Bawaal
2023 · Directed by Nitesh Tiwari
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- romance
- action
- history
The story
Ajay Dixit, an ordinary history teacher in a high school, enjoys mini celebrityhood in his town courtesy of the fake image he has built. He shares a strained relationship with his newly-wed wife. Circumstances force him to take a trip to Europe for the World War II trail accompanied by his wife. Will his relationship with his wife survive this trip? Will he manage to win the war within?
What it’s like
Bright, sun-warmed travel-postcard frames give way to sober, tightly held shots of memorial sites, with wide European streets, sunlit cafés and crowded tour buses set against quieter interiors and a soft, melodic score. Its mood is light and wry at the core, a rom-com with a bruised undertow, and the pace moves briskly through banter, mismatched glances and set-piece sightseeing before it slows for heavier history. Expect a slow thaw more than fireworks: a self-absorbed man and his new, frustrated wife gradually see past their own performances. Intensity is mild. The romance includes kissing and some suggestive humour, and language is occasionally crude. The Holocaust material is handled through guided visits and conversation rather than graphic depiction, so the darkness lands as grief and reflection, not gore or sustained dread. It suits a relaxed weekend evening, a date night, or a viewer who wants warmth with a serious, quietly humbling turn. It is best for people who enjoy Hindi-language romantic comedies with a reflective streak and an interest in how travel can change a person.
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