Film: Bawaal 
Director: Nitesh Tiwari 
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor 
U/A: Romance, Drama  
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video 
Critic’s Rating: 2/5

There is a scene at the start of Bawaal where Ajay Dixit, aka Ajju (Varun Dhawan), reminisces with his friend Bipin (Prateek Pachauri) about a semi-final cricket match he had played. Bragging about the ambience he had set up—watering the pitch, installing floodlights, getting customised uniforms—he then asks if Bipin remembers how much he scored in the match. While an awed Bipin says it would be about 60 to 70 runs, Ajju reminds him that he got out after five runs. Highlighting the importance of the mahaul that he had created, he points out that it is the atmosphere that people remember, not the result. That could very well sum up National Award-winning director Nitesh Tiwari’s latest offering, which began streaming on Amazon Prime Video yesterday.

The film opens with Tiwari creating an awe-inspiring ambience for his protagonist. It turns out Ajju is a high-school history teacher in Lucknow who is obsessed with the image he projects of himself in society. So much so that he marries Nisha (Janhvi Kapoor), as he believes that her business family and educational background would upgrade his social status. While she honestly opens up about her vulnerabilities before the wedding, it creates a mental block for him post-nuptials.