First things first: those assuming the film to be a comedy because of Vinay Pathak will be disappointed as Dasvidaniya is completely unlike Bheja Fry, save the motley of actors.

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We see accounts officer Amar Kaul (Vinay Pathak) dully dressed, oiled hair parted, sitting in his cubicle. He then hears those dreaded words, `Boss ne bulaya hai`. The boss (Saurabh Shukla) turns out to be an OTT character always gorging on food and dumping work on Amar, who`s too meek to protest.

Suffering from persistent stomach ache, Amar`s visit to the doctor that evening changes his life. Diagnosed with stomach cancer, Amar is shattered that at age 37, he has been told he has only three months to live.

On internalising the shock, he sets down to list the things he must do before he passes away with reminders like `tell mumma?` and `fix geyser`. Amar`s imaginary alter-ego appears out of nowhere, and calling him a `Munnabhai ka Jimmy Shergill`, encourages him to wake up and list things he really wants to do. That leads to another record of wishes, one that he now sets out to fulfill.

The film`s interesting story is let down by its execution. The premise takes very long to establish and the wish-list is written after a good part of the film is already over.

Again, you wonder how an ordinary job-holding accountant, despite the provident fund, can afford fulfilling his very expensive last desires. Stereotypes come in, in the form of the Christian pony-tailed guitar teacher who peppers each sentence with `men` and loves his alcohol. And then there`s the prostitute with the heart of gold.

Dasvidaniya`s pace is a big downer. Things are over-explained and repeatedly so. For example, the interactions between Amar and his alter-ego go on and on, with both repeating their dialogues even after the point has been made. Had the pursuit of each wish been treated with greater efficiency, the viewer instead of getting restless, would be far more involved and entertained.

Humour is there, prevalent and subtle. Sometimes the attempt to make the viewer laugh gets too frantic - like Amar`s mother`s reaction to his illness and her exuberance on seeing the new car. Also, Amar`s airplane travel with air-sickness and his filling both hands with candy were bit much.

More than the humor, the film entertains with its innate characterisation. Amar, as a character, has always been dominated and told what to do. His growing up to be timid also finds reference in his mother`s character that is just as assertive and domineering. Unlike the typical syrupy Hindi film mother, she`s cranky, stubborn and loving at the same time.

Dialogue is interesting overall. A good example would be when someone asks Amar if `he has any problem in his life` and a tired Amar smiles `life is my problem`.

The songs (Kailash Kher, Paresh, Naresh) are all wonderful. And there are moments that you carry with you after the film is over: Amar`s confession of love to his childhood sweetheart, his final goodbye to his best friend, and meeting his brother after years. The performances by all actors are convincing and enjoyable.

Vinay Pathak, an excellent actor, shines in yet another lead role after Bheja Fry. Sarita Joshi as the mother is excellent. Purbi Joshi as the sprightly car salesperson is wonderful. Rajat Kapoor and Gaurav Gera leave their mark as Amar`s best friend and brother respectively.

Dasvidaniya is recommended with caution, only for viewers who can enjoy the fairly engaging story despite the slackening pace of the film.

Verdict: Two-and-a-half stars