‘Tanvi The Great’ movie review: Anupam Kher delivers a hefty dose of hope

About an autistic girl struggling to find her way in a judgmental world, with a spring in her gingerly steps, Tanvi The Great carries the soul of Anupam Kher’s popular play, Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai (Anything can happen). It cocks a snook at the cynics and naysayers who question the flight of the dreamers. Surrounded by a supportive mother Vidya (Pallavi Joshi), an autism expert, and a grumpy grandfather, Pratap Raina (Kher), who doesn’t understand her condition, the socially awkward Tanvi Raina (debutante Shubhangi Dutt) finds the purpose of her life when she discovers that her soldier father, Samar (Karan Tacker), made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

She steps out of the poetic space that her grandfather envisaged for her under the shadow of his friend Raja Sahab (Boman Irani) and resolves to fulfil her father’s wish by joining the armed forces. But the rules don’t allow an autistic person to enter the troops. Baffled by her guts, the grandfather, who also served in the army, tries to dissuade her but gradually finds that she is different but no less, and is fit to carry forward the family tradition when Major Srinivasan (Arvind Swamy makes a stock character functional) agrees to give shape to Tanvi’s dream. Nursing a guilt, in Tanvi’s dream, Srinivasan sees an opportunity to redeem himself.

Like Kher, the film wears its heart on its sleeve, and the theme offers an interesting battle between one’s will and worth. The story has several strands that reveal the warp and weft of the human spirit and its frailties, but the film stays sweet and safe. Kher and his co-writers treat the subject gently and sensitively, but the possibilities on paper don’t consistently translate to the screen. Some moments feel genuine, but then some passages seem contrived or laboured. Tanvi’s uniqueness either becomes a fodder to evoke humour or an opportunity to put a halo behind her head.

The film, made in collaboration with the NFDC, finds the writers keen on crafting a series of creative responses to a list of FAQs on autism and the Indian armed forces, with a pen that bleeds. There are portions where the writing and form acquire the edifying tone of a public service advertisement. Before the conflict escalates or an obstacle becomes a problem, Kher devises a solution with the background score screaming ‘heartfelt.’

While MM Keeravani’s music and Keiko Nakahara’s cinematography are designed to provide a soothing contrast to the emotional outbursts, the quality of the special effects in the climax undermines the emotional swell.

Anupam Kher in a still from ‘Tanvi The Great’
| Photo Credit:
Anupam Kher Studio/YouTube

Shubhangi makes the stiff and exaggerated body language of Tanvi largely believable. As every autistic person is unique, writers have the liberty to set the contours of Tanvi’s character and her journey, but her struggle with her grandfather when her mother leaves them for work feels sanitised. The mess seems dressed up, very much like Pallavi and Jackie Shroff’s performance.

It goes without saying that Kher is a better actor than director. Amidst all the superficiality, Kher shines as he digs deep to internalise the layers of his character. Much like Aamir Khan’s character inSitaare Zameen Par, Kher’s character undergoes a transformation in his perception of disability and shows us how to evoke tears without drawing attention to it. He is the reason that you remain invested in Tanvi The Great even when the screenplay turns into a tepid visual essay.

Tanvi The Great is currently running in theatres.