Seven Years of Karwaan: An Exploration of Akarsh Khurana’s Cinematic Journey

The movie ‘Karwaan,’ directed by Akarsh Khurana, attempts to find humor in the face of death. While facing pacing challenges, the film avoids being offensive. The story employs detours that extend the journey, particularly concerning Dulquer’s character, Avinash, a frustrated office employee who yearns to leave his mundane job and pursue photography. The film has thematic similarities with ‘Kodachrome,’ which centers on a road trip involving a father and son. In ‘Karwaan,’ the father is deceased at the film’s beginning, and he had been against his son’s photographic aspirations. The film revisits the conversations about digital versus actual photography seen in ‘Kodachrome.’ Khurana’s fresh approach to themes of estrangement and reconciliation shines through. Irrfan’s portrayal of Shaukat, a Muslim car dealer, stands out for his candidness. Irrfan delivers memorable scenes, including a wedding gatecrash and jokes in Hindi. His scene with a burqa-clad woman showcases his acting skills. The music is somewhat disruptive, and the pace falters after the midpoint. The film is ultimately endearing due to its compassion for its characters, despite its flaws. The film includes touching scenes, such as a woman’s comment on the wrong coffin. Akarsh Khurana talks about the film’s impact and recalls working with Irrfan and recognizes Dulquer’s contribution to the movie.