Nitesh Tiwari says Bawaal isn’t just about Hitler: ‘He also happens to be a part of World War II’

Bawaal director Nitesh Tiwari opened up about his romantic film during the trailer launch event and asserted how his film isn’t just about Adolf Hitler. Bawaal stars Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan. The film first came under scanner after showcasing Holocaust in its teaser. Also read: Bawaal trailer: Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor tussle in a ‘world war’ within in Nitesh Tiwari’s romantic dramedy

Bawaal trailer

The trailer of Bawaal was released on Sunday. It follows the relationship between Varun and Janhvi who have nothing in common. Amid the problems of their strained marriage, they take a trip to Europe and explore places where World War II took place. The historical event is used as a recurring reference in the story, as the characters speak of a “world war within.” Even in a scene, Janhvi Kapoor as Nisha says, “Hum sab bhi toh thode bohot Hitler jaise hi hai na (we all are a little bit like Hitler).”

Nitesh on Bawaal’s connection to Hitler and WWII

At the trailer launch event, which took place in Dubai, Nitesh Tiwari finally broke his silence on references to Hitler and World War II in the film, something many on social media frowned upon. He said, “While creating a character, you can go back and look at the events and incidents which can play an important role in the overall arc of that character and the relationship in general. It’s not just about Hitler. There are many more things that you may not have seen in the trailer. Every incident has been very carefully chosen that can have an impact on the overall arc.”

He reasoned how it was crucial to include Hitler in the film as he was an important part of the war. “World War II is humongous. There’s so much that had happened and you can’t take everything. You’ve to pick and choose things which would probably impact the journey of the characters and that’s precisely why it [World War II as a backdrop] has been taken. Hitler also happens to be a part of it and you can’t not have him in World War II,” he added.

Nitesh Tiwari also said that he not only wanted to be factually correct about the event but also stay true to the story. The film will premiere on Prime Video India on July 21.