Anna, an American student, arrives in Ahmedabad to study the city's culture and loses her purse with her passport inside it. Her college friend Kabir sets out to help her recover it before she is forced to leave India. A local don and a mysterious thief soon join the chase, turning the hunt into a light comedy of love, suspense and mischief.
Passport arrived in November 2016 as an easy, urban Gujarati comedy built around a simple hook. Anna, an American student, comes to Ahmedabad to study the city's culture and loses her purse with her passport inside, and Kabir, a local college friend played by Malhar Thakar, sets out to help her recover it before she is forced to leave the country. What follows is a light chase comedy that folds in a don, a thief, and a slow-burning romance between the Indian guy and the foreign visitor.
The film leans almost entirely on Malhar Thakar, who was fast becoming the dependable face of the new Gujarati wave, and on his chemistry with debutante Anastasiya Ador. Rajesh Sharma keeps the tone breezy and uses old Ahmedabad as more than a backdrop, letting the pols and lanes carry a lot of the charm. Gujarat Headline called it a complete masala entertainer and gave it three out of five, praising the lead pairing and the way the film sustains a hide-and-seek suspense around the missing document. Audiences landed in similar territory, with an IMDb average of 6.1 that reads as mild approval rather than enthusiasm.
The weaknesses are the ones you expect from a situational comedy stretched past two hours. The plot is thin, the stakes never feel urgent, and the supporting don-and-thief track exists mostly to fill runtime. It works best if you treat it as a relaxed family watch rather than a story with much to say. For fans of Thakar or of Ahmedabad on screen, there is enough warmth and local flavour to make the trip worthwhile.
Verdict
A breezy, harmless Malhar Thakar comedy that runs on his charm and old Ahmedabad's flavour more than on its thin plot.
What works
- Malhar Thakar's easy, likeable lead turn
- Warm use of old Ahmedabad's streets and pols
- Breezy, family-friendly tone
- Fresh cross-cultural romance angle
What holds it back
- Thin plot stretched past two hours
- Stakes never feel urgent
- Don-and-thief subplot mostly fills runtime
- Formulaic situational comedy beats
Cast & crew
Writers: Paresh Vyas
Music: Mehul Surti
Cast: Malhar Thakar (Kabir), Anastasiya Ador (Anna Bella Goldsmith), Ujjval Dave (Shyam), Lipi Goyal (Aditi), Ashish Vashi (Don Sartaj)
Producers: Vadibhai M Patel
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Rajesh Sharma
More Comedy Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Passport worth watching?
A breezy, harmless Malhar Thakar comedy that runs on his charm and old Ahmedabad's flavour more than on its thin plot. Kevu Che rates it 3 out of 5.
What is Passport about?
Anna, an American student, arrives in Ahmedabad to study the city's culture and loses her purse with her passport inside it. Her college friend Kabir sets out to help her recover it before she is forced to leave India. A local don and a mysterious thief soon join the chase, turning the hunt into a light comedy of love, suspense and mischief.
What is the IMDb rating of Passport?
Passport (2016) holds an IMDb rating of 6.1 out of 10.