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Review: Bhavai’s Message Would Be Clearer if It Wasn’t So Eager to Please

Bhavai is directed by Hardik Gajjar and also stars Aindrita Ray, Rajendra Gupta, and Ankur Bhatia.

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Bhavai

Review: Bhavai’s Message Would Be Clearer if It Wasn’t Eager to Please

One comes out of Bhavai feeling like the film wanted to say a lot but for some reason hesitates and ends with an ellipsis… trailing off for no reason into the mundane. No, actually that’s not true. We know why they decided to pull punches and almost stop mid sentence.

The strong-arming and trolling that made them change the title of the film from Raavan Leela to Bhavai is what makes them look over their shoulder throughout. This eagerness to not offend renders the film ineffectual despite the fact that they have a strong premise they could build on.

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Bhavai set in the 1980’s in a small village in Gujarat has a rather interesting take on politics and religion and the sinister cocktail that ensues when the two are mixed. The bovine existence of the village folk gets a welcome break when a Ramleela is staged in their gaon. The ever smiling and svelte Aindrita Ray plays Sita and Bhanwar, the head of the naatak company and a resident bully, is Raavan.

Bhavai is directed by Hardik Gajjar and also stars Aindrita Ray, Rajendra Gupta, and Ankur Bhatia.

Aindrita Ray and Pratik Gandhi in Bhavai.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

The film opens as we eavesdrop on a discussion about who is going to play Ram, that the person must “appear” to be noble and ‘maryada purushottam’ like. This dichotomy between the “real” and “projected” is played out a number of times. In another scene as a rath yatra with the trio of Ram, Sita, and Laxman is underway, the actors talk about being thirsty and tired.

“Bhagwan ban kar galati kerdi yaar, (I made a mistake by becoming a God)” says the irritated actor playing Ram. Raja Ram Joshi played by Pratik Gandhi is delighted. He wants to be an actor much to his father’s chagrin. Panditji’s son playing Raavan and not Ram- the father is aghast!

Bhavai is teeming with good actors: Rajendra Gupta as Raja’s always upset father, Abhimanyu Singh with his booming voice playing Bhawar with finesse. The ever-dependable Rajesh Sharma as Hanuman, Ankur Vikal who plays Ram, and Ankur Bhatia who plays Laxman and is always excited at the tantalizing prospect of being cast as Ram.

Bhavai is directed by Hardik Gajjar and also stars Aindrita Ray, Rajendra Gupta, and Ankur Bhatia.

Rajendra Gupta plays Pratik Gandhi's father in Bhavai.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

Pratik Gandhi, riding on the waves of Scam 1992, is hands down the most recognizable face to get in the audience to the theatres and he doesn’t disappoint. The earnestness wins us over. Whether it’s the scenes where he is telling his father about his love for acting or confessing his feelings to Rani, Pratik hits the right notes.

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The back stage scenes are some of the more perceptive moments in the film. The actors going about their daily chores, the power struggle that follows. Hardik Gajjar who has directed shows like Devo Ke Dev Mahadev and Siya Ke Ram is smooth and efficient in handling the onstage Ramleela moments.

But the film clearly wanted to tell a different story. Not so much the spectacle on stage but the insidious ways of politicians using religion. How religion and faith is misused, communal passions stoked, how gullible harmless people can be turned into a blood thirty mob; it’s this combustible mix of politics and religion that Bhavai set out to showcase but sadly is burdened with the task of not offending a certain section.

It somehow makes its point, but it’s so diluted that precious little can be done about it.

Bhavai is directed by Hardik Gajjar and also stars Aindrita Ray, Rajendra Gupta, and Ankur Bhatia.

A still from Pratik Gandhi's Bhavai.

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

Even in this watered-down version, the message still manages to come through. Imagine how powerful the proceedings would have been if they were allowed to say what they actually intended to. Go watch it for Pratik Gandhi and the excellent ensemble but Bhavai could have been so much more if only it wasn’t so eager to please.

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Topics:  Pratik Gandhi 

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