Tanvi The Great Review

Releasing on July 18th, 2025, “Tanvi The Great” promised a unique narrative, and while it delivers some truly poignant moments, its ambition ultimately seems to derail its initial promise. This review delves into the film’s highs and lows, directly reflecting a viewer’s real-time experience.

A Promising Start: Authenticity and Debut Brilliance

From the very first scene, “Tanvi The Great” presents a striking visual contrast. The initial VFX sequences feel akin to a video game, yet the moment Tanvi herself appears, there’s an immediate shift to a palpable sense of reality. This grounding is largely due to the remarkable performance of Shubhangi Dutta, making her debut as Tanvi, an autistic character. Her portrayal is not just good; it’s authentic and deeply moving. Anupam Kher is introduced gently in the film but he has done a lot better roles than this. The character’s arc seems to be weak. Boman Irani’s character is also weakly written. The character could have been played by anyone and the result would have been the same. Taking such a seasoned actor for such a small role simply showed the friendship between Irani and Kher goes beyond reel life. Pallavi Joshi, however, plays a crucial role in establishing Shubhangi’s character in the beginning but she just disappears from the movie after 30 mins due to an unnecessary demand of the script. Though Karan Tacker, who plays the role of Tanvi’s father, dies within the first ten minutes, his character’s significance persists throughout.

Initially, the film unfolds as a playful, heartwarming experience, particularly suited for kids and families. The humor woven around Tanvi’s autism is commendably well-written, and Shubhangi Dutta executes it with finesse. A standout aspect is Tanvi’s ability to sing, which Shubhangi portrays with such genuine authenticity that it truly resonates. Indeed, “Tanvi The Great” firmly establishes itself early on as a film designed for a family audience, exploring the journey to discover autism through the eyes of a human, a premise that is genuinely compelling to watch. The songs, too, perfectly suit the movie’s theme, adding to its initial charm.

Moments of Emotional Resonance

Despite some early narrative expectations of problems, which make the first half feel ‘okayish,’ the film manages to carve out moments of profound emotional impact. The answer to the question “who is brave?” by Tanvi is delivered with a powerful, almost fiery intensity, and it is exceptionally well-written, thereby, making it the standout moment of the film.

The debutant Shubhangi Dutta truly shines in her execution of the film’s most emotional moment. The scene involving “permission to hug” is particularly impactful, capable of bringing tears to the eyes. This innocence, especially in the “dada-poti” (grandfather-granddaughter) relationship between Shubhangi and Anupam Kher’s character, is beautifully and genuinely written, highlighting the film’s strength in depicting human connections.

One might overlook it, but Tanvi’s presence, while different, is no less impactful. Undoubtedly, the makers have strong moments by finding comedy in Tanvi’s autistic character. However, those are just moments that will make you laugh and teary but won’t hold the whole film.

The Downfall: Aimlessness and Narrative Missteps

However, “Tanvi The Great” unfortunately suffers from significant narrative missteps, particularly as it progresses. While the film initially seems very well-written around the journey of figuring out autism, the visual effects become a glaring issue; the VFX bird, for instance, is “poorly conceived,” and the overall VFX “sucks in the movie.”

The most critical deviation occurs in the second half. The filmmakers inexplicably place the autistic child in a training ground, setting her on a path to become an Indian Army officer. This decision leads to a perplexing disregard for the due process of army selection, specifically the SSB (Services Selection Board) exam. The movie focuses solely on physical training, making a mockery of the army’s rigorous selection procedures. This narrative choice is, frankly, “illogical.” To fulfill this particular plot point, the makers completely overlook the essential selection process, causing the film to run aimlessly. What began beautifully loses its track, feeling like a series of scenes stitched together merely to justify an ill-conceived direction. Even the “World Foundation Day,” which serves as a backdrop, feels like a mere excuse to keep the mother separated from her daughter, serving no deeper narrative purpose.

By the end, the film takes an even more problematic turn with Tanvi attending an SSB interview without clearing the necessary exam, further underscores the narrative’s lack of coherence and makes the entire premise seem “unrealistic.”

Final Verdict: Watchable for Performance, Flawed in Execution

“Tanvi The Great” is ultimately watchable primarily for the exceptional acting of Shubhangi Dutta and her compelling autistic performance. It’s a movie that clearly aimed high, but somewhere along its journey, it lost its way. The filmmakers, in their haste to fulfill a single wish, seem to have gone from “0 to 1 million in 1 millisecond.”

In conclusion, “Tanvi The Great” gets derailed due to its significant plot inconsistencies and misrepresentations but it is the debutant’s acting that gets this movie a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars.