Directed by Tushar Jalota, Dasvi stars Abhishek Bachchan in the lead with Nimrat Kaur and Yami Gautam Dhar.

Bachchan plays Ganga Ram Chaudhary, a chief minister of an obviously north Indian state who is sent to jail for his corrupt practices. His character is a satirical representation of the kind of politicians we’ve all seen in India. When he is imprisoned, his wife, Bimmo (Nimrat Kaur), is forced to take over as CM. Sound familiar?

Chaudhary enjoys the kind of privileges that most Indian politicians get in jail. He has his own room with a double bed and a TV, gets home food, a cellphone, and his very own lackeys. But when Jyoti Deswal (Yami Gautam Dhar) takes over as the new superintendent at Chaudhary’s jail, he truly meets his match — a cop who has no fear of politicians. She puts him to work like all the other prisoners and takes away his privileges. When the former chief minister wants to get out of hard physical labour, he decides to study for the 10th Board exams as an excuse to spend his days in the library. This is the moment when the corrupt politician’s life takes a turn.

Dasvi is an entertainer from the very beginning — it has comedy, randomly placed songs, and a story that keeps you hooked for the most part. Abhishek Bachchan proves that he can do a good job when the role is right for him. We need to see more of him and his potential being put to good use. However, the character loses some appeal when Chaudhary’s personality seems to do a complete U-turn to become a nice person. All because he dedicates himself to education. Yami Gautam Dhar is a bit bland but that’s probably because of her role as a hard, truthful, mostly emotionless cop. She has her moments but she is not the reason you will watch this movie to the end. That accolade lies with Nimrat Kaur who shines in her role as a politician’s wife forced out of the shadows and into the limelight. Her comic timing is perfect and her expressions are spot on. Bimla Devi’s development from a wallflower to a seasoned politician is an absolute delight to watch!

The film loses some steam halfway through and it could have been shorter by at least 30 minutes. What we didn’t need were moral lectures and predictable outcomes in the second half. We would have liked to see Jyoti Deswal’s character stick to her guns and continue on the track of being Chaudhary’s nemesis. This character’s development is a letdown but is also expected from Bollywood. We would have also liked to see more of Nimrat Kaur as Bimla Devi and less of Abhishek Bachchan as a newly converted good guy.

The supporting cast also does a good job of being noteworthy. Among the actors who make an impact is Manu Rishi Chadha who plays cop Satpal Tomar. The comedy quotient is high with this character as he tries to appease both sides — his boss, the Superintendent, and the former CM who got him his job.

Dasvi has its flaws and is far from perfect, but it is worth your time. The first half is way better than the second though. Watch Dasvi with your family this weekend for a decent package of entertainment and comedy.

Streaming now on Netflix.

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