The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir is a thrilling and comedy film directed by Ken Scott. The film is based on Romain Peyroula’s novel The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe. The film stars Indian actor Dhanush in the lead role, who makes his international debut with this film. Apart from this, Berenice Bejo, Erin Moriarty, Barkhad Abdi and Gerard Jugnot also appear in important roles.
The story of the film revolves around Ajatashatru “Aaja” Lavash Patel, a magician and trickster from Mumbai, who travels to Paris in search of his father. But fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, where he finds himself trapped in an Ikea wardrobe and then his journey reaches London, Rome, Libya and many other places. During this time he has exciting, funny and emotional experiences.
The film has been shot in India, Belgium, France and Italy. The film presents a beautiful amalgamation of humour and emotion with an inspiring story, giving the audience a unique cinematic experience.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir |
| Directed by | Ken Scott |
| Written by | Romain Puertolas, Luc Bossi, Ken Scott |
| Based on | The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe by Romain Puertolas |
| Produced by | Luc Bossi, Jon Goldman, Saurabh Gupta, Aditi Anand, Gulzar Chahal, Grégoire Lassalle, Genevieve Lemal, Jaime Mateus-Tique |
| Starring | Dhanush, Bérénice Bejo, Erin Moriarty, Barkhad Abdi, Gérard Jugnot, Ben Miller |
| Cinematography | Vincent Mathias AFC |
| Edited by | Yvann Thibaudeau |
| Music by | Nicolas Errèra, Amit Trivedi |
| Production Companies | Brio Films, Vamonos Films, Scope Pictures, Little Red Car Films, TF1 Studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment France, Aleph Motion Pictures, M! Capital Ventures, Impact Films, RTBF, Digital District, Cactus World Films |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing (France), AA Films (India), Scope Pictures (Belgium) |
| Release Dates | 30 May 2018 (France and Belgium), 21 June 2019 (India, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia) |
| Running Time | 92 minutes |
| Countries | France, India, Belgium |
| Language | English (also released in French and Tamil versions) |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box Office | $3.26 million |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Drama |
The Story of an Extraordinary Journey – “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir”
The story follows Ajatashatru “Aja” Lavash Patel, who makes his living as a magician and conman in the streets of Mumbai. He fools people with his magical powers. After his mother dies, he travels to Paris in search of his father.
In Paris, Aja meets Marie Rivière at a furniture store. Initially, he deceives her, but later gets impressed by her innocence and personality. Unfortunately, some unexpected events lead to Aja being trapped in an IKEA wardrobe and ending up in London. From there, he ends up in Rome, locked in a Louis Vuitton suitcase, and then in a hot air balloon to Libya.
During this time, he meets Viraj, an illegal immigrant from Somalia, who helps him. Aja ends up in a refugee camp, where he wins everyone’s heart with his honesty and compassion. After donating all his savings to the people living in the camp, he decides to return to India with a fake passport.
Before returning to India, he goes to Paris, but there he finds out that Mary is now with someone else. Disheartened, he returns to Mumbai and starts working as a teacher. Eventually, Mary comes to India to find him and tells him that she has broken off her engagement.
At the end of the story, Aja narrates this story to three children and gives them a chance to make amends. The film is a beautiful blend of humour, thrill and emotions.
Movie Review
Premise: The film is based on the novel “The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe” by Romain Puertolas.
Story
The story revolves around a young man named Ajatashatru “Aja” (Dhanush) who grew up on the streets of Mumbai. After his mother dies, he decides to go to Paris in search of his father whom he never knew. Aja is a man who believes in fate and karma.
On the very first day of arriving in Paris, he meets an American girl and falls in love with her at first sight. He promises her that they will meet again the next day, but fate has something else in store. Due to an unexpected incident, he gets stuck in a truck full of refugees which is headed to London.
After this, Aja’s life is filled with exciting journeys. He travels across many countries, faces different situations and meets new people. During this journey he understands the true purpose of his life and realises what he really wants.
My Thoughts
Dhanush is an extremely talented and charming actor. His simplicity and naturalness of acting makes him perfect for this role. The character of Aja matches his personality perfectly and he has played it brilliantly.
The vibes of the film are great. It is a light-hearted, exciting and emotional story that will make you smile from start to finish. This film has a great mix of romance, adventure and comedy.
The cinematography of the film is amazing. The locations shot in different countries make it a grand visual treat. The songs of the film are also good and match the story. The best part is that the film is not too long but is precise and effective. Its conciseness is its biggest strength, due to which the film does not bore the audience.
This is a very enjoyable and family friendly movie. If you are fond of light-hearted but heart-touching stories, then you will definitely like this movie. It is an inspirational movie that makes you think about your goals and dreams in life.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
“The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir” is an interesting and inspiring film that depicts a beautiful journey of adventure, emotions and self-discovery. Dhanush’s effortless and impressive acting makes this film even more special. The story is simple yet engaging, which keeps the audience hooked from start to finish. The cinematography, songs and dialogues all make the atmosphere of the film lively. It is a light-hearted, family-friendly film that makes the mind happy. If you want to watch a unique and entertaining story, then do watch this film. This film will make you laugh as well as inspire you!