Baapya Review: A Daring Subject Turns Into A Passable Dramedy
'Baapya' addresses a distinctive and daring subject, but regrettably, it falls short of meeting high expectations and fails to do justice to its courageous concept. While director and co-writer Sameer Tewari deserves praise for tackling the sensitive topic of gender transition, the end result, despite his best efforts, is an underwhelming dramedy.
'Baapya' is set in the coastal Konkan village and begins with a fisherman, Anya (Girish Kulkarni), who is in debt and receives news that his ex-wife, Shailaja (Rajshri Deshpande), whom he divorced 10 years ago, is arriving to meet him. Initially hesitant, he eventually agrees to meet her, but what he sees leaves him stunned. She is no longer Shailaja; she has undergone gender-affirming surgery and becomes Shailesh. As expected, he, their son Sanjya (Aaryan Menghji), and his second wife, Vishakha (Devika Daftardar), struggle to come to terms with her gender change. The news spreads quickly, causing a lot of gossip in the village. What happens next forms the rest of the story.
Despite incorporating light humor into their flashback scenes, the film candidly depicts Shailaja's internal struggles and emotional distress. Moreover, it convincingly showcases her reluctance to marry Anya and her attempts to convince everyone, including Anya, of her uncertainty. But the presentation by director and co-writer Tewari feels somewhat simplistic. Although the filmmaker's intention to tackle the sensitive topic in a straightforward and engaging manner is understandable, the screenplay becomes muddled, exploring multiple subplots that are left unexplored. In attempting to shed light on gender change, the film oversimplifies the topic, leaving it feeling underdeveloped.
For instance, the film initially introduces Sanya's son Sanjya, who harbors resentment towards his mother because she left him when he was merely 4-5 years old. However, after showcasing his anger in the beginning, Sanjya's character is largely absent, and his emotional struggle to come to terms with his mother's gender change remains unexplored. The mother-son relationship was a pivotal topic that warranted further exploration, offering ample opportunities to heighten the film's emotional impact. Thus, the director should have allocated more time to develop this relationship. But instead it is left undeveloped, with Sanjya reappearing only in the final 15-20 minutes. Similarly, Anya's second wife Vishakha is underutilized. The film attempts to use humour to convey Vishakha's lingering confusion and jealousy whenever Shailesh is near Anya, but the comedic approach falls flat. Also there is one important character whose sudden change of heart feels quite abrupt and this emotional transformation lacks the necessary psychological groundwork to make it truly convincing for us. Basically this transformation ultimately feels forced and disrupts the emotional flow of the story.
Joel Crasto's compositions are commendable, but their placement within the narrative is not optimal, hindering their potential impact. Additionally, the filming of the songs falls short of expectations. A notable example is a rap song, which, if integrated more astutely, would have been delightful, but its ill-timed placement undermines its energetic vibe. The film's duration of 2 hours and 27 minutes starts to feel excessive, straining our patience, especially towards the conclusion. The climax is extended unnecessarily, thereby reducing its strong emotional impact.
As expected, Girish Kulkarni delivers a commendable performance, skillfully conveying the struggle of a man grappling with his wife's transition, infusing the narrative with his signature humour. His scenes with Shrikant Yadav are particularly noteworthy, convincingly making us believe that they are childhood friends. The supporting cast, including Anand Karekar and Devika Khan, also excel in their respective roles. Rajshri Deshpande provides a nuanced portrayal of Shailaja's transformation into Shailesh. Rajshri as well Raksha Naiga (who played her younger version) both effectively capture Shailaja's prolonged confusion regarding her identity, demonstrating the difficulties she faces in articulating her emotions to her close friend Anya.
In the end, although 'Baapya' boldly addresses the delicate topic of gender change, it fails to fulfill high expectations, ultimately becoming an underwhelming dramedy.
Cast: Girish Kulkarni, Rajshri Deshpande, Devika Daftardar, Aaryan Menghji, Raksha Naiga
Writers: Sameer Tewari, Priti Nair, Vikrant Katkar, Nikhil Ashok Palande,
Director: Sameer Tewari
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