Two Ahmedabad friends, Chako and Tino, chase quick money for a real-estate dream and get burned by scam after scam. When a treasured painting and a cunning art dealer enter the picture, their get-rich hustle turns into a test of friendship, family pride and dignity.
Bey Yaar arrived in 2014 and quietly proved urban Gujarati cinema could stand on its own screen. It follows Chako and Tino, two Ahmedabad friends chasing quick money for a real-estate dream and getting burned scam after scam, until a treasured painting and a cunning art dealer turn a get-rich hustle into a test of friendship and family pride.
What makes it work is texture. Abhishek Jain shoots the real, rustic Ahmedabad most films airbrush, and the ensemble sells it. Divyang Thakkar and Pratik Gandhi make the friendship feel lived-in, and Darshan Jariwala and Manoj Joshi lend it heft. The Times of India called it beautifully crafted and crisply edited at four out of five, and BuddyBits went to four and a half, ranking it among the best of the new wave.
It is not without flatter patches, and some found it uneven, but its place in history is settled. It became the first Gujarati film screened at the New York Indian Film Festival and released across six continents, a marker of how far the revival Abhishek Jain started with Kevi Rite Jaish had travelled. Watch it for the warmth and the sense of a city finally seeing itself on screen.
Verdict
A warm, foundational film of the modern Gujarati wave. The friendship and the city carry it well past its rough edges.
What works
- Real, rustic Ahmedabad on screen
- A lived-in friendship at its core
- Strong ensemble (Thakkar, Gandhi, Jariwala, Joshi)
- A landmark of the urban Gujarati revival
What holds it back
- A few flatter stretches
- Get-rich plotting can feel familiar
- Music is serviceable more than memorable
- Early-wave rough edges show
Cast & crew
Writers: Bhavesh Mandalia, Niren Bhatt
Music: Sachin-Jigar
Cast: Divyang Thakkar (Chintan (Chako)), Pratik Gandhi (Tapan (Tino)), Darshan Jariwala (Jeetu Bhai), Manoj Joshi (Y.B. Gandhi), Amit Mistry (Pranav), Kavin Dave (Uday)
Producers: Abhishek Jain (CineMan Productions)
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Abhishek Jain
More Comedy Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Bey Yaar worth watching?
A warm, foundational film of the modern Gujarati wave. The friendship and the city carry it well past its rough edges. Kevu Che rates it 4 out of 5.
What is Bey Yaar about?
Two Ahmedabad friends, Chako and Tino, chase quick money for a real-estate dream and get burned by scam after scam. When a treasured painting and a cunning art dealer enter the picture, their get-rich hustle turns into a test of friendship, family pride and dignity.
What is the IMDb rating of Bey Yaar?
Bey Yaar (2014) holds an IMDb rating of 8.4 out of 10 from 3.2k votes.