ByDeepa Gahlot

September 11, 2019 (IANSlife) In recent years, Gujarati cinema has been going through a resurgence—for the first time a movie in this language, 'Hellaro', won a best film National Award last month.

Meanwhile, young writers and directors are capturing a new Gujarat that is modern and aspirational. Anish Shah’s film, Dhunki (Trance), set in Amdavad is about two young couples, whose dreams collide.

Nikunj (Pratik Gandhi) quit a lucrative IT job in Hyderabad to move back to his hometown, which means taking up a job that pays less and living in a rented apartment. He also has to deal with a heavy workload and a quarrelsome neighbour, so his way of coping with stress is cooking. His wife, Ankita (Kaushambi Bhatt), is a school teacher, whose immediate goal is to buy their own flat.

Working with Nikunj is Shreya (Deeksha Joshi), a hard-working IT professional, engaged to Hardik (Vishal Shah), a busy doctor.  Hardik takes it for granted that after marriage Shreya will look after the home, because she doesn’t “need to work.” Shreya has to drop her plan to accept an offer from a better company in Bangalore.

When there is a problem at work, Nikunj resigns in a huff, and decides to start a food delivery business, where he can use his passion for cooking. Ankita is unhappy about the plan, but also cautiously supportive.  Supplying healthy food, Nikunj’s business is modestly successful. Shreya comes up the idea of an app-based food start-up, which is named ‘Appetite.’ She quits her job to team up with Nikunj. Hardik is not at all pleased with this partnership—he is the kind of guy who looks down on Nikunj because cooking is a woman’s job.

The expansion plan requires investment, and a lot more time, that causes some turmoil in their personal lives. Their pitches to potential investors do not raise adequate funding; traditional businessmen do not understand the model of the business, or, even the point of it.

Till rapid growth in the IT sector, urban migration, and the growth of a population of singles or working couples living away from their families, there really was no need for food delivery to offices. People simply carried tiffins with food made by a woman at home, or a cook. But today, people in the cities of Gujarat --like anywhere else in urban India--are also experimenting with different cuisines and eating healthy.

Dhunki is an accurate representation of the lives and ambitions of young people today, but unfortunately slow-paced.  There is also not enough attention paid to the food, which could have made for sumptuous visuals. The performances are sincere and the actors look their parts—correctly cast for the age, social class, education and profession they represent.  The film may not appeal to an older generation, that is not conversant with all the tech that is discussed, but young people will find it perfectly relatable. 

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Deepa Gahlot is an entertainment columnist.

Editing by Muskan Aggarwal and N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe