Image Courtesy: Tatva Bodhini
Introduction:
Analysis:
Maddock Films has brought the tenth medium after English medium and Hindi medium. He has resurrected the issue of education again, but this time he has linked it to politics. Politicians must have a formal education. This is a never-ending source of contention. The film touches on this issue in a satirical fashion, but due to writing flaws, the film is unable to do justice to the subject in a strong manner.
We cannot emphasise anymore how underappreciated Abhishek Bachchan is. While he manages to showcase his sassiness online, his on-screen presence is remarkable. He ticks all the boxes as Ganga Ram. He gets everything right, from the ferocity to the politician-like demeanour. However, on the other end of the spectrum, he has an innocent quality about him that makes you smile.
Yami, who portrays officer Jyoti, does a good job for the most part, although there are times when you expect more from her. She has obviously been experimenting with genres, and this one is a fantastic addition to that list. While Abhishek is entertaining to watch, Nimrat is the true star of the Dasvi cast. When you see her on-screen, you can't help but notice how talented she is as an actor. She plays Vimala Devi, and while she begins as a conventional wife, her character development is extraordinary.
Acting and Direction:
Abhishek Bachchan, Yami Gautam, and Nimrat Kaur feature in the comedy-drama Dasvi. Tushar Jalota directed it, and Jio Studios, Maddock Films, and Bake My Cake Films produced it. Dasvi will be available on Netflix on April 7.
Producer Dinesh Vijan appears to have a particular spot for scripts on education. Following the well-made Angrezi Medium and the lacklustre Hindi Medium, a team of writers (Ritesh Shah, Suresh Menon), narrative writer (Ram Bajpai), and consultant (Kumar Vishwas), and director Tushar Jalota set out to scatter education across a Jat-strewn state dubbed Harit Pradesh.
With a motto of 'Mall before school,' and a clear goal of 'making maal,' popular Chief Minister Ganga Ram Chaudhary represents everything that politicians are known for. Especially in their bravado with their schemes, peremptory transfer orders, and general dismissal of IAS toppers serving near-illiterate political masters.
When Ganga Ram is imprisoned for corruption and does a Lalu Prasad by putting his bovine wife Bimmo (Nimrit Kaur as Bimla Devi) on his chair, the scene bears a striking resemblance to Subhash Kapoor's Maharani, the web series in which Huma Qureshi developed a taste for the power that came with the CM's seat. Tushar and his colleagues may have made an effort not to mimic the first scenes of Maharani to the point where the ingenue's swearing-in ceremony and first days in the Assembly follow the identical pattern.
While Bimmo, who was previously advised to 'speak up,' progresses from tending cows and buffaloes to taking leadership of the state in the manner of Maharani, and even reduces the IAS official to a gobar-gathering sidekick, husband Ganga Ram's arc provides the more intriguing landscape. The pompous sense of entitlement with which he enters, the wounded pride when his 'lines and a dot' signature is derided, and his pledge to become a 'dasvi pass' are all entertaining in general. But it is his transformation from caste-and-corruption-ridden leadership to recognising the contributions of gurus, teachers, knowledge, and education that is at the core of the film and is a commendable segment.
His connection with the gurus inside the prison, such as Ghanti (Arun Kushwaha) and Librarian alias Rae Bareilly (Danish Hussain), who prepares him for the examinations by employing his astute political calculations to teach him arithmetic, science, social sciences, and English, is endearing. However, the Forrest Gump scenes in which he is juxtaposed with a slew of historical figures — Lala Lajpat Rai, Gandhi, Azad, and Bose – have the filmmakers sauntering back into familiar territory.
His 10th-grade scores conclude in a sweet scene with Superintendent Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam) using the chair as a metaphor. However, the climactic passages with his exams and election results coming out at the same time appear rushed. While it works that his relationship with Jyoti Deswal progresses from resentment to respect, if not affection, and does not devolve into a marital triangle, his post-election scene with wife Bimmo, who openly opposes him on the campaign trail, is deliciously unconvincing. However, the pleasant takeaways are 'Power blinds you' and 'Education empowers you.'
There are numerous inconsistencies. Long after Superintendent Deswal has barred him from receiving preferential treatment, Ganga Ram occasionally eats at home and occasionally reports to the mess. In one scene from 'Fit India,' he mutters, 'Once again,' like Abhishek Bachchan would in real life, while in another, he murmurs, 'Womens.' That, after muttering 'A tiger never changes its stripes' and switching from active to passive voice with relative ease.
Conclusion:
It takes some time to accept Abhishek Bachchan in a role that his father would have once nailed, his acting almost caricature-like. But, because Junior has his own appeal, you gradually warm up to him, as Jyoti Deswal does. Nimrit Kaur and Yami Gautam get by in parts that don't have any memorable scenes scripted for them. So Dasvi is like a typical exam paper — some are predictable, some catch you off guard, you get some right and some wrong. Overall, the tenth merit is not passed by grace marks, but because of the subject matter, everyone should experience this film.
My Rating: 8/10
