Road (2003)
Cast: Manoj Bajpai, Vivek Oberoi, Antara Mali
Director: Rajat Mukherjee
Music Director: Sandesh Shandilia
Synopsis: promising thriller based on several Hollywood road movies fails to deliver
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

Slick opening titles and an electrifying background score introduce us to Lakshmi (Antara Mali) and Arvind (Vivek Oberoi), young lovers determined to marry against the wishes of Lakshmi's father, a police officer who quite understandably considers Arvind unsuitable son-in-law material.

Lakshmi, however, is hardly the submissive Bollywood heroine of old, so the pair decide to elope and take to the road.

Their journey through the vast, barren landscape—supposedly Rajasthan, though much of it looks suspiciously like the Australian outback—takes a disastrous turn when they offer a lift to a stranger named Babu (Manoj Bajpayee).

That, naturally, is asking for trouble.

Within minutes Babu is lighting a cigarette despite being told Lakshmi is allergic, the first hint that something is seriously wrong. Moments later he produces a gun, kidnaps Lakshmi and disappears with her, leaving Arvind sprinting helplessly after the vehicle.

Arvind manages to recover his beloved with the help of a passing truck driver, only for the tables to turn yet again as Babu pursues them in a lorry with murderous determination. Escaping once more, Arvind reports the incident at the local police station in what is one of the film's funniest scenes, where the police display almost superhuman levels of indifference.

Believing they have finally escaped their tormentor, the couple relaxes.

Only to discover Babu hiding in the boot of their car the following morning.

Off we go again.

Babu kidnaps Lakshmi.

Arvind runs after them.

Repeat as required.

Rajat Mukherjee borrows liberally from a whole host of Hollywood road thrillers. One can detect shades of The Hitcher, Duel, Breakdown and Joy Ride, among others. Initially he assembles these influences into a stylish and genuinely engaging thriller. The film looks terrific and Amar Mohile's pulsating background score keeps the tension simmering.

Unfortunately, the screenplay simply isn't strong enough to sustain the premise.

The central problem is Babu.

Who exactly is he?

If he is a psychopath, then make him terrifyingly unpredictable.

If he is merely a gangster trying to escape while using Lakshmi as a hostage, then commit to that.

If, heaven forbid, he is genuinely falling in love with Lakshmi...

...well, nobody believes that for a second.

The film never decides, and because Mukherjee never commits to any one interpretation, Babu gradually becomes less interesting rather than more. The first half generates considerable suspense, but the second loses focus and simply rambles from one chase sequence to another.

Then come the songs.

Mukherjee reportedly wanted to make Road without songs altogether, and one can easily understand why. Nothing destroys the momentum more completely than interrupting a psychological thriller so that Manoj Bajpayee and Antara Mali can suddenly burst into song. It is difficult to imagine a more perfectly timed invitation for the audience to head for the toilets.

The greatest disappointment, however, is Manoj Bajpayee.

Frequently hailed as one of India's finest actors, he gives a surprisingly repetitive performance here. Babu should dominate every frame he occupies, but instead he remains oddly flat and strangely uninvolving. Because the entire film rests upon his shoulders, the weaknesses in the screenplay become even more apparent.

Vivek Oberoi, following the enormous success of Company, deliberately underplays Arvind. Unfortunately, there simply isn't enough substance in the role for him to make much of an impression. Thankfully this was not his debut, because one suspects audiences would have quickly forgotten him.

Antara Mali fares rather better.

Lakshmi is portrayed as a capable, independent woman rather than the usual helpless damsel forever waiting to be rescued, and that alone deserves credit. Predictably, however, Bollywood cannot resist interrupting proceedings with rain-soaked glamour shots and semi-clad bedroom sequences aimed squarely at the front-bench audience. Despite this, Antara grows into the role and delivers a perfectly respectable performance, although she still seems some distance away from joining the industry's leading actresses.

Sandesh Shandilya's songs are an unfortunate misfire. After the promise shown elsewhere, this score feels remarkably uninspired and at times resembles a pale imitation of Sandeep Chowta's style. Amar Mohile's superb background score, by contrast, is one of the film's greatest strengths, while the cinematography deserves equal praise for making every mile of empty landscape feel suitably threatening.

Road is an admirable experiment that ultimately loses its way. Stylish, technically polished and full of promise, it never finds the narrative focus needed to fulfil its considerable potential.

A pity, because there was the makings of a first-rate thriller buried somewhere beneath the wreckage.