The film is a light-hearted comedy, in which Dulquer Salmaan plays a guy who lives in Bengaluru. It is a road trip with a difference. These aren't three friends out on an adventure, but rather three misfits on a journey that goes a bit too off-track. Avinash (Dulquer Salman) is a repressed young man who hates his IT job, loathes his boss and would rather become a photographer, but for his father (Akaash Khurana). His father passes away in a road accident and his body reaches another family by mistake. Avinash's friend Shaukat (Irrfan Khan) offers his van and company to travel from Bangalore and exchange the body in Kochi. Enroute, Tanya (Mithila Palkar), the grand-daughter of the now-deceased person with whom the other body was exchanged, joins them. It is a trip that neither of them wishes to be part of but end up enduring it.

• Dulquer Salman as Avinash
• Irrfan Khan as Shaukat
• Mithila Palkar as Tanya
• Kriti Kharbanda as Rumana (Cameo appearance)
• Amala Akkineni as Tahira
• Akash Khurana as Avinash's father
• Siddharth Menon as Groom at Wedding (cameo appearance)

Development

In August 2013, it was reported that Akarsh Khurana would be making his directorial debut with a dramedy written by Bejoy Nambiar, the story of which would revolve around three characters, going on a road trip. Initially it was reported that Arvind Swamy and Nawazuddin Siddiqui would be playing two of the three lead characters, but in May 2014 Bejoy Nambiar informed that as a result of modifications made in the script, Arvind Swamy would not be part of the project and Rajkummar Rao had been brought in to do the film which was titled Focus at that time. In June 2014, when the film was one month away from going on floors, director Akarsh Khurana opted out of the project owing to creative differences with Bejoy Nambiar, the writer and producer of the film. Bejoy Nambiar brought in Heeraz Marfatia as a replacement for Akarsh Khurana but the shooting of the film failed to take off and after several delays Bejoy decided to postpone the project for a year so as to focus on his own directorial venture Wazir.

In April 2017, it was reported that Ronnie Screwvala had decided to revive Bejoy Nambiar's Focus through his new production house RSVP Films and Akarsh Khurana had been brought back to direct the film with Irrfan Khan and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles.^[18][19] In June 2017, Abhishek Bachchan parted ways with the film because the shooting schedule was clashing with that of Paltan, another project of his that he was doing with J.P. Dutta.^[20] In August 2017, Akarsh Khurana informed that Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila Palkar had been finalized to play the central characters in the film along with Irrfan Khan.^[21][22] On September 1, 2017 the first look of the film was unveiled, through which it was revealed that the film had been given the name Karwan.^[23][24]

Filming

Principal photography of the film started from 31 August 2017. The film was shot in Ooty and Kochi.^[25]

The soundtrack of Karwaan consists of songs composed by Prateek Kuhad, Anurag Saikia, SlowCheetah, Shwetang Shankar and Imaad Shah^[27] with lyrics been written by Prateek Kuhad, Akarsh Khurana, SlowCheetah and Imaad Shah as per the official trailer of the film unveiled on 27 June 2018 on YouTube.^[28]

The Hindustan times rated 4 out of 5 Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar takes you on the ride of a lifetime.^[29] Filmfare rated 3.5 out of 5 and said Watch the film for the fine acting by the entire ensemble cast. This comedy will surely tickle your funny bone and would make you reflect on life as well.^[30] Times of India rated 3.5 out of 5 and said Karwaan might not be the roller coaster ride you expected it to be, but it leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart that says all’s well that ends well.^[31] DNA India rated 3 out 5 and said Irrfan Khan's film oscillates between being a fun-ride and a dark-drag.^[32] The rating from Firstpost was 2.5 and mentioned Dulquer Salmaan and Irrfan are absolute dears in a sweetly understated road flick.^[33]