Bawaal is a misfire of epic proportions – and its extremely sad to see the makers of solid contextually driven films like Lagaan, Chichore ( Nitesh Tiwari) coming up with an absolute mess of a story, where they triangulate to fix a crumbling marriage with World War II horrors. Despite the inherent potential of the Film, Bawaal , unlike its meaning, never really engages you and its pretty bizarre to see the developments going on screen.

Based in Lucknow, Bawaal is about coming of age of Ajay aka Ajju bhaiya, whose life revolves only around his image and swag. He believes only in his “showbaazi”. Though he teaches History in a local school, he possesses deep insecurities within, as he leads a mundane life fraught with epic frustrations. He camouflages his entire life under the veneer of his ego and fake swag. A man who believes in keeping appearances, he marries a bright and spirited girl Nisha ( Jahnvi Kapoor), who we are told was extremely confident and social prior to marriage. but is diagnosed with epilepsy fits. When Nisha confesses the same to Ajay prior tying the knot, Ajay conveniently overlooks it as she is his perfect match – smart, beautiful and daughter of a successful businessman. Things get sour after marriage, as Ajay discovers the reality of Nisha’s fits and now is ashamed of her. He ignores her, doesnt allow her to work – basically a male chauvinistic person. Even his own parents (Manoj Pahwa and Anjuman Saxena) are perennially frustrated with him. An incident at his school leads to his suspension with pending disciplinary action. To evade this, he decides to deflect everyone’s attention and complete his History syllabus on World War II by conducting classes from the holocuast sites in Europe. He manages to squeeze out his parents money for the trip, and Nisha joins him too. The rest of the movie is about how they rekindle their relationship and Ajay rediscovers himself, amidst the background of the victims of World War 2

Its a brave premise, but insensitive execution. Rediscovering oneself and love amidst World War 2 background is blemished with an inherently flawed narrative and huge suspension of belief. When Ajay and Nisha visit the holocaust area, the cruel atrocities committed by Hitler are conveniently equated to teach us basic lessons about human greed. At this point, Nisha echoes ” Hum sab bhi hitler ki tarah hai na, jo apne paas hai usse khush nahi hai, jo dusre ke paas hai woh chaiye“. Nisha says this with such bland expression that the entire thread seems so inconsequential in the context of the film. Similarly when the couple visits Auschwitz, where millions of people were murdered, Bawaal trivializes this gruesome horror with an insipid moral lesson ” Hur rishta apne apne Auschwitz se guzarta hai” . The intent and portrayal feels so wrong at multiple levels! The gas chamber scenes during the fag end of the film, though well filmed, are hampered with a peculiar portrayal of our couple, again, dehumanizing the cruelty of the unforgettable episode.

To give credit where its due, the makers show their prowess in depicting the seamless transition between 1940s to present. Some of the scenes ( Normandy) will raise goosebumps, but the sheer insensitivity that follows such poignant moments dampens the spirit of the film. There is also a running joke of a bunch of gujarati folks who run into Varun and Nisha, amidst the usual cacophony and of course, the dhokla’s and khakra’s. Humor too is insipid!

Thanks to a spirited performance , especially by Jahnvi Kapoor, not everything is lost. She looks vibrant and smart, and shines in a role of a wife who holds on to the faint hope of finding love in her husband. She particularly aces the part in the film’s later half where she narrates a painful history of WW2 to Ajay. Varun Dhavan too exudes energy, but he falters in the film’s emotional moments where his realization is palpable, but his efforts are strained. Its not an effortless performances from an actor who is known for his spontaneity. Seasoned actors like Manoj Pahwa, Anjuman Saxena ( as Ajju’s parents) and Mukesh Tiwari (as MLA) lend able support. Daniel B George’s background score also complements the scenes well. Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi and Akashdeep Sengupta’s tracks are hummable, too. And at the end of it, I was not sure why the movie is named “Bawaal”. There is absolutely nothing to justify the naming convention of a highly insensitive film to be honest.

Bawaal could have been another masterpiece by Nitesh Tiwari, but unfortunately, misfires to be a highly disappointing fare. Its the faltered execution that proves to be the bane here. I am going with 2 out of 5 for Bawaal, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. No harm in watching it from the comforts of home, but its indeed a bizarre film!