Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) Review!!!

Synopsis – Set in the small-town of Bareilly, Bitti is a free-spirited young girl who lives life on her own terms and refuses to be pressured into getting married. Her life takes a shift when she meets Chirag Dubey and Pritam Vidrohi.

My Take – From what I know, despite the presence of likable cast most regular movie goers hardly had any prerelease expectations from this film, a huge factor here would be the presence of a very underwhelming trailer. Personally, I was surprised as director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwary, who after creating waves with her debut film Nil Battey Sanata, chose to back a film containing an old school Bollywood rom-com, along with her husband Nitesh Tiwari, the director of Dangal, sharing the writing credits. Thankfully, for her & us, despite its fair share of hiccups, the film manages to strike a chord because of its authenticity and characters. he story is predictable and flawed too, but the film’s pace and set-up keep you invested. Unlike other good Bollywood romances, this is not a heartfelt film, neither does it leave a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. However, the simplicity and authenticity of the story make it worth your time. Much like its title, the film is a packet of sweets that you’d enjoy after a meal, as it will leave you satiated and happy. Isn’t this what ‘barfi’ is supposed to do?

Based on the French novel, Ingredients of Love, the story follows Bitti (Kriti Sanon), a bold and brash small-town girl from Bareilly, who is constantly berated for smoking, drinking, and staying out till late night. Unlike other small-town parents, her father (Pankaj Tripathi) & mother (Seema Pahwa) let her do what interests her and thus are borderline progressive, until she reaches her marriageable age. While her mother wants her to find the right match, father values her independence. Disappointed by her regular marriage proposal rejections & broken engagements, fearing for her parent’s status, Bitti decides to make a run for it and finds herself at railway station where she comes across the cheapest selling novel titled ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ at the book stand, which ends up changing her life for the better, as she believes the girl in the book is her. She begins a search for the author, which leads her to Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana), a printing press owner, who had authored and printed the book five years ago after a heartbreak. Not wanting to put his name on the book, he ends up using the name of his shy friend Pritam Vidrohi (Rajkummar Rao) as the author. Belong to a small town & it’s mentality, fearing for the shame he may bring to himself & his family, Pritam moves away and takes up a job in Lucknow. Now Chirag begins up the charade of being the messenger between her and the author. However, things take a crazy turn when Chirag falls for Bitti & upon being constantly pressurized by Bitti to arrange a meeting between her & Pritam, he decides to track him down and prove how unsuitable he is for Bitti. What follows next are the sweet complications of a love-triangle. I agree, this isn’t an exemplary story, by no means, but I can assure you it’s a heartwarming watch. It’s the kind of film that remains in your head long after it’s done. Director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, who like her previous film, the Swara Bhaskar-starrer gem, here too portrays the lives of the people in a small town. But, unlike the former, which was backed by a strong plot, this one hangs on a threadbare storyline. You’re often left wondering why a girl as unabashed as Bitti crumbles under self-doubt when exposed to the misogynistic world that doesn’t find in her, a suitable bride. Or how an inhibited Vidrohi, often mistreated by his ‘buddy’ Dubey, grows brash enough to take him on towards the latter half. Yet, the film maintains a fun tone throughout, even though it explores double standards and blatant bullying between the characters. The idea of love as a confection and a concoction has several sweet bits served between lashings of redundant and overstretched scenes and songs. The plot, by Nitesh Tiwari and Shreyas Jain, takes forever to grow into place, and really begins to take shape only after Pritam arrives on the scene. Forced to adopt a swagger alien to his mild-mannered ways, Pritam adds welcome frisson to the mismatched pairing of Chirag and Bitti and turns the situation on its head. What begins as Bitti’s understanding of why she is looked at as her mother’s daughter and her father’s son soon shifts to how things would only get fixed if she gets married, and then turns into two boys vying for her attention. Think the Madhuri Dixit-Salman Khan-Sanjay Dutt starrer Saajan, with grins and giggles replacing the longing and the emotions. Yes, as you all might have guessed, the fake author of romantic novel is far more captivating than the actual creator and the object of the creator’s affection.

Yet, the writing is clever and the humor is clean. The film’s dialogues are impeccably written and aptly included. There’s a lot to laugh too, especially with Nitish Tiwary of Dangal fame is behind it, the dialogue – crisp and razor sharp when funny, which doesn’t come off as such a surprise. But when it gets to the emotional moments, there’s a lot that’s missing where he eventually panders to the cheesy rom-com dialogues. Interestingly, the film’s affable characters, and not the story, will tickle your funny bones. Director Ashwiny established her knack of presenting normal-est of characters with a certain zing with her debut and carries the legacy forward in this film. More than the dialogues, it’s the sentences spoken under the breath that’d catch your attention. The genuine portrayal of a small-town middle-class household works equally well in sustaining the viewers’ interest & with that the chuckles seamlessly grow to laughs, applauds even, as the writers (Nitesh Tiwari, Shreyas Jain and Rajat Nonia) successfully capture the flavor of life in this town. From the roads to the way characters communicate and the food they gorge on – every aspect is paid attention to ensure the Bareilly setting of the film feels authentic. It will take you a while to realize it’s Javed Akhtar doing the naughty voiceover, reflecting more of the story than its setting can. The film’s skillful portrayal of love comes with a mandatory sprinkling of freshness usually missing from modern day rom-coms, all thanks to Iyer and her writers making sure that the film is given an intrinsic identity, by adapting it to the rustic milieu. Of course, this comes without its own fair share of massive flaws. This 116-minute-long film feels slightly stretched towards the end, ending on an extra-sweet and predictable note, the end could have been a bit stronger as Rajkummar’s wonderful act, however, that does not prohibit the film from leaving a sweet after-taste. The editing is choppy, it’s a lengthy watch, the screenplay is a drag in parts but we suggest that you forgo the nitpicking. With an outstanding performance, Rajkummar Rao steals all the attention during his screen time. You just cannot take your eyes off him; neither in his shy look, nor in his rowdy look. Here, Rao once again proves why he’s the most underrated actor on the block. Ayushmann Khurrana is effortless. Khurrana‘s Chirag gives you a deja vu of his role in his last film Meri Pyaari Bindu. But this one is few shades deeper and that’s quite enticing to watch. There’s a certain selfishness to his character that makes you not fall for him until the very end. As a typical lover boy, he is flawed, selfish, broken – all in the name of love. Kriti Sanon fits perfectly as the girl next door and almost wins you over with her firebrand attitude and author backed role. Apart from the starry-trio, the supporting actors in the film are equally noticeable. Pankaj Tripathi as Bitti’s progressive and loving father is wonderful, but Seema Pahwa as her mother takes the cake. She’s as real as a small-town mother should be. Her attempt to fit in the ‘progressive’ world despite being bound by the clichéd thought process is relatable and leads to multiple hilarious sequences in the film. Rohit Choudhary who plays Chirag’s friend is equally impressive. There are certain aspects of his character that’d remind you of the way Anand L Rai treats his characters. On the whole, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ is a light-hearted film which despite its clichés manages to entertain with its humor and feel-good moments. Don’t expect much walking into this one & you won’t be disappointed.