Dr Cabbie – A heartfelt, good-time movie with a message.
Canadian Director Jean-François Poulliot’s Dr. Cabbie has been earning raves as a hilarious new breed of cinema centered on the tribulations of an unemployed Indian doctor seeking to fulfill his dreams in the land of opportunity, only to find road blocks.
On the surface, Dr. Cabbie appears to be a story of the challenges professional immigrants face when stepping out of their motherland. But the Canadian helmer isn’t interested in the schmaltz of it all – hence the film’s comedy – and conveys a timeless story that has an inherent universal appeal, blending social issues with the individual’s self-journey of finding one’s place in the world.
The lead protagonist Dr. Deepak Veer Chopra, played by Vinay Virmani, is a naive young man who has spent his life chasing one dream – to be a doctor like his deceased father and heal the sick.
In the beginning, viewers find themselves in Deepak’s Indian hometown where he attains a medical degree and decides to move to Toronto, Canada to pursue the big dream. He leaves after getting sponsored by his uncle with his widowed mother, Neelambari played by the evergreen Lilette Dubey. However harsh reality intervenes and along with the a massive culture shock, he finds his credentials not being acknowledged in Canada. Failed interview after interview, Deepak finds himself with no other discernible way, and topped with some cynical direction from Pete Donaldson (Stephen McHattie) opts to drive a cab to make ends meet.
Much to viewers amusement you’ll find his mom accepting her new Canadian status easily unlike her son and reinvents herself as ‘Nellie from Delhi’.
‘The Big Bang Theory’ star Kunal Nayyar plays Deepak’s fellow driver Tony Singh, a womanizing party animal who’s perfectly content with life as a cabbie.
Both Deepak and Tony are polarizing characters in the film that carry the plot ahead. While Deepak is a conservative young man focused on his goal, Tony on the other hand is a very boisterous and mischievous guy who has accepted his lot and has no ambition, creating a delightful balance between humor and the heartfelt morale of the story.
Tony, the libertine takes on the role of a guide for the awkward Deepak in all things Canadian. Of course, the men are joined by some very fine leading ladies played by Adrianne Palicki and Isabelle Kaif.
Things begin to change when the not-so-ordinary cabbie turns into a local hero by transforming his cab into a mobile clinic, hence re-inventing his goal in the land of opportunity while at the same time discovering love.
Virmani and Nayyar both turn in remarkable nuanced performances, symbolizing all the desperation those going through similar circumstances would face. Perhaps what is more titillating is the use of ‘dramady’ in the film to depict the hardships of many immigrant experiences who arrive with education and skill sets, but end up in labor intensive jobs. For the majority of the film, Virmani, who also penned the story, uses humour to uplift the audiences to convey the story of a man who finds his purpose of healing people in the most unusual circumstances, drawing inspiration from people in real life.
Dr.Cabbie successfully takes on the serious issues of integration of professional immigrants as well as the shortage of qualified doctors in Canada, and what viewers will find is a hilarious ride.
The movie crafts a new breed of cinema that caters to a multicultural universal audience, definitely one to watch!
Don’t forget to catch this flick Sept. 19 when it releases across Canada.
Photo Source: facebook.com/Dr.Cabbie
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