Bawaal review: Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor are the beating hearts of this convoluted film that takes its title too seriously

2.5/5

Story:
Ajay Dixit aka Ajju Bhaiyya (Varun Dhawan ) is a history teacher in Lucknow who has no interest in the subject or in his job. All he is interested in and invested in is building a facade and maintaining his “image” in front of those around him. He meets Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor) and gets married to her because he feels it’ll be good for the fake image that he has built of himself. Nisha, on the other hand, is an educated, outgoing achiever who suffers from a medical disorder (which we won’t spoil for you). She informs Ajay about her medical condition but he ends up marrying her anyway since she ticks all the boxes that he’s looking for in a wife. 

Nine months into their marriage and their relationship hits troubled waters (beginning from the night of their wedding) as Nisha’s ailment poses a threat to Ajju Bhaiyya’s “image”. An incident with his student in school makes Ajay cook up an elaborate charade of going on a Europe trip along with Nisha, under the guise of teaching the history of World War II to his students from the very locations in Europe. Will this trip help Ajay evolve into a better version of himself and mend his relationship with his wife? That’s what the rest of the film is about. 

Review:
Nitesh Tiwari’s latest offering Bawaal takes its title too seriously. The intent of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s story is to highlight the coming-of-age of Varun Dhawan’s Ajay against the backdrop of the Second World War but did the evolution of Ajay’s character in the film really require parallels to be drawn with the atrocities committed by Hitler which led to the horrific death of millions? Probably not. 

Bawaal is probably the weakest film helmed by Nitesh Tiwari who has previously given us gems like Dangal (2016) and Chhichhore (2019). We applaud the out-of-the-box thinking to present the evolution of its protagonist by juxtaposing it with one of the darkest chapters in modern-day history. The central idea is simple – one must learn from the mistakes of the past, appreciate what they ‘have’ rather than cribbing about their ‘have-nots’ but taking the liberty to hint that there’s a Hitler residing in every one of us in an attempt to drive this idea home is a bit far-fetched. 

Execution of far-fetched, out-of-the-box ideas often requires an open mind and a willing suspension of disbelief. The writers – Nitesh Tiwari, Shreyas Jain, Nikhil Mehrotra, and Piyush Gupta – cleverly give a cue to the audience, urging them to keep an open mind early in the film, and to some extent, they do succeed in their execution despite some outrageous plot points that run the risk of trivializing the murder of about six million European Jews during the Holocaust. The question again is, was it the only way to portray Ajju Bhaiyya’s evolution? The answer, again, is – probably not. 

Ajay and Nisha’s marriage was destined to fail for neither of them gets married for love. Ajay only wants to take Nisha for his wife as it’ll elevate his social standing. He projected the image of himself that he wanted Nisha to see and Nisha ends up only seeing what she wanted to see in a potential life partner. Had Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari chosen to explore this aspect a little more in her story, Bawaal would have made for a far better relationship drama. With the parallels presented with World War II, the film ends up losing its essence, especially since the screenplay and dialogues merely become devices to convince the audiences of the “idea” of the story. 

There comes a point when a survivor from one of the concentration camps in Auschwitz ends up talking about his marriage and relationship with his wife, and how deeply he regrets not treating her right or some such whilst he had the time. At this point, the writing becomes too convenient to make Ajju Bhiayya realise his mistakes and make him want to change for the better. How can somebody who is accustomed to living in his own bubble of self-importance suddenly have a change of heart on a 10-day-long foreign trip? The less we talk about Nisha’s medical condition and its convenient use and treatment in the narrative, the better it will be. 

However, to give credit where due, the movie has been shot in quite an interesting manner. The cinematography by Mitesh Mirchandani is impressive. Even though the Black and White flashback/dream/imaginary war sequences don’t quite make the kind of impact as the ones in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Rang De Basanti (2006) did, they still manage to hit the mark when it comes to conveying the horrors that took place at the time of World War II. The background score too is apt and doesn’t go overboard, allowing the actors to do their job in making you see and feel things. 

Varun Dhawan easily slips into the character of Ajju Bhaiyya and shines in his portrayal of a person with an inflated sense of self. At the same time, he’s also self-aware and knows that he’s always been a mediocre bloke who wants to live in a manner that’s larger-than-life. Varun gets a better-written part as his character is replete with multiple shades. He completely owns the flaws of his character in the first half and by the time the movie ends, he also manages to humanize those very flaws.

It’s a tricky and tight rope on which Varun’s Ajay is walking as it’s quite easy to judge him for the way he is and hate him for the way he treats his wife, but thanks to Varun’s able performance, you don’t really end up hating Ajju Bhaiyya. You don’t actually relate with him either – and that’s okay. Instead, you do understand where he’s coming from. The fact that Varun possesses an impeccable comic timing also helps in the scenes that aim to provide comic relief. Though the gags around a Gujarati fellow traveller and his family do land, they come at the expense of stereotypical tropes that we’ve witnessed in numerous films and shows earlier. 

Janhvi Kapoor puts up a restrained and effective act as the ever-hopeful doe-eyed Nisha. Though she doesn’t get as many different shades to portray in her character, she still plays Nisha with grace and sticks to the brief. Her mannerisms and eyes speak for her even in the couple of scenes where the shrill in her voice abandons the sentiment on her face. She’s particularly effective in the emotional scenes. 

Watch out for the one where she has a breakdown after an altercation with her husband as she’s packing her bags for the trip. Or the one where she’s referred to as a “defected piece” by her husband. Your heart goes out to Nisha because Janhvi taps into the essence of the character with utmost sincerity. Her perfectly chiselled nose and beautiful earrings do distract at times but the earnestness with which she plays her part pulls you right back in. It also helps that her on-screen pairing with Varun comes like a breath of fresh air. Their breezy chemistry translates well on screen and together, they form the beating hearts of this convoluted film. 

The actors in supporting roles too do a decent job (not that there’s much to do for them here). Manoj Pahwa as Ajay’s father and Anjuman Saxena as Ajay’s mother ace their underwritten parts. Pratik Pachori as Ajay’s friend Bipin does justice to his character while Vyas Hemang as fellow traveller Kalpesh leaves an impressive mark. 

Another saving grace of Bawaal is its music composed by the trio of Akashdeep Sengupta, Mithoon, and Tanishk Bagchi. Penned by Kausar Munir - Dil Se Dil Tak crooned by Laqshay Kapoor and Suvarna Tiwari comes as a sweet surprise. It’s soft, romantic, and extremely hummable. Tumhe Kitna Pyaar Karte composed by Mithoon has been sung mellifluously by Arijit Singh. Tanishk Bagchi’s composition Dilon Ki Doriyan in the vocals of Vishal Mishra and Zahrah Khan and Romy is peppy and upbeat and suits the situation well. 

Verdict:
There’s a scene in Bawaal where Varun Dhawan’s Ajay says “Mahaul aisa banao ke logon ko mahaul yaad rahe, result nahi,” which literally translates to “Create the kind of hype that people remember the vibe, not the outcome.” Nitesh Tiwari seems to be doing exactly that in Bawaal. However, Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor’s likable performances salvage the film to some extent. You can try to give them a chance this weekend on Amazon Prime Video.

(All images, unless mentioned otherwise, via YouTube/Screengrab)