Dasvi
RATING
Introduction
Onto the second new release of the day and I finished watching the new Hindi film Dasvi on Netflix last night. Ever since its trailer came out, I loved the fact that it focussed on the importance of education. As Nelson Mandela said, Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. This does not mean you force your kids to join some of the apps which teach you coding at a younger age. But education is all about understanding the things around us, broadening our horizon and eventually putting it to use to help the society and the world around us. There was a newspaper cutting which said that the ex CM of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala attempted to give his tenth standard exams at the age of 86 while serving a jail term. If that doesn’t inspire you then little things will. And based on this incident, Dasvi released on Netflix amidst some good amount of expectations. Does it manage to pass the exam with flying colours, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Dasvi follows the story of a CM charged for a scam and serving a jail term who decides to complete his tenth standard exams as a part of a challenge. The story is earnest and sincere with a very important message which it tries to deliver – the important of education. The screenplay here is a touch patchy where you may feel disinterested in parts yet there are several heartwarming moments that keep you engaged. One of the drawbacks in the film is that it is slightly cliched in the first hour where it was difficult for me to believe that CM’s wife who had to take over the reigns from her husband, was struggling in her oath ceremony only to understand the system in the very next scene. Another drawback was the lack of focus in the narration where it did make you question that where was the film headed with its messaging. Perhaps a slightly more focussed narrative would have helped here.
But I am willing to overlook some of the flaws considering the sincere message which the film intends to convey. What I really liked in the screenplay was the dynamics of the other characters with the protagonist which makes for several interesting and heartwarming moments. The entire process of studying by correlating things with the real world was a fresh way of looking at things and it is here that the writing shines. One of my favourite scenes include a teary eyed protagonist viewing his result with pride while the stern superintendent looks on with tears in her eyes. These are the kind of moments which shape the screenplay which is engaging and heartwarming and hides some of the flaws in the narrative! The drama culminates into an important final act with an equally important message which brought me to the conclusion that if you are willing to look past some of the lacklustre writing then there are rewards to be had!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are sharp and true to the land where the drama is set in. The music by Sachin Jigar is pretty good with Thaan Liya taking the cake for me which beautifully creates this tender moment towards the end. However, the first song although good stalls the flow of the drama momentarily. The BGM is good and makes an impact. Director Tushar Jalota does a pretty good job here wherein he manages to impress although his direction was slightly rough around the edges.
Performances
The performances are pretty good and I must say that the casting needs to be applauded here. Aditi Vats and Sumit Shekhar Rai(as Prem Qaidi) have their moments to shine. Danish Husain as Rai Bareili is first rate and quite sincere. Shivankit Parihar contributes to some of the quirky and funny moments as the reporter. Arun Kushwah as Ghanti(you may know him as Chote Miyan) is terrific and does a splendid job. Manurishi Chadha as Satpal is pretty good although his character seemed slightly confused to me(no fault of his though). Nimrat Kaur as Bimla is outstanding and I really wish to watch more of her in such meaty roles. She is wonderfully restrained and well in control throughout. It won’t be wrong to say that Yami Gautam is in the purplest patch of her career. After A Thursday, this is another brilliant performance by her as Jyoti. She will amaze you throughout. Abhishek Bachchan as Ganga Chaudhary is absolutely terrific. The turning point in his career was probably Manmarziyan and she hasn’t looked back since. He is churning out one masterclass after another and silencing some of his staunchest critics. Safe to say that Abhishek Bachchan 2.0 is absolutely here to stay!
Conclusion
Despite its flaws, Dasvi passes with flying colours. If you are willing to overlook its initial lacklustre writing then there are rewards to be had later on. Available on Netflix.