Review: Nimrat Kaur steals the show in a noble but underwhelming 'Dasvi'

The idea of being out-of-the-box is something Maddock Films seem to have grabbed on to hard as it continues to back stories that are unconventional in nature and catches you by all kinds of surprises. Not all attempts of doing so have been successful enough but the attempts continue and so it should.

Another such film has arrived in the form of Dasvi on Netflix. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur and Yami Gautam Dhar in lead roles as it deals with how a corrupt, arrogant and illiterate Chief Minister of Harit Pradesh sets his goal to pass the 10th std. examination while being locked up in the jail. Having had the chance to see the film, here's what I thought of it-

The Premise

As told above already, Gangaram Chaudhary (Bachchan) is an arrogant and corrupt Chief Minister who is forced to serve jail time due to a particular case. While inside the cell, he is dealing two different kinds of women - one is the no-nonsense and strict Superintendent of that jail, Jyoti Deswal (Gautam Dhar) and the other is his wife, Vimala Devi (Kaur), who seemed to be drunk with power as she is now the reigning CM of the state with her husband locked in. What leads to Chaudhary taking the 10th std examination and the culmination of it - is what comprises of the entire film.

The Performances

Leading the way is Bachchan as Gangaram Chaudhary and the actor is at his usual self - being earnest. As Gangaram Chaudhary, Bachchan does a fine job with portraying the towering physicality that is needed to come across as a powerful and feared politician but also showcases his innocent and vulnerable side as the story progresses.

Gautam Dhar as Jyoti is also in fine fettle as the actor seems to be getting wider range of characters in recent times. She does come across as a tad underwhelming when needed to showcase her prowess of being a no-nonsense cop but does well in the smaller and gentler moments.

The show-stealer, however, has to be Nimrat Kaur. There have been multiple instances where I have wondered as to why is a fine actor like Kaur not doing more films but then it seems like the actor only takes up films that gives her talent justice and that is what Vimmo does. As Vimala Devi aka Vimmo, Kaur is absolutely fantastic as she begins with playing the docile and submissive wife to then being drunk-with-power CM and standing against her own husband. Bachchan might be billed as the lead but it a Nimrat Kaur show all the way.

The Execution

With an unconventional story like this, it has to be all about the execution of the film in order to prove the point it is trying to make. Dasvi, while not entirely effective, does reasonably well to do so. The first half becomes borderline boring but it is courtesy the second half that the film achieves in the course it is set for. There are some entertaining and novel scenes which manage to get you back in it and engage post an underwhelming first half.

There are also some obvious discrepancies that cannot be ignored. For instance, when Gangaram is in the jail and gradually forced to live just like any prisoner, he still has the most groomed hairstyle, moustache and beard possible throughout the film and his kurtas are ironed so well that it seems like he can run any election from the jail itself.

The Same Old

An unfortunate trend that seem to have become a staple with Maddock Films is how it seems to be focusing on ticking boxes. Using humor as a mechanism - check, attaching an important social message - check, making sure the commercial aspect is not compromised - check, rounding up the climax conveniently - check.

While these tick boxes aren't a bad thing per se but one can easily spot the tropes being a constant in multiple films. It worked wonders with Stree, was half-way there with Roohi, went dismally wrong with Hum Do Humare Do and now seems repetitive with Dasvi.

The Smaller Moments

I always believe that a truly well-made film is determined by the smaller moments and while Dasvi doesn't have that aplenty but definitely has a few of them. The first interaction of a changed Vimmo with her jailed husband Gangaram and the exchange of expressions between Kaur and Bachchan emoted so much without saying too much; another moment where Vimmo feels her position of being the CM is in trouble and how Kaur uses sly expressions to portray - make some of the best scenes of the film.

The Underwhelming Climax

What was turning out to be a redeeming second-half crashed to quite an extent with the final act of the movie, for me. The character arc given to Bachchan's Gangaram might seem satisfactory but the end that Kaur's Vimmo gets seems rather underwhelming.

The Verdict

Dasvi struggles to finds its footing in the first half but does just about enough in the second half to make it an easy-breezy watch with a few complaints.

Rating - *** (3/5)

You can watch Dasvi on Netflix.