Soaring High

DIRECTOR: Abhishek Kapoor

CAST: Raj Kumar Yadav, Anil Sadh, Sushant Singh Rajput, Amrita Puri, Manav Kaul

Rating: ***1/2

The Gujarati phrase kai po che! approximates closest to the Hindi woh kaata! — an exultant, full-throated cry used when young boys are flying and ‘cutting’ kites. Abhishek Kapoor uses it as an apt metaphor and crafts a lovely, emotive film on abiding friendship and the values that make life worth living.

We first come upon Ahmedabad residents Govind, Omi and Ishaan (Yadav, Sadh and Rajput respectively) as they dither at a crossroad: the choice is between minor accretions and rapid growth, a hole-in-the-wall dukaan in an Amdavaadi pol (mohalla) and an airy glass-fronted mall store. Govi is the most focused of the trio, intent upon counting the money and getting ahead, tossing aside half-affectionate half derogatory epithets like bania; Ish, the most cricket-mad of them all, dreams of opening an academy in every school in the country, and Omi, the nephew of a busy functionary of a right wing Hindu party, is happy to go along.

Three boys, having grown to young adulthood from being inseparable kids, has now become familiar Bollywood trope. Kapoor does a good job in making us believe that his threesome have intertwining backstories: Omi, the easy-going son of a priest, Govi, the guy who cracks the numbers, and Ish the dreamer. One of the pleasures of Kai Po Che! is how well these three mesh, working around each other, talking to each other, and coming back to each other.

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