Vaalvi Movie Review: Swwapnil Joshi, Subodh Bhave, Anita Date and Shivani Surve Stir a Mad Tsunami as Paresh Mokshi Creates Yet Another Blazing Spectacle

There is absolutely no doubt that Paresh Mokashi is one of the most talented creators in Marathi cinema. The director has provided Marathi audience extremely compelling and original content in the form of Harishchandrachi Factory, the inventive – Elizabeth Ekadashi and the hilarious – Chi Va Chi Sau Ka. There is a zany, self-aware, effective and hilarious method to his storytelling that I instantly resonated with and knowing that he is going to explore the thriller genre with his next release, “Vaalvi” had me thoroughly excited as we would get to see his unique and eccentric storytelling. Written by Paresh Mokashi and Madhugandha Kulkarni, “Vaalvi” is a crime thriller infused with dark comedy. The less I say about the plot of the film, the better for your experience so I’ll just state the synopsis. “Vaalvi” is a dark comedy that explores the profound human nature involving selfishness, apathy and self-preservation forms the basic crux of this enjoyable and technically adept film. Here’s me telling you the good and bad aspects of the movie, so that you guys can ultimately decide whether to watch “Vaalvi” in theatres or not?

Marathi cinema has always stayed away from dark dramas and among the very few filmmakers, Paresh Mokashi is the one who has dared to bare it all with this film. “Vaalvi” is raw, grim and an in-the-face film which deals with four characters who falter prey to their own greed as they are caught up in a strange situation. The script is bang-on and probably Mokashi’s best.

I haven’t felt chills after watching a movie in a long time and “Vaalvi” did gave me those. The script’s four lead characters are messed up, one being the businessman – Aniket (Swwapnil Joshi), having an affair, others being his wife – Avani (Anita Date), his lover – a dentist Gayatri (Shivani Surve) and a psychiatrist – Anshuman (Subodh Bhave). While all four have a backdrop, they keep struggling to get in terms with their life then and now. Ego and greed being the two main angles in this story, “Vaalvi” really gets ugly as the course of the story builds. The pace is amazing, and this is a truly gripping script. Right from the first scene of the film where a couple is contemplating her suicidal thoughts, the film sets its tone. This is an excellent story and with its blissful casting it shines in every frame.

Swwapnil Joshi sizzles as he does something he hasn’t attempted with so much conviction that he holds together the film as it moves in unseen territories for Marathi.

Subodh Bhave is effortless. It was so amazing to see Subodh take on such an unpredictable character with so much conviction.

Anita Date – what can I say – I am a fan!

Shivani Surve is truly wonderful as she embraces the crazy in her for this performance.

Paresh Mokashi is a director who believes in presenting the human nature and its raw elements on celluloid. This time on his radar is greed and the demons inside us which even overpower our usual emotional sides. A simple thriller comedy transforms into much more complex as each character flips sides according to their suitability. This film is evocative of raw emotions. The lighting in the film is as dark and dim as all of its characters.

The editing is tight. As perverse as his characters are, the locations too speak a lot about them and thus as always in any of Mokashi’s films, the atmosphere too tells the story.

“Vaalvi” is a hilarious, mean, dark and unsettling film that will rip you off in its last scene. It is honest, bare and raw in all its sense. As disgusting as the characters are, you want to watch this film for their diverse personalities and just to see what goes on in warped brains that bring out the worst in them. I loved the film for its brave nature, and I am going with a 4/5 for its bold content.

Bob Biswas (Zee5) Hindi Movie Review: An Intelligent Thriller Told In A Novel Way

So this weekend was the Abhishek Bachchan’s return to the movies. I remember watching Kahaani in 2012 and getting shivers down my spine, of an 8 minute role that was portrayed by Saswata Chatterjee. This mysterious and intimidating character called ‘Bob Biswas’ was a contract killer who would be a man of few words but would also always get the job done. The Bengali Cinema legend showcased a haunting performance. However Chatterjee never wanted to play the same role again hence the makers went on to cast Abhishek Bachchan reprising the character. It is true that Chatterjee’s performance can never be forgotten but the first look of Bob Biswas with Abhishek Bachchan really intrigued me. Since last year it’s really good to see Abhishek stepping out from the commercial genre and taking risks like Breathe and Ludo. We can say this is Abhishek Bachchan 2.0.

The film is an origin story of Bob Biswas. Set in Kolkata, Bob finds himself as having just recovered from an eight-year coma, with little recollection of his life before the unfortunate accident. He is greeted by his wife & two kids and has to assume that this is his life. How slowly & steadily he connects the dots to understand his real purpose, unearthing in the process his real character and shady business that is causing mayhem on the streets of Kolkata more or less forms the story of Bob Biswas. Here’s me telling you the good and bad aspects of the film so that you guys can ultimately decide whether to watch it on Zee5 or not?

The story of Bob Biswas is such that it keeps the audience guessing about what is going to happen next. As such the screenplay is very engaging and entertaining. While Abhishek’s character draws the audience’s sympathy, the way he goes about the search makes the audience change their opinion of him. The climax, which reveals the truth about the entire case, is shocking. Overall, the writer Sujoy Ghosh has done a commendable job.

The dialogues, by Raj Vasant and Sujoy Ghosh, are natural.

Abhishek Bachchan is the life of the film. He depicts the helpless yet brave man very realistically.

Paran Bandopadhyay, as Kali Da, is a discovery. He is superb as the chemist who gives philosophical advice to Bob.

Purab Kohli  is memorable as Bubai.

Chitrangada Singh does a fine job.

Tina Desai as the police, Indira Verma is just wonderful.

Barun Chanda, Bhanu Uday and others offer able support.

Diya Annapurna Ghosh’s direction is very good. She makes the narrative engaging from the start to the end and extracts fine performances from her cast. However, her narrative style will appeal more to the class audience.

Vishal-Shekhar, Anupam Roy, Clinton Cerejo & Bianca Gomes’s music is very good.

Garik Sarkar’s cinematography makes the nooks and crannies of Kolkata come alive. Production design is realistic.

On the whole, Bob Biswas is a very good entertainer. It’s an intelligent thriller told in a novel way.

3.5/5 Stars!