Move over Exotic Marigolds, THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR is the new champ of sub continental romanticism, taking us on a wild ride of coincidence and circumstance with charm and elan.

In this Euro-pudding of a picture, Aja, a young fakir (magician) from the streets of India arrives in Paris in search of his past and his future.

He falls head-over-heels for American ex pat, Marie, whom he meets amongst the cabinets and couches in an IKEA store, and plans to meet up with her again the next day.

When he accidentally gets stuck in a wardrobe that is shipped in the night to the UK, Aja finds himself on the run from border police and bandits alike.

In England, he is interrogated by a belligerent border control officer who breaks into a Bollywood song and dance routine that assigns the mistaken asylum seeker to Spain.

Back in continental Europe, Aja comes into the orbit of a glamorous film star and pompous producer. On his travels, Aja has written about his adventures using his shirt rather than paper. The actress persuades the producer to take an option on the shirt, which leads to a ton of cash in a briefcase that becomes a pivotal plot device.

Director Ken Scott’s film is an adaptation of Romain Puértolas’s novel, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got Stuck in an IKEA Wardrobe, and unfolds as a fabulous fable of a magical quest.

It boasts a charming central performance by Dhanush as Aja, with strong international support from Berenice Bejo as the glamorous movie star, Erin Moriarty as Aja’s true love, Barkhad Abdi as wise Somali asylum seeker, Gerard Jugnot as a wiley Parisian taxi driver, and Ben Miller as the British bust-a -move border patrol officer.

Like a modern take on Around the World in 80 Days, THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR is a cavalcade of adventure, misadventure, love lost and found against a panorama of exotic locations that span India, Europe and the UK.