The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Review: A Really Feel-Good Film!

It’s such a blast to watch Dhanush make his Hollywood debut in the The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir / Pakkiri, where we watch the journey of a man who travels to Paris from India in search of his estranged father. Armed with magic tricks and a counterfeit note, he meets the love of his life at an IKEA store in Paris, gets stuck in a wardrobe, travels with illegal immigrants and travels from one country to another and as audience we follow him through this journey that feels peculiar but pleasant at the same time.

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The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir has a great message to tell and it’s all about seizing the opportunities that arise in life. The protagonist goes through many trials and tribulations in his travels and it strikes him that the chances that come across in his life is linked to his karma. Additionally, the protagonist gets stuck with some illegal immigrants at some point and I really liked the fact that the film took a stab at prejudiced immigration policies and they took a wacky but thoughtful approach in showing how misplaced they really can be as well as the eventual plight of these immigrants.

In some of its best moments, the film’s touch on poverty and survival, and we see Dhanush stuck in an airport prison in Spain and in Libya for being an “alien” and this is a reflection of real-life examples of illegals who are stuck in another country’s uncertain bureaucracy. Dhanush is immensely likeable and appealing as the protagonist, Aja, and his sincerity shines through every scene that he is in. He brings moments of magic with his charisma, coruscating charm and deadpan humor that helps iron out the creases in the story.

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The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir / Pakkiri might be too wacky for its own good and you pretty much know the direction of which the movie will be going at the very start of the film. There are some cringe worthy scenes that I felt wasn’t necessary and I wished it was edited out. There’s a lot of positive messages that the director has tried to convey through this artsy film but it might feel lackadaisical for some.

Rating – 3.5/5 | Grade – B+

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Siddharthen R

Guest Writer at Just for Movie Freaks

Sidd is a self-proclaimed movie maverick from Singapore, armed with a keyboard and cringe-worthy sense of humour. He looks forward to spilling the cinematic beans, one review at a time.

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