I’ll just begin with this- I don’t think I have watched a movie this bad in 2023 yet. Oh boy, get ready for a rollercoaster of ridiculousness and insensitivity in Nitesh Tiwari’s “Bawaal.” Imagine mainstream Bollywood romance collabing awkwardly with World War II and the Holocaust into its plot. Yes, you heard it right! Hitler becomes a metaphor for human greed, and our lead couple imagines themselves as a Jewish duo suffocating in Auschwitz. As I write this review, I still can’t believe that this movie actually exists.
Plot
The film starts off with a self-obsessed primary history teacher, Ajay ‘Ajju’ Dixit (Varun Dhawan), whose main concern in life is his “image”, and not that he still lives off his parents’ money. History ka H nahi aata, par when a kid questions him about his knowledge, uski “image” kharab hojati hai and he slaps the kid in anger. Well, guess what? Turns out the kid’s father is a local MLA. Bass phir kya, a temporary suspension enters the chat, but Ajju bhaiya waapis apni “image” bachane ke liye, comes up with a plan. He’s just married to Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor), an intelligent woman with epilepsy. And he takes her to a trip to Europe, jaha se videos upload karke, he plans to teach the kids about World War 2. How did we end up in this absurdity?
Performances
This is the ‘Yaha se mera downfall shuru hua’ moment for the movie. Varun Dhawan‘s Ajju is that entitled brat jo bass hawe mein baat karta rehta hai. This is probably why his character arc doesn’t sit right with you. While his goofiness seems fun, his transformation from a clueless dude to a sensitive soul doesn’t really convince you. Why doesn’t he do more serious roles? He actually nails them better. Janhvi Kapoor never connects with you, thanks to her south Bombay accent and the horrible dialogues given to her. She tries her best in some emotionally charged scenes, but… it just doesn’t work man. She has made progress, but she still has a long way to go. Manoj Pahwa and Anjuman Saxena do a decent job as Ajju’s parents, but don’t really have a lot to contribute.
Direction and Writing
The film starts off okay tbh, with Lucknow ki aesthetic nawabi and ghar ke witty scenes, but before you know it, tiptoes into bizarre territory (cue ‘Savdhaan rahe, satark rahe’). How can one even dare to use World War II as a backdrop to mend a broken marriage??? And that too someone like Nitesh Tiwari doing it? The Chhichore and Dangal director legit caught us off guard here, and for bad. The decision to use itne emotional historical events as mere plot devices was just so dumb. How can someone be so insensitive? Imagine a Hollywood movie having this dialogue- ‘Every relationship goes through their own Jallianwalah Bagh.’ How would you feel about it? So disappointing man, smh.
Screenplay and Cinematography
Wait wait, hold on to your seats; it gets crazier! To begin with, the movie horribly balances the personal struggles and the war-time scenes. As our couple travels through Europe, they find themselves in awkward historical situations, trying to draw life lessons from war tragedies. It’s so embarassing that it’s funny. These attempts fall flat, sounding like a moral science class for fourth graders. And the cinematography? Well, it struggles to give these scenes any emotional weight, and it feels all bland. Instead, the carelessness with which these scenes are handled, it rather comes off as unintentionally funny.
All in all, “Bawaal” is a whirlwind of misfires that left us scratching our heads in disbelief. It’s a Bollywood mess that shamelessly manipulates historical events for a failing marriage plot. Seriously, who greenlit this? The insensitivity oozes from every frame, and we can’t help but feel deeply disappointed cuz of the lack of awareness. If you’re looking for a genuine and respectful exploration of history, “Bawaal” ain’t it, chief. Save yourself from this awkward train wreck and indulge in some classic DDLJ or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara instead.
