Bareilly ki Barfi

A simple and lovely movie around a small town, real feel drama and romance.....one that takes you into the story, into the Bareilly gallis, the characters and surely into the Mishra household. 

I love getting an insight into real time lives and spaces. Even when I travel, I'd rather visit living spaces intrinsic to the place rather than the touristy spots, and this movie does a lovely job of that. 

A crisp and neat screenplay, some brilliant, seemingly effortless acting by the protagonists, and like said by Javed Akhtar  in a voice over in the movie ( another Woody Allen similarity), a movie with 'barfi' in it can't but have a sweet ending. It's sweet all through. 

No big stars, and I guess that just breathes reality into the lively story. Bitti Mishra (Kriti Sanon) the fun loving and rebellious only daughter of the Mishra family, lives life on her own terms. There's Pankaj Tripathi as the broad minded father who seems fine with whacking a cigarette from his daughter, and the conservative mother whose only desire is to get the daughter married (a la Bride and Prejudice style, lets no chance go by).

When Bittu figures that her ways would be difficult to land an arranged marriage and she's not willing to fit into the system, the quintessential misfit.... she runs away from home and serendipity plays in.

At the railway station she comes across this book 'Bareilly ki barfi' about this girl who seems exactly like her, the smoking, the english movies, the break dances et al, and something resonates. Is there someone just like her in town, or better still.....maybe someone who understands her? 

She's back from her running away jaunt to hunt out the author. The author Chirag (Ayushmann Dubey), maybe to avoid the town people's wrath at creating such an outlandish character, has put a friends name Pritam (Rajkummar Rao) as author, and the rest of story is the unravelling of that mystery.

It's at one time hilarious and poignant too. How Chirag from the cocky confident boy, turns jilted lover, to manipulative mean, to sensitive in love to get his girl and how Pritam goes from naive village boy to acting goonda, to being goonda to his nice sweet self. Some amazing acting there by Rajkumar.

It's neither heavy stuff, nor slapstick, nor sticky...just a nice right. It's based off a novel by Nicolas Barreau aptly called 'The Ingredients of Love'. A lovely one time watch.

Also... also...it does a good job of raising blatant gender biases, and considering the small town element, should go a long way in terms of impact.

Doesn't allow folks to get away with the usual, oh that's ok in movies, oh that's ok in cities, oh that's ok with the rich......Ashwini does a brilliant job of bringing it to your very door step. Kudos there Ashwini !