Dasvidaniya (2008)

A man who loves to make "to-do lists" makes one last bucket list when he realizes he is about to die.

Director:

Shashant Shah

Writers:

Kailash Kher (lyrics), Arshad Sayed

Stars:

Vinay Pathak, Sarita Joshi, Rajat Kapoor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vinay Pathak	...	Amar Kaul
Sarita Joshi	...	Maa
Rajat Kapoor	...	Rajiv Jhulka
Saurabh Shukla	...	Dasgupta
Neha Dhupia	...	Neha Banot
Joy Fernandes	...	Savio
Manoylo Svitlana	...	Tatanya
Gaurav Gera	...	Vivek Kaul
Suchitra Pillai-Malik	...	Suchi R. Jhulka (as Suchitra Pillai)
Purbi Joshi	...	Garima
Brijendra Kala	...	Shiraz
Ikhlaq Khan	...	Dr. Kapadia
Sachin Khurana	...	Varun
Chandan Bisht
Kishore Nandlaskar

Storyline

37-year old Mumbai-based Amar Kaul lives a middle-classed lifestyle with his deaf and widowed mother, and is employed as an Accounts Manager with Suraj Pharmaceuticals. His boss, Dasgupta, who is always snacking, abuses him, and often makes him not only work late but also asks him to finish work at home. After going through a medical check-up for an upset stomach, he is told that he has third stage cancer and has only a few months to live. He then sets about to prepare a 10-item 'to do' list which include buying a car; visiting his friend, Dr. Rajiv Jhukla, in Russia; taking guitar lessons; confessing his true feelings to Neha Banot; as well a plan for getting back at Dasgupta. He does not know the shock and trauma that await him when he sets about to complete this final task - and the impact this news will have on his mother.

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Plot Keywords:

to do list | guitar | cancer | one word title | bangkok | 

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Taglines:

The Best Goodbye Ever

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi English Russian

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (India)

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lemon Tea Productions, One More Thought Entertainment, Sikhya Entertainment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

References Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

User Reviews

Simple, heartwarming and inspiring

I'm in complete awe of this wonderful film. Dasvidaniya easily ranks amongst the finest films of 2008 - poignant, moving, uplifting. It is brilliantly written and narrated, superbly acted and very well directed. This is the story of Amar Kaul, a 37 year-old single man who lives with his old mother and who is diagnosed with cancer. Knowing that he has only counted months to live, he decides to form a list of 10 things he must do before he dies. It's then when the life of this ordinary man turns into an extraordinary journey spanning only several months but leaving countless memories for those who accompanied him on his way.

Those who are very well aware of the style people use to associate with Hindi films, may mistakenly expect the film to be overly cliché and melodramatic. But Dasvidaniya is the complete opposite. It is emotional but without any overdone dramatisation of the story. It is simple, subtle, humorous and authentic, and that's what makes it the more so involving and enjoyable. The dialogues are very good, and the film, though seems to be quite depressing at the surface, is heartwarming and inspiring alike, managing to tug at your heartstrings on many occasions and making you understand how important it is to live life to the fullest and cherish every moment of it.

Vinay Pathak is the film's main protagonist. Pathak is a very unconventional kind of a hero, but his portrayal of Amar is so heartfelt, convincing and sincere that it truly emerges as one of the finest performances of the year, which he will probably be most remembered for. Pathak is supported by a terrific ensemble of actors, all of whom play their roles excellently. Neha Dhupia is lovable in a small but pivotal role as the love of Amar's life, Neha. Rajat Kapoor is fantastic as his best friend Rajiv. Russian actress Manoylo Svitlana is endearing as Tatiana, a prostitute with whom Amar experiences true love for the first time in his life. Sarita Joshi and Gaurav Gera are wonderful as Amar's mother and brother, respectively.

Kailash Kher's soundtrack for the film is great. The songs are well composed and perfectly fit the situations presented on-screen. So does the background score. The film's ending is very optimistic and relieving despite its sad nature. Dasvidaniya is a moving and memorable picture. Shashant Shah is a very promising director, showing a very unique style of storytelling. I highly recommend you to watch this rare piece.