Bawaal
Ajay Dixit is an image-conscious narcissist, who teaches history at a school in Lucknow. He hates his life of lies, despite the respect he is held in, thanks to his philosophical tendency to "fake it till you make it".
Legal availability
Where to watch
Streaming availability can change. We only link to official platforms.
Credits and facts
Movie details
- Release date
- 21 July 2023
- Runtime
- 137 minutes
- Country
- India
- Languages
- Hindi
- Genres
- Drama, Adventure, Romance
- Director
- Nitesh Tiwari
- Writers
- Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Nikhil Mehrotra, Shreyas Jain
- Cast
- Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Mukesh Tiwari
- Producers
- Sajid Nadiadwala, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
- Production company
- Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Earthsky Pictures
Spoiler-free synopsis
Ajay Dixit is an image-conscious narcissist, who teaches history at a school in Lucknow. He hates his life of lies, despite the respect he is held in, thanks to his philosophical tendency to "fake it till you make it". He has grounded his beautiful epileptic wife Nisha, who is much more intelligent than him, since he does not want her seizures to ruin his reputation. However, later, Ajay finds himself and his image in jeopardy when he slaps his student, Atul Raghuvanshi, in frustration over a doubt regarding World War II. Atul turns out to be the son of MLA Vishwas Raghuvanshi. Out of despair of wanting to escape the wrath of the MLA, Ajay decides to visit places across Europe he deems were important to World War II (inc. Anne Frank's house and Auschwitz). He takes Nisha along with him as his parents hope it could resolve their marital conflicts. This sets them on a journey that changes their entire perspectives and their views on interpersonal conflicts, as they cover both life and history lessons along the way.
For families
Editorial guidance
Context for discussing the story and deciding whether it fits your household.
Positive messages
Constructive themes or examples.Potential constructive discussion around Bawaal can focus on responsibility, empathy, perseverance and the consequences of decisions. Where the Drama, Adventure, Romance material creates conflict, parents can discuss safer alternatives, respectful communication and how characters respond to pressure. These are editorial discussion prompts and are not claims that every theme appears explicitly in the film.
Negative behaviours
Conduct that may need context.Parents should be alert to behaviour commonly associated with Drama, Adventure, Romance, including conflict, deception, fear, risky choices or emotionally intense exchanges where applicable. Because detailed scene-level evidence is not equally available for every 2023 title, this section avoids inventing specific acts that were not verified. Use an official CBFC classification when present in the database and consider previewing the film for especially sensitive children.
Topics to discuss
Conversation starters after viewing.Useful family discussion questions include: What motivates the main characters? Which decisions create avoidable problems? How could conflicts be handled more responsibly? Do the film's relationships model respect and consent? How does the story portray courage, loyalty, justice or forgiveness? For older children, compare dramatic entertainment choices with real-world consequences.
Final recommendation
Our family-viewing take
Suggested minimum age: 13+. The overall family verdict is use caution. Children below that age may need stronger parental guidance, especially if Drama, Adventure, Romance includes tension, violence, fear, crime, romance or mature emotional themes. Teen suitability improves with context and discussion. Shared family viewing is recommended when parents want to address the strongest concerns.
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