Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
What’s it about:
A bunch of college buddies are reunited under unfortunate circumstances when one of them is in crisis. Will their past antics help save a life?
Review:
It’s very common in Bollywood that a film turns out to be much worse than what its promo promises, but it’s very rare that a Bollywood film is actually way better than its promo. Well, Chhichhore is that film. Right from scene one, director (also the co-writer) Nitesh Tiwari ensures you’re invested in the story. Everything that happens in the film from there on, is relatable.
The story rapidly moves between the past and the present of a motley bunch of boys, who formed a lifelong bond on the campus of their engineering college. However, it’s only after one of them needs help that all of them come together, one by one. As we are taken into their lives in college, scene after scene, the narrative throws interesting and entertaining episodes of all the trappings of the campus conundrum.
We are introduced to quirky characters that are instantly likable. In them is Varun Sharma who plays ‘Sexa’ for having only one thing on his mind, but the actor is so good at such roles that he always leaves you in splits. Then there is Naveen Polishetty as the foul-mouthed Acid who cannot speak a sentence without swearing cuss words. He has such relatable bad-boy charm that none of his cuss words seem offensive. Tushar Pandey as ‘Mummy’ embodies the typical man-child from a conservative family, who is tied to his mom’s pallu even when he moves to a hostel. The brooding Tahir Raj Bhasin, who seems aged since his Mardani days (2014), but very well cast as the simmering college senior Derek, who has what it takes to be the ace sporting champion. In the film’s leading man Sushant Singh Rajput exudes the right boyish charm during his college days and a quiet restraint as a divorced single parent. Shraddha Kapoor does a decent job as well, but kudos to the writers for not letting the lead pair eclipse the rest of the cast.
At the heart of it all, Chhichhore is the story of the underdogs – a premise that has been exploited very well earlier in films like Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander, Chak De, 3 Idiots and even Dangal (from the same director).
However, what makes Chhichhore an entertaining watch is its strong writing and crisp hilarious dialogues that ensure a steady flow of hearty laughs and chuckles. The casting of the film is another plus. The film has a core message about how winning is not everything and it delivers it well woven into the narrative. Sure, it becomes convenient at times and some of the nuances like the chemistry between the lead pair or the prosthetic make-up of all the men in their 40s don’t seem too convincing. However, these are very minor bumps in an otherwise fun, harmless emotional rollercoaster that Chhichhore is.
Watch it with your family and friends and you will surely come out of the theatre smiling.
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