Dasvi, spearheaded by Abhishek Bachchan, makes for a light-hearted, socio-political satire

Mona

And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?…writes  Elif Shafak, in her very famous The Forty Rules of Love. Such is the story of Tushar Jalota’s directorial debut, Dasvi. 

The film opens with the CM of Harit Paradesh, Ganga Ram Chaudhary, who is recording the ‘fitness’ challenge, further extending it to Donald Trump, sorry Joe Biden, Putin and Trudeau on social media.

The popular CM’s fate is due to change as he is imprisoned over a teachers’ appointment scam. In the double-dealing world of politics, ‘kursi’ goes to his wife – Bimmo aka Bimla Devi Chaudhary. Despite the clout that Ganga enjoys, he is stuck in prison. And what he does in this confinement takes the story forward.

The prison represents the microcosm of the world. And here, shunned by his own, Ganga finds his purpose – to clear dasvi. His result in dasvi is tied with his political fate. How this neta gets used to his life upside down and meets the challenges makes for this easy, breezy, feel- good film.

Abhishek Bachchan as Ganga delivers a decent performance. While Harit Pradesh is fictional, one gets the tinge of Haryana that this pagri-wielding Chaudhary gets right. The ease and calm with which Ganga embraces the change of fortune is appealing. Nimrat Kaur makes an interesting turn from a Chief Minister’s wife to the Chief Minister. Stung by ambition, her makeover is delightful. Yami Gautam Dhar as IPS officer Jyoti Deswal lives up to her tough but well meaning character. Danish Husain as the librarian Raebareli and Arun Khuswaha as Ghanti, this jail is full of some talent. 

The film sure is made on flimsy plot, even everything else is average, two catch the eye – the unlikely, endearing bond between Ganga and Jyoti. And the music, that’s given by Sachin–Jigar. Macha Macha Re, Ghani Trip and Thaan Liya take the narrative forward.

The two-hours-six-minutes film offers familiar glimpses of the reel and real—Rabri Devi’s overnight transformation to the CM, political promises of education to the young leaders being the face of the emerging political parties. Story by  Ram Bajpai and written by Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair and Sandeep Layzell reminds you of  Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Rang De Basanti and Taare Zameen Par. The characters even if not written with great depth, manage to evince interest, and  laughter. There are constant parallels – CM Bimla Devi in helicopter to the flight of Icarus, a CM who cannot read the oath to the reference to Mann ki Baat to khap. Sure Dasvi makes no compelling case for society, but it sure is a light-heated, easy watch for the weekend. Streaming on Jio Cinema and Netflix.