There’s a moment in Tanvi The Great when the film’s creative ambition breaks free from realism and ventures into outright fantasy — a choice that becomes both its charm and its undoing.
A Familiar Blueprint, A New Voice
Echoing the structure of My Name Is Khan, the film follows a young autistic girl, Tanvi, who sets out on an improbable mission, fuelled by love, loss, and legacy. Unlike Shah Rukh Khan’s largely solitary Rizwan, Tanvi has allies: her grandfather Colonel Pratap Raina (Anupam Kher), a stoic war veteran; and her mother Vidya (Pallavi Joshi), an autism expert. Her father, Captain Samar Raina (Karan Tacker), died in a landmine blast while serving the nation, leaving behind a dream Tanvi is determined to fulfill.
The first half is steady and soulful. Anupam Kher, returning to direction after 23 years, lets the story breathe. His portrayal of a man shaped by grief and duty adds quiet gravitas. Everyday moments — a shared glance, a soft joke, a walk through the serene town of Lansdowne — carry emotional resonance. The film’s message of resilience builds slowly but surely, much like Tanvi herself.
When Realism Gives Way to Rhetoric
But the second half trades subtlety for spectacle. The narrative escalates rapidly, piling on dramatic turns that test credulity. As the film pushes toward a grand, emotional climax, it begins to lose the grounded authenticity that made the early parts so effective.
One of the more troubling issues is the inconsistent portrayal of Tanvi’s autism. At a certain point, her behaviour shifts so drastically that it feels disconnected from how she was initially established. While the film does include a disclaimer about its “creative interpretation” of autism, the deviation still risks trivialising the condition for dramatic payoff. The climax, though well-intentioned, spirals into near-fantasy, dulling the impact of what was meant to be a triumph rooted in realism.
Performances That Hold the Frame
Shubhangi Dutt, in her debut as Tanvi, brings sincerity and strength, holding her own in an emotionally demanding role. Pallavi Joshi is quietly effective, grounding her performance in maternal warmth. Jackie Shroff turns in a scene-stealing cameo as the suave Brigadier Joshi, while Boman Irani, unfortunately, is underutilized in a role that lacks narrative depth.
Musically, MM Keeravani’s score is soothing if conventional. It’s Kausar Munir’s lyrics that elevate the soundtrack, echoing the film’s emotional beats with poetic clarity.
Final Verdict
Tanvi The Great is a film with its heart in the right place — earnest, ambitious, and anchored in themes of love, perseverance, and legacy. It falters when it swaps nuance for narrative excess, but never loses sight of the emotional truth at its core.
Despite its uneven second half, it’s worth watching for its moving performances, its gentle portrayal of familial bonds, and its rare choice to centre an autistic protagonist in a mainstream Hindi film. Tanvi’s courage may stretch the imagination — but it also leaves behind something real.
