Shakespeare Joshi is a young stage actor who believes the whole world is a stage and every person is playing a role. He turns that idea into a business with his co-star Natasha Mehta, hiring himself out to play the son, father, husband or brother that lonely people are missing, supplying the oxygen of love and belonging for a fee. What begins as a livelihood becomes a mission, and along the way Shakespeare and Natasha find the same emotional oxygen they have been handing to strangers.
Oxygen builds a whole film around a soft, unusual premise. Shakespeare Joshi treats life like a stage and sells emotional roles to people who are missing a son, a father, a husband or a brother, filling the gaps in their lives with rented affection. Chinmaay Purohit, who also wrote and produced it, clearly cares about the idea, and the concept of an emotion supplier gives urban Gujarati cinema something it rarely attempts, a story that runs on feeling rather than farce or family melodrama.
The Times of India gave it three out of five and landed on the fairest read of the film, that it makes good use of human emotions to strike a chord. When the writing lets a scene breathe, the payoff is real, and Anshul Trivedi carries the central conceit with enough warmth to keep you invested. The supporting bench is unusually deep for a small Gujarati release, with Darshan Jariwala and Rohini Hattangadi lending weight, and Prateeksha Lonkar adding texture. The music helps too, with Nokho Anokho by Parth Bharat Thakkar and the reworked wedding song Nanavati Re Sajan sitting nicely inside the mood.
Where it wobbles is execution. At close to two and a half hours the film stretches its single idea thinner than it needs to, and the earnestness occasionally tips into sentiment the story has not earned. It is closer to a heartfelt experiment than a fully controlled drama, but the sincerity is genuine, and the concept was strong enough to be officially remade in Telugu as Entha Manchivaadavuraa. Worth a look for anyone who likes a premise that leads with the heart.
Verdict
A tender, idea-first Gujarati drama that strikes a chord even when its execution cannot match its concept.
What works
- Original emotion-supplier premise
- Warm central turn by Anshul Trivedi
- Deep supporting cast including Darshan Jariwala and Rohini Hattangadi
- Memorable songs and background score
What holds it back
- Runs long at nearly two and a half hours
- Single idea gets stretched thin
- Earnestness tips into sentimentality
- Execution lags behind the concept
Cast & crew
Writers: Chinmaay Purohit
Music: Parth Bharat Thakkar, Vinay Kapadia
Cast: Anshul Trivedi (Shakespeare Joshi), Vyoma Nandi (Natasha Mehta), Prateeksha Lonkar (Amee), Darshan Jariwala (Father), Rohini Hattangadi (Mother)
Producers: Chinmaay Purohit, Haresh Makwana, Ragi Tanmay Purohit
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Oxygen worth watching?
A tender, idea-first Gujarati drama that strikes a chord even when its execution cannot match its concept. Kevu Che rates it 3 out of 5.
What is Oxygen about?
Shakespeare Joshi is a young stage actor who believes the whole world is a stage and every person is playing a role. He turns that idea into a business with his co-star Natasha Mehta, hiring himself out to play the son, father, husband or brother that lonely people are missing, supplying the oxygen of love and belonging for a fee. What begins as a livelihood becomes a mission, and along the way Shakespeare and Natasha find the same emotional oxygen they have been handing to strangers.
What is the IMDb rating of Oxygen?
Oxygen (2018) holds an IMDb rating of 8.0 out of 10.