What's It About: A mellow, mirthful and at times, moving tale of three North Indian migrants. This tale of tantalising possibilities may not be Mr Raj Thackeray's idea of an evening out. Dammit, it may not be ANYONE's idea of an entertainer.

But for a discerning audience Barah Aana brings in a sense of un-visited surprise. There are three main characters, a quiet driver Shukla (Shah), a watchman Yadav (Raaz) and a waiter Aman (Mathur) all driven to the doors of despair but stopped in time by a self-directed sense of humour that saves them from self-destruction. The three-way interactive story gathers momentum when the trio hits on an age-old formula for survival: crime.

What's Good: Scripted by Raj Kumar Gupta who directed the rivetting Aamir, Barah... derives its strength from the frailties and vulnerabilities of the three migrant characters who seem to be drawn into the dark side of life without knowing where they're heading.

Director Raja Menon seems to view the people in his plot with a reasonable degree of detachment. There's a sense of finesse in the way these unsophisticated characters chart their course without self-pity. Of course, the film would've never worked without the cast.

What does one say about Naseeruddin Shah without sounding completely like a fan? He's brilliant as the bullied embittered silently-seething drive. Vijay Raaz, gives a sly snarling spin to his role. His performance has both bark and bite. Another riveting performance comes from Tannishtha Chatterjee as Rani.