Title: Bawaal
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Mukesh Tiwari, and others
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: 4 stars
It seems like filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari is trying to prove his genius time and again — Bawaal is yet another testimony to it. He probably knows the pulse of the audiences or education being his softcore, he manages to impress the cinephiles quite easily. Rarely comes a love story that has a universal appeal associated with it and one such story is of Ajay and Nisha which is set in Lucknow but finds its true sense in Europe.
Ajju aka Ajay (Varun Dhawan), a History professor, refuses to believe that he is married to Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor), who is an independent, free-spirited and modern girl just because she has epilepsy. Nisha tries hard to save their not-so-rosy relationship but all in vain. Their love story unfolds a new chapter when Ajay decides to elope to Europe to save himself from a stern MLA.
Nitesh delivers a film whose genre is ambiguous and that’s where Bawaal stands out. He tells his human story against the backdrop of World War 2. He magically manufactures this relationship drama with the life of Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. His novel narrative is solid enough to transport you to the historical events held around the late 1930s to mid-1940s in Germany.
Be it Dangal (2016) or Chhichhore (2019), education has always been a major highlight in his screenplay. However, Bawaal is a one-of-its-kind film that delves into the history of another country that acts as a catalyst in the protagonist’s life. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, who has co-produced the film has penned the story of this masterpiece. The beauty of Bawaal lies in her story culminating with Nitesh’s vision.
Keeping aside his routine roles, Varun yet again showcases his acting prowess. His transition from a flamboyant guy to a sincere human is honest. In the past, with films like Badlapur (2015) and October (2018), he drew attention from his fans to critics — Bawaal showcases his ability for risk-taking. Janhvi, who is improving with each of her films, packs a solid punch as Nisha. Manoj Pahwa and Mukesh Tiwari are noticeable.
No more talking — Bawaal creates Bawaal in every way possible.
