Bawarchi | The Story Of A Cook | Critique

Hrishi Da has always been known for his neat and clean comedies. Bawarchi is yet another classic from this genius which explores the moral values that one should imbibe & displays how well families can live united.

The story revolves around the Sharma family, who has had hard time finding a cook for them. Each time they hire one, he or she escapes away because of the rude treatment by the people living in the house. This continues until a cook named Raghu (played by Rajesh Khanna) comes in. He not only absorbs the bad behavior of the people living in that house but also unites them, thereby winning their hearts. However, he has a past of his own, which adds to the mystery factor. I won’t disclose it & take the fun away!

One of the most striking feature of this movie is that almost whole of the movie is shot inside a single house. But never do you feel the need to go outside it. The simplicity of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s direction just spells bounds you & you just keep on watching this masterpiece of comedy. Also there is a sweet suspense which gradually unfolds by the end of the movie.

The movie is inspired by a Bengali movie ‘Galpa Holeo Satyi’ (1966) by Tapan Sinha. Rajesh Khanna is brilliant as the central character & is very well complemented by all the other actors. The characters are very well defined and the superb dialogues just add up to it. The screenplay in itself is a classic. Music by Madan-Mohan is nothing special but goes well with the movie.

You will also find hints of this movie in certain Bollywood flicks like Hero No.1 and Khoobsurat, but there is no competition to this classic. It’s definitely a must watch for everyone. You will surely engulf yourself in a mixture of emotions.

Written By: Rishabh Shukla