THIS film was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who gave us the two memorable Munnabhai films (with Sanjay Dutt as hero) and 3 Idiots (with top star Aamir Khan). All three hit movies, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, have won India’s annual National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

That is enough to tell you that this new film, Ferrari Ki Sawaari, also has an unusual theme. It reunites two talented actors from 3 Idiots, Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani, under new director Rajesh Mapuskar, a former associate of Hirani.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari, which opened in time for Father’s Day, is about a father-and-son relationship, and cricket — which Indians are so crazy about, like how Malaysians are fanatical about football.

Rustam Deboo (Sharman Joshi) is a chief clerk in the Transport Office. He is a very honest person and wants his young son to grow up to be an upright citizen. He wants to set a fine example for his son, Kayo, played by Ritvik Sahore.

But when his son gets a chance to play at the Lord’s Ground in London — cricket’s holy ground — the father goes all out to get sponsorship for the trip. He is even willing to “steal” a Ferrari and rent it out for a wedding.

There is a sub plot involving the chief clerk’s disgruntled father (Boman), who stays with them.

The Ferrari is supposed to belong to none other than Sachin Tendulkar — cricket’s supremo. A Sachin double puts in a blurred appearance at the end but this “God of Cricket” has lost a great opportunity to take a more active part in this movie.

There are liberal doses of humour in the proceedings. I liked the part when the caretakers of the Ferrari seek the help of an unscrupulous garage owner to trace the possible whereabouts of stolen vehicles. That scene is hilarious.

Boman’s scenes with Paresh Rawal are also fun and totally different from what you would expect. Boman is fantastic in the role.

Vidya Balan (obviously filmed while she was preparing for her role in The Dirty Picture) appears for a fun wedding song. It is a good thing, the director has kept the songs to a minimum and they don’t tax your patience.

With its feel-good story, this is the perfect movie for parents to take their children to. It delivers moral lessons without preaching.