‘Savi’ movie review: Anil Kapoor is the highlight of this Divya Khossla-Harshvardhan Rane thriller

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Divya Khossla, Harshvardhan Rane

Director: Abhinay Deo

Language: Hindi

At least in the Hindi film landscape, a wife can go to any lengths to save her husband. We all saw that in films like Raaz and Aitraaz in the last two decades. No matter how much content evolves, certain tropes and emotions have to remain the same. Abhinay Deo of Delhi Belly fame makes yet another attempt to tell the story on this very emotion. Google says its birth is based on the mythological tale of Savitri and Satyavan. That’s why the title Savi. And the husband is named Satya. But these people are played by Divya Khossla and Harshvardhan Rane, so to be able to get emotionally invested in their story is going to be a challenge.

The director, however, deserves praise for shooting the film in Liverpool, a location that has not been explored in too many Hindi films. It’s about a wife’s attempt to jailbreak her husband, and free him from the clutches of imprisonment. It’s not like Khossla doesn’t know how to emote, sometimes she does more than necessary and this film is no exception. The story is such that she not only has to use her pain but wit too to succeed in what can be described as a daunting escape. Deo knows a thing or two about style and thrill and Savi partly succeeds.

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There’s Anil Kapoor too, in a mysterious and sinister role that’s not been heavily promoted. He’s the trump card of this thriller that pops up to add some fun to an otherwise mostly dour drama. There’s something about Kapoor that he makes even the trashiest of films watchable by just being there and having fun. He walked away with the only honor in the 2018 misfire called Race 3. But to give the credit where it’s due, it’s worth noting how mythology and history are coming back to our films metaphorically and literally. Right from Brahmastra to _Gadar 2_ to RRR to now Savi.

Of course, this is nowhere close to the success of the other names, it’s commendable filmmakers aren’t peeping into the West for inspiration but turning back to our own unforgettable stories. Only for that, Savi gets little more points. Only if the filmmaking was a little more savvy.

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)

Savi is now running in cinemas