Dasvi Movie Review: Abhishek Bachchan impresses as Haryanvi politician but the story falls flat

Abhishek Bachchan has done an impressive job as a Haryanvi politician in Dasvi. However, the film's story fails to achieve its purpose.

Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. When Gangaram Chaudhary (played by Abhishek Bachchan) reads this famous line in his textbook in Dasvi, it forces him to ponder upon his rigid ways and question the importance of education. Revolving around a flamboyant Chief Minister, Tushar Jalota’s directorial traces the story of a corrupt politician who is hell-bent on passing his Class 10 exam. Unlike Abhishek's excitement for the film (remember his emotional note?) or the level of promotions the makers did, Dasvi is a simple film that comes with a purpose, which is 'Right to Education'. However, it lacks focus and entertainment.

After Chief Minister Gangaram Chaudhary's name surfaces in a scam, he is sentenced to judicial custody. To skip jail hardships, the Haryanvi politician decides to appear for his Class 10 board exams during his prison sentence. He vows that he won’t be a CM again unless he’s Dasvi pass. Meanwhile, in prison, Gangaram comes across a no-nonsense Superintendent Of Police, Jyoti Deswal (played by Yami Gautam), who refuses to bend to his whims and fancies. On the other hand, Gangaram's wife Bimladevi (played by Nimrat Kaur) is driven by the lust of power. To retain the position of CM in the family, she takes up her husband's seat and, later, learns the tricks of politics to stop him from reclaiming his position.

Dasvi makes a statement on the importance of education. However, the narrative goes haywire mid-way. The writers - Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Sandeep Laeyzell - could have done a better job. They ended up making the characters look caricaturish to create maximum impact. But, it backfired. The first half of the film will leave you confused about the concept, while the second part will bore you with its long dialogues. Certain sequences feel forced, which is a huge let-down. For example, Abhishek and Nimrat’s on-screen equation seems very superficial. There's no chemistry between them. The makers of Dasvi stretched the theme (Right to Education) so long that you forget the purpose this story.

Watch the trailer of Dasvi here:

Dasvi also has several loose ends which'll leave you confused. Nimrat Kaur suddenly becomes a diva after being a confused CM. Who transformed her fashion sense? In a split second, she stammers on the stage and also gets her command over politics. How? There's also a full-fledged wedding taking place inside the prison and Yami keeps changing from being a 'sakht' policewoman to a tuition teacher to Abhishek. The CM spends his life in a prison that doesn’t look like a prison at all! Also, he has studied till 8th grade, so how could he sit for the 10th board exams?

Dasvi promised to be a social comedy but the jokes were so 90s. The humour is repetitive and Abhishek saying “mere liver me pain hai” while pointing at his heart didn't make us laugh. The IAS officer, who acts as the CM's personal secretary, does sit-ups and cleans cow dung. Most comic punches fall flat and fail to leave a mark. Gangaram also gets so lost in the textbooks of history that he imagines himself meeting the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, just like Sanjay Dutt in Lage Raho Munna Bhai.