Via Darjeeling is an immensely confusing movie since the beginning, thank God for the performers & the characters they play. And let us not thank the makers yet. The film can be best reviewed by dividing into 2 parts:
THE GOOD: So, starting off with the chemistry between a newly married couple, the plot introduces suspense, mildly jumping into another setup. Vinay Phatak shares the story of this couple to his friends and as time runs, each of his friends start making up stories to what might have happened. The base is - one of the couple goes missing and Vinay, a policeman, hasn't been able to track that person down. As Rajat Kapoor, Sandhya Mridul, Simone Singh & Prroshant Narayanan tell the stories, the viewers are kept awestruck. The dialogs are beautiful & witty. Performance is great. Music is fine. Cinematography is good. Kay Kay Menon & Sonali Kulkarni are both apt as the couple.
THE BAD: All seems good until the made-up stories start inducing confusion. It sure does reference Akira Kurosawa's RASHOMON, but the level of implication is astronomical. Towards the end, the suspense level is at its peak. Just then, the writers/director spoil the broth by disbanding. The climax clicks off without even saying anything. This converts the whole 100 minutes of potential cinema into a horseplay.
So, with one of the most destructive climax ever (which may be to give the film an off-beat essence), Via Darjeeling has great strength, only its execution is lousy, shabby & disastrously experimental.
BOTTOM LINE: Recommended for people who want to be taken for a ride by writers who pretend to be what they aren't. 5.4 out of 10 for the débutante director. His efforts are respected.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Alcohol/Smoking: Strong | Violence: Mild | Vulgarity/Nudity:very Mild
