkarni keep able company, the latter coming up with a likeable portrayal of a woman who loves her husband but loves her values more. Taxi NO. 9211, despite a few flaws in storytelling, is worth a visit. Enjoy the journey, savour the destination.

ZIYA US SALAM

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