Taxiwaala

There really is no better way to watch a good horror / thriller comedy, than in a theater. The joy of sharing the thrills and laughs while tears roll down our eyes, with a room full of people is second to none. But, to have such an experience it is very important that the film gets everything right, and that is exactly what Taxiwaala does. With a brilliant screenplay, direction, and cast,  Taxiwaala serves us a lot more than just thrills and laughs.

The film starts on a dark rainy night, when a junkyard owner asks his wife to fetch some papers from an old car. This scene sets the tone for the thrills in the entire film – simple, but very well executed. While we know that something is about to happen every time we see the car, we still jump when it actually happens. The real fun starts when our Taxiwaala ends up with the car. Shiva (Vijay Devarkonda), is a fresh graduate, who comes to the city looking for work. He lives with his friend a car mechanic, Babai (Madhu), and his assistant, Hollywood (Vishnu). After trying a few odd jobs, he decides to become a cab driver. With the limited resources available to him, the only car he is able to afford, is a vintage car that the owner is more than eager to get rid off. Of course, Shiva is oblivious to the fact that the car is possessed. Feeling an instant connect to the car, he decides to buy it. What follows is Shiva’s adventures with his car.

As always, Vijay Devarakonda nails his performance as Shiva. Watching him go through a range of emotions while he tries to establish his relation with the car, that he now knows is possessed, are both hilarious and heart-touching. The ease with which he emotes and delivers dialogues is simply beautiful. Another character that stands out in this film is Hollywood (Vishnu). With some of the best lines in the film and an attitude that is both endearing and hilarious, one can’t help but fall in love with this character. The other actors in the film including, Priyanka, Madhunandan, and Malavika Nair are all commendable in their respective roles.

To truly enjoy Taxiwaala, one has to go in with an open mind, willing to be entertained.  Let’s not forget that it is a supernatural thriller, and a good supernatural thriller is only possible if the filmmaker takes a few cinematic liberties to move the story ahead. Honestly, I loved the fact that they did not use, a run-of-the-mill ghost story, to explain the supernatural element in this film. While a nonbeliever like me did not buy the explanation given, it was different and interesting enough, to make me want to go home and look it up. That being said, I really loved Taxiwaala. Not once, in its entire duration was I bored or letdown. This holds true for everyone in the theater including the little kids, who walked out with a big smile on their face, saying that they really enjoyed the film.