For all its oddball energy and earnest ambition, Fairy Folk cannot be missed, applauds Mayur Sanap.
How rare is to see a film in the Hindi space that warmly observes and ruthlessly criticises the institution of marriage?
In Karan Gour's refreshingly unique Fairy Folk, we see an examination of a faded marriage with the themes of love and longing, intertwined with a solid and very original twist of fantasy.
The film revolves around the jaded couple Ritika (Rasika Dugal) and Mohit (Mukul Chadda), who are oblivious to the fact that their marriage has worn out.
Things take bizarre turn when they encounter a strange creature that looks like human but is a genderless entity. The couple decides to adopt it only to change the course of their equation in the process -- for better or worse.
The premise is incredibly wacky and yet simple, and thus, smart writing, direction and acting is necessary in order for the film to be convincing. It certainly is, thanks to Gour's skillful hold on the subject matter.
He makes all of it seem effortless, and ties the themes of love, loneliness, urban relationships and sexual identity in the script that peeks into the private lives of a couple.
He skillfully melds elements of fantasy with reality and keeps the film's narrative light-hearted and eerily suspenseful without going off the charts.
From the get-go, we are drawn to the lives of Ritika and Mohit and the film manages to keep us hooked through delicious twists and turns with an ample doze of humour.
The visit of the couple's friends and them coming to know about 'adopted' creature is laugh out loud funny, as is the couple finding emotional comfort in their new 'family member'.
The film powers through genuine chemistry between the leads, who bring their real-life dynamic as couple.
It is unequivocally carried by its stellar acting performance from both Rasika and Mukul. It's a slow build, with the actors mouthing dialogues that come across as brutally real conversation.
Rasika is delightful as ever, playing a free-wheeling woman who wants the best for her husband but has her own quirks and fantasies.
Mukul is extremely joyful to watch as a hapless husband, who carries ache and frustration with a smile on his face.
The film is also very interesting film to just look at thanks to Abhinay Khoparzi's impressive visual style.
The dialogues score brownie points too, as they're filled with sarcasm and honesty.
Unlike Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story where the couple struggles to reach one another emotionally, here, the couple is just jaded with the over-familiarity to each other.
When a fantasy twist occurs, it brings a tinge of excitement and perhaps a little hope to their mundane married life.
It is only towards the climax when the writing starts weathering and the film goes for a slightly off-kilter mood to underpin the events. Despite some implausibility here, it remains a pretty great watch.
For all its oddball energy and earnest ambition, Fairy Folk cannot be missed.
