A flick of the remote and I chanced upon Bawaal (Fiasco), a Hindi movie on Amazon Prime. The star cast, especially, the lead male actor, with his lisping accent, did not present a preferable option. Another slapstick comedy, I thought.
Nothing much to do I continued watching till it dawned that this was not what I had guessed.
In the backdrop of Lucknow , the heritage city of culture, cuisine and intricate sartorial extravaganza, an average boy of an unassuming middle class family, Ajay (or as fondly called Ajju Bhayya, by his cronies), believes in surviving on the egg shells of pretentious image and make believe ambience. He has managed to orchestrate a superfluous aura around himself of an exemplary teacher and a maverick who is capable of creating practically unachievable larger than life grandiose by the flick of an imaginary wand.
Within the privacy of his bedroom he is a callous husband married to Nisha who unfortunately happens to be an epileptic. He shuns her. Refuses to take her out lest she has an attack in public tarnishing his well cultivated image of suavity thereby reducing her to being a veritable social outcast.
He is a disappointment to his grounded parents too whose well meaning advice falls on deaf ears. Blinded by the glit and glam of an alternate universe Ajju aspires to be a part of, knowing fully well he will never be, he perpetuates the facade of a magical overachiever.
Until one day he commits the mistake of thrashing one of his students who turns out to be the legislator’s son. Consequently, he is suspended for one month corporal punishment being a penal offence as per law. His reinstatement is now subject to the findings of an impartial Committee set up to evaluate his contribution as a teacher.
What does Ajju do to make amends ? He does what he is good at – engineering an extravagant ploy to reinforce his status as an extraordinarily devoted History teacher. He manipulates his father to fund a trip to Europe – Paris to Amsterdam to Normandy to Berlin to Aushwitzt – proposing to take online classes on World War II from these historical venues – a real time learning for his pupils – irrespective of his job being under suspension.
To his parents he pretends this trip to be an opportunity to make up with his wife. She is to accompany him though on the aside he tells her to be at her parents’ till his return. Nisha refuses to do so. Grabbing this as the proverbial last straw to save her marriage she compels Ajju to take her along.
And thus begins a transformative journey – from a hogwash to humungous learning – for Ajju, the incompetent to Ajju, the indubitably changed man. From Eiffel Tower where the French, before vacating the city so as to save it from the ravages of the war, had rendered the lift inoperable so as not to allow the Nazi the spectacular view from the top to Omaha Beach in Normandy where ten thousand young Allied soldiers were brutally killed by Germans to Annie Frank’s house – the basement where the family hid and knowing they would be caught anytime, Annie, an aspiring writer continued to keep journaling – to the Berlin Museum to the gas chambers of Aushwitzt to lastly meeting an Aushwitzt survivor, Ajju walks the path of self realisation confronting his weaknesses and lacking – how unfit he is as a teacher, how insincere he is as a son and how totally unequal he is to his smart, intelligent and resourceful wife Nisha.
This understated cinematic narrative boasts equally of undramatic performances though there are many moments in the script which could have been over exploited. But the critical question that the film raises is why it takes the most deplorable genocide in human history and the massive massacre of World War II for the protagonist to realise that life is too short for personal squabbles and petty inferiorities and too flimsy to hold on to the membrane of pretences for a happily gloating existence? Is it because, without fully realising the import of living in a war torn era where a sudden act of extremism or an unprecedented air crash or a full blown border skirmish can anytime blow off the cocoon of comfort , the complacently oblivious consumers continue to being ruffled in their daily rut?
Ponder for a while…
Pic from Google
This film reminds us that life’s truest lessons are not always found in books they sometimes lie hidden in the blood-stained pages of history, in the ruins of shattered dreams, and in the silence of another’s sorrow.
A person often remains imprisoned within walls of ego, pretence, and petty self-interests until confronted by deep pain or an awe-inspiring truth.
The deepest truths of life are not learned in moments of comfort, but in the wounds of history, the debris of broken dreams, and the quiet tears of others.
The message of “Bawaal” is this only by realising the impermanence of life do we truly understand the warmth of relationships, the power of forgiveness, and the worth of genuine humanity.
Otherwise, we keep ourselves wrapped in the blanket of comfort, waiting for that unseen war which will one day shatter our world.
When we sense the smell of death, the pain of separation, and the ruthlessness of time, we finally awaken to the truth that real happiness lies in love, togetherness, and forgiveness, while everything else is but a fleeting mirage.
-Vijay Srivastava
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Well said Vijay ji.
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It’s often through pain and vulnerability that we peel back the layers we hide behind, revealing truths we might never face in life. Those raw moments, though difficult, become the gateways to real growth and compassion. 🧡
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True Mae and very well elaborated. Those are the true moments of knowing.
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Thank you, Geeta, for the wonderfully inspiring story of how learning about the unfathomable depths of human depravity transformed a selfish and unthinking man’s life onto the path of enlightenment and profound change for the better. Your review does you proud as it is not only professional but also leaves the reader with thoughts about their lives.
Joanna
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It really makes me glad to know that you appreciated my review Joanna.
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Yes, I do, Geeta, and you deserve all the praise bestowed upon you!
Joanna
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Thank you very much 🙏🙏
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You are more than welcome, Geeta!
Joanna
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Nice review. A poignant reflection on a man’s journey from ignorance to awareness, the film subtly yet powerfully questions our complacency. It takes the gravitas of historical tragedy to shake Ajju—and perhaps the audience—into realising the futility of ego and the urgency of authenticity in a fragile world.
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Yes, the movie turned out to be quite revealing and made me think.
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Your final paragraph is very worth pondering
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Thank you Derrick.
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A powerful reflection. Bawaal turns from fluff to fierce, forcing us to confront our own shallow performances in the theatre of daily life. Sometimes, it takes walking through history’s worst horrors to realise how absurd our own dramas are. Quietly moving, without screaming for attention.
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You are spot on Mr. Philo.
It’s message is so much of a whisper that I couldn’t but mull over it overnight before coming to realise its power and impact.
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And thank you for letting us know about this movie.
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It sounds like there was a lot more to this movie than initially expected, Veeta.
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Yes, the movie surprised me with its treatment.
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