Bareilly Ki Barfi Movie Review: A delicious slice of life

Directed By: Ashiwny Iyer Tiwary
Produced By: Junglee Pictures, BR Studios
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Seema Pawar
Duration: 2 hours 2 mins
Bollywood Bubble: 3.5/5

Right now, it feels like a prolonged constipation finally flushed away! 2017 has been pretty much a sucker with films so far, barring one or two. The last time that a film with rightest humour, simplicity and subtly put social relevance came across us was ‘Hindi Medium’. After a long drought, here’s ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’; one film that doesn’t pretend to be heavy, but ends up telling the story effectively. It is easy going yet convincing, impactful on your senses but not preachy.

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari was a winner with her very first film ‘Nil Battey Sannata’. She belongs to the league that believes, keeping a film’s heart at the right place can strike the right chords. ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ is an addition to the films that have decoded love in its most natural colours.

Bitti Mishra (Kriti Sanon), a Bareilly girl comes across ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, a book she strangely finds releatable to herself. Bitti, a break dancer, a Hollywood moviepoke and a mischevious smoker, is indeed a mismatch for an old-school city like Bareilly. Pritam Vidrohi, the author, has strangely narrated the same kind of a character in his book. But how does he even know Bitti? The chirpy woman sets off to find the book’s author and in due course, meets Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana). While Bitti grows fond of Chirag gradually, she is all in to meet Pritam once. There’s definitely a catch, but we aren’t going to give that away. To make his beloved happy, Chirag agrees to bring Pritam to Bareilly. As you know, it ends up being a love triangle. But saying that it is only a love triangle would be oversimplifying the emotions woven.

As we sat through the first half, once in a long time it didn’t feel like another done and dusted hopelessly romantic and sad comedy. Credit it to script-writer Nitesh Tiwari along with Shreyas Jain and Rajat Nonia. This film, in terms of comic timing, would beat many a ‘apparently funny’ ones. The secret lies in churning extraordinary moments out of life’s ordinary straws. Tiwary’s flawless direction takes the impact a few notches higher. Those familiar to ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ would know, her definition of a progressive character isn’t on-your-face. She believes in joining little actions of alacrity and zeal, and the result is always tremendous. Bitti’s character, content on its own, needs no pretence to come across as a self-driven woman. She is naturally vibrant, basking in self-love.

In our heart, we knew how the film was going to end. What still made it an extremely delightful watch was a blend of fantastic performances. Pankaj Tripathi as the supportive father figure against a society forever antipathetic towards daughters, nails it. So is Seema Pahwa, as the mother forever worried for her daughter’s wedding. These adorable parents can pretty much indulge in conspiracies, we tell you! Ayushmann Khurrana is the usual sweet self. But the one who took the cake was Rajkummar Rao. Rajkummar plays two extremely contradictory characters at the same time, and slays it. Like a chameleon, but in a good sense!

‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ has been shot by Gavemic U Ary, the same cinematographer who shot ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ as well. This man has got a pair of eyes for actual detailing, and makes even the everyday shots lively. Chandrashekhar Prajapati’s editing is seamless and avoids any jerks, with love. Further, effective background music complements the film’s varied moods. Add situational songs as a plus point.

This one can ideally be called a family watch. Take dear ones and watch!

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