From the record-breaking Dangal to the divisive Bawaal, a look at Nitesh Tiwari’s five films.
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor and Ravie Dubey in Ramayana.
Key Points
- Nitesh Tiwari is directing Ramayana, India’s most expensive film to date, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, with Part 1 releasing in November.
- Tiwari’s filmography includes Dangal, his highest-grossing film, and Chhichhore, an entertaining take on friendship.
- Bhootnath Returns is noted for its enjoyable supernatural comedy and political satire, despite a melodramatic latter half.
Nitesh Tiwari is perhaps feeling a lot of pressure these days. After all, directing India’s biggest and most expensive film to date isn’t a walk in the park.
Sure, he delivered one of the biggest hits of all time in Dangal.
He has to go bigger, and he has to impress not just India and China but the whole world and make them admire the scale and scope of India’s biggest adaptation of one of its biggest epics, Ramayana.
With Ramayana, Nitesh Tiwari is directing Ranbir Kapoor as the lead for the first time, with the actor having only appeared in cameos in two of the director’s earlier films, Chillar Party and Bhootnath Returns.
Apart from Kapoor, the two-part Ramayana features an ensemble cast that includes Yash, Sunny Deol, Sai Pallavi, Ravie Dubey, Arun Govil, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Vivek Oberoi, Shobana, among others.
The first part is arriving in India on November 8, releasing in the USA on November 6, while the second part is dropping in Diwali 2027.
So why was Nitesh Tiwari tasked with making what is supposedly a Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) ambitious project aimed at a global audience?
The filmmaker has made only five movies to date; modest films with no such visual ambition that tried different genres, from children’s films to sports dramas to campus entertainers.
But what he does know is how to create human dramas that connect with audiences, and for Ramayana, it is important that viewers have that connection with the story being retold for what is the umpteenth time. Otherwise, it could fall flat.
So, as we await Ramayana Part 1 in theatres to see if the magic works beyond the VFX realm, Sreeju Sudhakaran ranks the five films directed by Nitesh Tiwari to date from bawaal to kamaal!
5. Bawaal (2023)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, MX Player
IMAGE: Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in Bawaal.
Unfortunately, Bawaal is a tactless film that couldn’t read the room. A room filled with terrible Holocaust memorabilia.
Otherwise, the script that compares an incompatible couple’s marriage with one of the worst genocides of the last century would have gone straight into the trash can. Or lines like Janhvi Kapoor saying there is a Hitler in everyone of us should have been laughed off at the reading table.
There is still a good idea in there, possibly, about the couple finding their problems too trivial in the face of some of the worst human tragedies. But in trying to have the couple place their problems in the same context as Nazi atrocities is where Bawaal feels tasteless.
Added to that, Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor hardly have any chemistry, and the film doesn’t even try to develop it.
4. Bhoothnath Returns (2014)
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
IMAGE: Parth Bhalerao and Amitabh Bachchan in Bhoothnath Returns.
The first Bhootnath film was directed by Vivek Sharma, a decently okay supernatural dramedy about the friendship between an angry ghost and a kid. The sequel marks the solo directorial debut of Nitesh Tiwari, and it pivots to being a supernatural comedy that also acts as a political satire.
It was an interesting idea, indeed, and for most parts, Bhootnath Returns is a fun film with enjoyable performances from Amitabh Bachchan and Parth Bhalerao. Even when the ghost decides to contest elections, the concept feels outlandish, but it is enjoyably executed in the movie.
But the melodramatic approach in the latter parts of the film, where it takes itself way too seriously, is what lets Bhootnath Returns down.
It also features a pointless Shah Rukh Khan cameo just to tie it with the previous movie. The Ranbir Kapoor special appearance was fine, though.
3. Chhichhore (2019)
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
IMAGE: Sushant Singh Rajput and Varun Sharma in Chhichhore.
Following up on Dangal ain’t an easy task, and Chhichhore doesn’t exactly live up to that task, but it is nevertheless an entertaining film about the value of lifelong friendships.
It does a schmaltzy job of delivering the other part of its messaging: Why studies should not be the only driving force behind your education, and that you also need to have fun along the way. And it does so by trivialising something as sensitive a topic as rising student suicides. Also, the ageing makeup of its lead stars wasn’t too good.
Where Chhichhore works is in the campus portions, in building up the bonding between the main characters, and in the inter-collegiate events that dominate the second half.
The cast give fun performances, led by the late Sushant Singh Rajput, along with Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Naveen Polishetty, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Tushar Pandey and Saharsh Kumar Shukla.
2. Chillar Party (2011)
Where To Watch: Prime Video
IMAGE: Irfan Khan in Chillar Party.
Tiwari and Vikas Bahl began their independent filmmaking journeys together with this delightful kiddie movie, before they ventured into their separate paths, the latter going on to make hits like Queen and Super 30.
Chillar Party, which was produced by Salman Khan, revolves around a bunch of society kids and their friendship with a helper boy and his dog, and how they go about revolting against the ‘system’ to protect that stray dog.
The film has some very enjoyable performances from the kids, with Naman Jain’s Jhaangya being a standout, and the endearing and funny manner in which it creates their distinct personalities and how they troll the snobby, annoying elders of their society.
Chillar Party also does political satire better than Bhootnath Returns though I am not sure how a film like this would get a go-ahead from the authorities these days, considering it shows children going out on the streets in protest against the tyranny of politicians.
1. Dangal (2016)
Where To Watch: JioHotstar, Netflix
IMAGE: Aamir Khan in Dangal.
Did you have any doubt about this one leading the pack?
Dangal can be called an airbrushed biopic that also glorifies parents trying to push their dreams onto their kids, under the garb of women’s empowerment. It also changes some of the real events for more dramatic effect, like the climax match.
Those flaws notwithstanding, Dangal is an incredibly well-made and engaging family drama set against the backdrop of wrestling about a father trying to make national champions out of his daughters.
Aamir Khan is stupendous in the lead role, but he is matched by the incredible performances of Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zaira Wasim. Sakshi Tanwar, Sanya Malhotra and Aparshakti Khurana also deliver good supporting turns.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
