NAKHREWAALII is let down by weak writing

Nakhrewaalii Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating

Director: Rahul Shanklya

Nakhrewaalii Movie Review Synopsis:
NAKHREWAALII is the story of a man who finds himself in a unique situation. Sumit Mishra (Ansh Duggal) lives in Hardoi and is heartbroken after his girlfriend, Sweety, dumps him and marries an engineer. Sumit shifts to Delhi for higher studies and also with the intention of becoming a playboy. He rents a room in the house of Batuk (Gopal Datt), who lives with his wife Rekha (Kanupriya Shankar Pandit) and their 22-year-old daughter Paridhi (Pragati Srivastava). Sumit and Paridhi hit it off quite well and soon fall in love. Sumit confesses to Batuk and Rekha that he wishes to marry Paridhi. Batuk makes it clear that he’ll agree to the union only if Sumit manages to land a government job within a month. Otherwise, he’ll get Paridhi married to someone else. Sumit tries his best but fails to find a job. Left with no other option, he decides to disguise himself as a woman and assumes the identity of Sumita. This helps him land the job of a junior public relations officer in the Department of Postal Services. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Nakhrewaalii Movie Story Review:
NAKHREWAALII is adapted from Satya Vyas’ book ‘Dilli Darbar’. The story certainly has potential. However, Divy Nidhi Sharma’s screenplay is weak. Several romantic and emotional sequences fail to strike a chord. Divy Nidhi Sharma’s dialogues try their best to contribute to the humour and succeed, albeit only partly.

Rahul Shanklya’s direction is decent. To give credit where it’s due, he keeps the duration in check (129 minutes) and ensures that the narrative moves at a steady pace. The humour also improves in the second half, resulting in a few genuinely funny moments. Some scenes that stand out are Sumit getting NSD actors to his office, Mihika (Aayushi Verma) being consoled by Paridhi in Sumit’s room, etc. The scene where Paridhi and Sumita bond during the wedding trial is sweet. In the second half, interesting parallels are drawn between Sumit’s equation with Mihika at the latter’s house and his interactions with her father, Rai Jaichand (Kumud Mishra), in the same place.

On the flipside, Sumit’s character is written in such a manner that it’s difficult to root for him. Even when he has a change of heart and goes to great lengths to marry Paridhi, one never gets the feeling that he has genuinely transformed. As a result, his emotional journey fails to make the desired impact. Moreover, the humour falls flat in most scenes in the first half. It finally begins to work post-interval, but by then, the film starts bearing an uncanny resemblance to DREAM GIRL [2019]. This also robs NAKHREWAALII of its novelty. The finale, meanwhile, is far too convenient and fails to deliver the intended emotional payoff.

Nakhrewaalii Movie Review Performances:
Ansh Duggal tries his best to deliver an authentic performance, both as Sumit and Sumita. However, the writing lets him down, and his character fails to leave a lasting impression. Pragati Srivastava makes a confident debut and gets her act right. The same applies to Aayushi Verma, who makes her presence felt in a supporting role. Gopal Datt is dependable as always, while Kumud Mishra lends able support. Akash Makhija (Jagat Singh aka Jhaadi) is fine as Sumit’s sidekick. Kanupriya Shankar Pandit is decent, while Brijendra Kala (Invigilator) is fair in a cameo. Rana Pratap Singh (Sushil Tiwari) is aptly cast. Kajal Bhadana (Seema) and Devika Singh (Sudha), however, ham a lot.

Nakhrewaalii movie music and other technical aspects:
The songs are forgettable, but all the tracks – the title track, ‘Kona’, ‘Betuka’ and ‘Yeh Bawla Hai’ – are well woven into the narrative. Aman Pant’s background score is quirky and complements the film’s theme.

Chirantan Das’ cinematography is satisfactory, while Nikhil Kovale and Apurva Bhagat’s production design is realistic. Ankita Jha’s costumes are fine, although the outfits worn by Ansh Duggal as Sumit bear a striking resemblance to Ranveer Singh’s wardrobe in BAND BAAJA BAARAAT [2010], especially in the scenes set at his home. Abhishek Anand’s editing is functional.

Nakhrewaalii Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, NAKHREWAALII is let down by weak writing, unconvincing character development, humour that works only intermittently and a second half that bears an uncanny resemblance to DREAM GIRL. At the box office, the film stands virtually no chance of making a mark due to negligible awareness and its release during the dull pre-Diwali period.