Cast: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala
Story: Ashwini Iyer Tiwari
Rating: 3/5
Bawaal tells the captivating tale of Ajay Dixit aka Ajju Bhaiya (Varun Dhawan), an image-conscious history teacher who’s anything but passionate about teaching. He marries Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor), a brilliant student and epilepsy sufferer. Despite being aware of her condition before marriage, Ajju refuses to acknowledge Nisha as his wife after witnessing her seizure on their wedding day.
The plot unfolds as Ajju devises a cunning plan to save his job by tricking his father into funding a trip to Europe for his history students to learn about World War II. Nisha, desperate to salvage their marriage, insists on accompanying him.
The film starts off slow, but the exceptional performances by the lead pair, with credit to Nitesh Tiwari’s direction, keep you engaged. While Varun’s character may seem far-fetched, his portrayal of Ajju breathes life into the story, making it worth watching.
Surprisingly, Varun and Janhvi make a complementary pair, and Janhvi’s performance shines, especially in the scenes portraying Nisha’s struggles with epilepsy.
The film attempts to use World War II as a metaphor for relationships, insecurities, and biases, which is clever but lacks the impact it deserved due to screenplay limitations.
Overall, Bawaal presents a fresh storyline with great potential, and the outstanding performances make it a decent watch.
Bawaal is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
