Qarib Qarib Singlle - Well Almost !

#QaribQaribSinglle : Yes when you are single , yet have a past and fast approaching middle age you often crave for another “L” ,it can be  Latte or Love,  just to get over an existing  “L” ,loneliness . There are few films where how you tell the story becomes more important than the story itself, where imperfections often add to the beauty and vulnerability. Qarib Qarib Singlle is one of those films. It’s a film about the journey of loneliness and letting go.  And mind you, these journeys are often the most difficult ones full of self doubt. So we have Jaya (Parvathy), a 35 year old lady who had lost her Army officer husband few years back and Yogi (Irrfan) , a 40 year old man who is still single in spite of having three past relationships. And they meet through a dating site.

They are as different as chalk and cheese. While Jaya carries herself in pastel dresses for Yogi its always effervescent red or yellow. While one needs regular sleeping pills the other effortlessly dozes off even in the middle of a conversation. While Jaya is restrained, Yogi is outspoken. Yogi finds company and happiness in whomsoever he meets; Jaya has confined herself to her lonely home and work. Yogi lives in the moment, Jaya still carries the baggage.  And these contrasts that make their journey from Mumbai to Rishikesh to Gangtok to Jaipur a delight to watch.

Tanuja Chandra , coming back after a long hiatus  , and writer Gazal Dhaliwal use humour to tell us a story that has multiple layers .However Tanuja’s direction seems patchy and the camera work at times is too in your face . But the dialogues are witty and Irffan resumes from where he left in Piku. His comic timing is superb. Parvathy, playing a character that is strong yet vulnerable, is terrific in some scenes and terrible in others. But it is their imperfect chemistry that makes Qarib Qarib Singlle such an enchanting journey. The film stumbles a bit in the second half but a whimsical Irffan keeps you invested in the story and the journey. I loved the pacing of the film and some of its Hrishikesh Mukherjee touches.

Qarib Qarib Singlle is an interesting film that will keep you invested provided you walk into the theatre without those baggages.  It is a refreshing take on loneliness, love and letting go. Delete those old passwords, come and explore life with a dash of humour. Remember life is not about the destination it is about the patchy, rickety yet enthralling journey and age is just a number. I will go out with three out of five for this little film that breaks away from norm.