Filming took place in multiple countries from April to August 2022. Initially scheduled for a theatrical release, Bawaal had a streaming release on Amazon Prime Video on 21 July 2023. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with backlash mostly owing to Holocaust trivialization. Despite the backlash, the film earned multiple nominations, including Best Actor in a Web Original Film and Best Actress in a Web Original Film for Dhawan and Kapoor, respectively, at the 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards.
Plot
Ajay Dixit is an image-conscious narcissist who teaches history at a school in Lucknow. Despite the respect he commands through his philosophical belief in "fake it till you make it", he despises the life of lies he has created. He has grounded his beautiful epileptic wife Nisha, who is considerably more intelligent than him, fearing that her seizures will damage his reputation.
Ajay's carefully maintained image is threatened when, frustrated by Atul Raghuvanshi's question about World War II, he slaps the student. Atul is the son of MLA Vishwas Raghuvanshi, leaving Ajay fearful of the consequences. Desperate to escape the MLA's wrath, Ajay decides to travel across Europe to visit places he considers significant to World War II, including Anne Frank's house and Auschwitz.
Ajay takes Nisha with him, as his parents hope the journey will help resolve their marital problems. As they travel, the couple encounter places and experiences that challenge their assumptions about history, life and their relationship. The journey ultimately changes their perspectives and their approach to interpersonal conflicts, while providing them with lessons drawn from both history and life.
The first single, "Tumhe Kitna Pyaar Karte" was released on 7 July 2023. The 2nd single titled "Dil Se Dil Tak" was released on 14 July 2023. The third single titled "Dilon Ki Doriyan" was released on 18 July 2023.
Bawaal received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 21% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.9/10.
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 1.5 out of 5, writing, "Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoor-starrer promises a lot, but keeps faltering, never quite knowing what to make of a wholly harebrained flourish in the plot." Leaf Arbuthnot of The Guardian gave the film 1 out of 5, calling the premise "serviceable" but the plot "woefully misjudged." She further wrote that
"it is just a pity that rest of the film is so lacking in fun, pep, humour and charm that only its spectacularly poor taste stands out."
Amongst positive reviews, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the film 3 out of 5, writing, "Director Nitesh Tiwari has a knack for creating intriguing characters and scenarios that feel fresh yet familiar at the same time. But the underlying goal behind all their actions -- questionable or inspirational -- is rooted in wisdom." Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave the film 3 out of 5, writing, "Despite all its drawbacks, one takeaway from the film is that it’s okay to be an average person with imperfections than to be a fake person."
Several publications criticized the film for "insensitive portrayal" of the Holocaust. Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Jewish human rights organisation Simon Wiesenthal Center asked Amazon to “stop monetising” Bawaal with immediate effect and called the film a “banal trivialisation of the suffering and systematic murder of millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust.” On 28 July 2023, Embassy of Israel, New Delhi tweeted that "The Israeli embassy is disturbed by the trivialization of the significance of the Holocaust in the recent movie 'Bawaal'." They also criticised the "poor choice in the utilization of some terminology in the movie."
