Vaalvi

Aniket, an unhappily married man, plots a vile scheme with his dentist girlfriend Devika to dispose of Avani, his wife of 14 years who has severe mental disorder and threatens to resort to legal means if he ever tries to divorce her, and frame it as a suicide. The main plan involves Aniket lying to Avani about his company's bankruptcy and a possible repossession of their house by debt collectors in order to convince her to make a suicide pact with him. Oblivious to her, Aniket's gun is empty and once Avani shoots herself, Aniket will consume his suicide note, which states that the decision was made of free will. With her death being proven a suicide, Aniket will go scot free and move into a new apartment with Devika. The two go through the plan at her clinic to ensure the plan does not fall through.

After pasting a foreclosure notice on the door, he finds Avani sleeping on the floor, a side effect of the anti-depressants she takes. She has been fostering termites for microbiology experiments, supposedly trying to train them to eat plastic "like the ones in Germany". After Avani expresses her desire to commit suicide that day itself, they settle on writing their notes instead.

The next day, having lied to Avani that he wants to visit his office one last time, Aniket files an FIR for his apparently missing gun, only for him to find out that a crime branch officer must accompany him during the investigation; luckily, there is no officer available at the moment. He then goes to Devika's clinic under the ruse of a scheduled root canal appointment, takes on the guise of a delivery driver (which he can say he wore to throw debt collectors off his trail) and leaves for his house. When Avani does not answer the door, Aniket enters to find her lying on the floor, presumably sleeping after taking her medication. Aniket decides to shoot her himself, planting the gun, a bottle of anti-depressants and her note as evidence.

Aniket goes back home, planning to feign shock at his wife's apparent suicide. However, her corpse and suicide note have mysteriously vanished, prompting Aniket to summon Devika to the scene. They scout the house for clues, finding a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom. A mysterious person calls Aniket, telling him he knows what they did and asks them to meet him at a given location as soon as possible.

Aniket and Devika are perplexed to find that the caller was Dr. Anshuman, Avani's psychiatrist, who somehow has Avani's corpse and suicide note with him. He explains that he had an intimate relationship with Avani during her psychiatric evaluation. After Aniket left the house earlier that day, Avani called Anshuman to inform him that she is pregnant with his baby. Realizing that this could put his reputation in jeopardy, Anshuman immediately visits Avani, later administering her a fatal overdose of anti-depressants. Aniket's arrival prompted Anshuman to hide in a nearby bathroom from where he witnessed the shooting.

As the body sets into rigor mortis, the trio try to find a place to bury it, nearly getting caught by the police and a group of campers. While driving, they come across a car accident, with the police inspector present at the site asking them to drop a woman with minor injuries off to a nearby hospital. The woman realizes that Avani is dead and tries to alert the inspector. In the ensuing scuffle, Aniket strikes her with a steel bottle, killing her instantaneously. On finding the dead bodies in the car, the inspector pulls his gun on Anshuman and Aniket, but is shot dead by Devika before he can take any action.

Realizing it is dawn, Devika, Anshuman and Aniket decide to drive back to Aniket's house and store the bodies there, planning to go back at night to find a place to bury them. Shortly after they have placed the bodies on a couch, a falling chandelier crushes all three of them. As the police investigate the scene, the final shot shows some termites gnawing on a nylon rope.

• Swapnil Joshi as Aniket
• Anita Date-Kelkar as Avani
• Subodh Bhave as Dr. Anshuman
• Shivani Surve as Dr. Devika
• Namrata Sambherao as Injured woman in clinic and car{{Cite web |title=Video: 'महाराष्ट्राची हास्यजत्रा' पाठोपाठ नम्रता संभेराव आता मोठ्या पडद्यावरून प्रेक्षकांना हसवण्यासाठी सज्ज, प्रोमो व्हायरल |url=https://www.loksatta.com/manoranjan/marathi-cinema/namrata-sanbherao-shared-her-promo-from-the-upcoming-film-vaalvi-rnv-99-3383707/ |access-date=2023-02-18 |website=Loksatta |language=mr}}
• Sandy as Investigating police inspector
• Asha Dnyate as Radhabai (Aniket and Avani's domestic worker){{Cite web |date=13 January 2023 |title=Vaalvi Movie Review: An intriguing thrill-com with interesting characters |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movie-reviews/vaalvi/amp_movie_review/96968320.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424060829/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movie-reviews/vaalvi/amp_movie_review/96968320.cms |archive-date=24 April 2024 |access-date=16 January 2023 |website=The Times of India}}

The trailer was released on YouTube on 4 January 2023 and the film was theatrically released on 13 January 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-01 |title=Here's Why Swapnil Joshi Finds His Film 'Vaalvi' Most Difficult To Promote |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/here-s-why-swapnil-joshi-finds-his-film-vaalvi-most-difficult-to-promote-news-250052 |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}

The film was digitally released on ZEE5 on 24 February 2023.

The film received positive reviews from critics. A Reviewer of Scroll.in wrote "The pitch-perfect cast has just the right attitude to a movie that invites us to consider the depth of human depravity and instead gives us an efficient and effective cruel comedy, as bloodless as it is ruthless".{{Cite web |date=15 January 2023 |title= 'Vaalvi' review: A cold-blooded murder gets killers hot under the collar |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1041877/vaalvi-review-a-cold-blooded-murder-gets-killers-hot-under-the-collar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116022723/https://amp.scroll.in/reel/1041877/vaalvi-review-a-cold-blooded-murder-gets-killers-hot-under-the-collar |archive-date=16 January 2023 |access-date=16 January 2023 |website= Scroll.in

}} Akhilesh Nerlekar of Loksatta wrote "The dialogues, background music, cinematography have all come together well. There are subtle mistakes at some places, but if you ignore them, you can enjoy this movie. The works of Swapnil Joshi, Anita Date, Shivani Surve and Subodh Bhave have been done well".{{Cite web |date=13 January 2023 |title= Vaalvi Movie review : मराठी प्रेक्षकांचं डोकं पोखरणारा स्वप्नील-सुबोधचा 'वाळवी' पाहायलाच हवा, कारण… |url=https://www.loksatta.com/manoranjan/marathi-cinema/subodh-bhave-and-swapnil-joshi-starrer-vaalvi-marathi-movie-review-read-in-marathi-avn-93-3395926/lite/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116014354/https://www.loksatta.com/manoranjan/marathi-cinema/subodh-bhave-and-swapnil-joshi-starrer-vaalvi-marathi-movie-review-read-in-marathi-avn-93-3395926/lite/ |archive-date=16 January 2023 |access-date=16 January 2023 |website= Loksatta |language=Marathi

}} Jaydeep Pathak of Maharashtra Times says "Even though the content of the film is very serious and 'tense', 'dark humor' keeps sneaking in the film from time to time with cheesy dialogues. The 'grey' shade in the content perfectly captures Mangesh Dhakane's background score".{{Cite web |date=15 January 2023 |title= सिनेरिव्ह्यू: वाळवी |url=https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/vaalvi/moviereview/97010577.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116034658/https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/vaalvi/moviereview/97010577.cms |archive-date=16 January 2023 |access-date=15 January 2023 |website= Maharashtra Times |language=Marathi

}} Subhash K. Jha of Firstpost wrote "Vaalvi is delightfully iconoclastic in its attitude towards middleclass morality".{{Cite web |date=2023-01-26 |title=Vaalvi: A Marathi crazy crime caper that will have you in splits |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/vaalvi-a-marathi-crazy-crime-caper-that-will-have-you-in-splits-12050462.html |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Firstpost |language=en}} Ajit Andhare of Deccan Chronicle wrote "Something is happening in every scene and it is enough to keep you hooked to the end, albeit with some cliched cinematic liberties".{{Cite web |title=Movie Review {{!}} Vaalvi': The termites you won't mind watching |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/ott/240223/movie-review-vaalvi-the-termites-you-wont-mind-watching.html |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Deccan Chronicle}} Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com wrote "It has an original setting with very interesting plot, and its suspenseful pace keeps you riveted from the outset".{{Cite web |last=SANAP |first=MAYUR |title=Vaalvi review: Wildly Entertaining |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/vaalvi-review/20230127.htm |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Rediff |language=en}} Shaheen Irani of OTTPlay wrote "Vaalvi has an interesting start. It leaves you curious with the clock ticking and the chandeliers moving".{{Cite web |title=Vaalvi review: Swwapnil Joshi-Subodh Bhave’s film gives you something |url=https://www.ottplay.com/review/vaalvi-review-swwapnil-joshi-subodh-bhaves-film-gives-you-something-to-stay-hooked-on-to-and-then-leaves-you-shocked/b63bd19cea433 |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=OTTPlay |language=en}}

Vaalvi has collected ₹1.88 crore at the box office in its first week.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-17 |title=Ved and Vaalvi Collection : मराठी सिनेमांचा बोलबाला, 'वेड'नंतर आता 'वाळवी'चा कोटींमध्ये गल्ला |url=https://zeenews.india.com/marathi/entertainment/marathi-film-box-office-collection-ved-and-vaalvi-marathi-movie-box-office-collection-entertainment-news-in-marathi/683780 |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=Zee 24 Taas}} Film collected ₹1.40 crore in 4 days{{Cite web |title=थांबायचं नाय! मराठी चित्रपटांचा बॉलिवूडला धोबीपछाड; 'वेड' पाठोपाठ 'वाळवी'चीही कोटींमध्ये कमाई |url=https://maharashtratimes.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/bollywood-news/ved-and-vaalvi-marathi-movie-box-office-collection-beat-kuttey-movie-collection/articleshow/97047281.cms |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Maharashtra Times |language=mr}} and 2.54 crore in 9 days of its release.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-23 |title=Marathi Movies : मराठी सिनेसृष्टी पुन्हा बहरली! 'वेड' अन् 'वाळवी'वर उमटली प्रेक्षकांच्या पसंतीची मोहोर... |url=https://marathi.abplive.com/entertainment/bollywood/marathi-movies-in-theater-ved-and-vaalvi-box-office-collection-know-details-1144475 |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=ABP Majha |language=mr}} The film was collected ₹3 crores in the first 2 weeks.{{Cite web |last=Bhirvandekar |first=Harshada |title=Vaalvi Box Office Collection: 'वाळवी'ची बॉक्स ऑफिसवर यशस्वी घौडदौड! पाहा कलेक्शन |url=https://marathi.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/vaalvi-box-office-collection-day-9-film-collect-2-5-cr-on-box-office-141674456358885.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Hindustan Times Marathi |language=mr}} It crossed {{INR|7 crore}} at box office in five weeks of theatrical run.

Vaalvi 2 was announced at a party on the occasion of Paresh Mokashi's birthday. Madhugandha Kulkarni, Paresh Mokashi and Mangesh Kulkarni of Zee Studios announced that they are coming up with Vaalvi 2 soon.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-08 |title=Vaalvi's Cast And Crew Celebrate Film's Success, Now Sequel On The Cards |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/vaalvi-team-announced-sequel-at-films-success-bash-deets-inside-7030957.html |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=News18 |language=en}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|id=24516518}}
• [https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/vaalvi/0-0-1z5310540 Vaalvi] on ZEE5
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vaalvi}}

Category:2023 films

Category:2020s Marathi-language films

Category:Indian comedy thriller films

Category:Indian black comedy films

Category:Marathi-language black comedy films

Category:2020s comedy thriller films

Category:2023 black comedy films