Tanvi: The Great review: Albeit a tad overwritten, this film normalises autism without overcomplicating its message

An Anupam Kher directorial, Tanvi: The Great focuses solely on Tanvi Raina and her journey inspite of being surrounded by seasoned actors.

I’m an absolute sucker for anything sentimental! So when you bring me the story of a girl with autism who wants to join the Indian army to fulfil her deceased father's dream - you can count on the fact that I'm weeping buckets from start to end. No cap! Read all about the plot and tell me if you blame me - Tanvi (Shubhangi Dutt), a girl who craves routine and structure, is autistic but that's not all she's shown to be. She has a melodious voice, loves her pancakes made with almond milk and figs and she's moving to Lansdowne to live with her distant dadu, Colonel Pratap Raina (Anupam Kher). Here's where she discovers more about her dad, Late Capt. Samar Raina (Karan Tacker) and decides to join the Indian army so she can salute the Indian flag at Siachen, something her dad really wanted to but never got to do.

How she manages this feat is what Tanvi: The Great focuses on and that's probably what I loved the most about it - she's the whole and sole of this film even when she shares screen space with Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Pallavi Joshi, Jackie Shroff or Arvind Swamy. Given how this film talks about autism, a topic that's still not very palatable for a country like ours, very few directors have what it takes to not give in to box office numbers and lose sight of their vision. Anupam Kher, thankfully, sticks to telling his story authentically and without melodrama even when he brings out the big guns with his supporting cast, most of whom, sadly, did not have fleshed out characters; they seemed to be onscreen solely because they're stars.

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Watch the trailer here!

Over 2 hours and 30 minutes, this film gives you a plotline that's not plausible in the real world but has a story that needs to be told, not just for awareness but to represent those who raise a child with autism so they can watch themselves and their own journey being reflected onscreen. It's especially for those who limit people with autism because they don't know better. Stories like these are the need of the hour because they celebrate differences and above all, they help us learn to act from a space of kindness, not judgement.

What stopped me from being fully emersed in this tale though was the VFX; it was poorly done maybe because the film had a budget of only 50 crores. The dialogues were overwritten. Case in point - "Different but no less" didn’t need to be reiterated so many times. It made this film less impactful because when you're bringing a plot like this to an Indian audience, who you believe doesn't understand enough, you cannot lack conviction in yourself. The dubbing in this film was redundant; it made dubbed scenes sound more like a narration than something that adds emotional depth. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of musicals and despite keeping my bias aside, the songs sounded like they're trying too hard to drive the point home.

Shubhangi Dutt, however, has done a spectacular job in her debut as Tanvi Raina. Even during these neverending songs, she's stuck to her character and given us an endearing performance. I might not be the best judge of whether or not Tanvi: The Great portrayed autism well; all I can say is - I left the theatre with more awareness and a full heart.

Tanvi: The Great is streaming in theatres near you!

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