Yousaf Ali

L1F18BSMC0097

MOVIE REVIEW

Feature , Column and Editorial writing

Chhichhore Movie Review:

Chhichhore is a 2019 Bollywood action-romance-drama, which has been directed by

Nitesh Tiwari. The movie stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor and Pratik
Babar in the lead roles. Movie ratings are 8.2/10. Chhichhore is produced by Sajid
Nadiadwala under the banner Fox Star Studios & Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment
Pvt.Ltd and is distributed by Fox Star Studios. The movie revolves around the life of
seven friends who reunite after many years in times of crisis.

Stress and overwhelming anxiety is a reality for many young students in India. More so,
for those who appear for highly competitive engineering and medical entrance
examination? And sometimes, ones who do not make it through the criteria find
themselves in a whirlpool of doubt and depression. Unable to take the failure in the face
of family and peer pressure, they often resort to actions which can cause irreparable
damage to themselves and their families. While this bleak reality is at the center of
Chhichhore’s narrative, its heart and soul is purely reserved for the carefree college and
hostel days that shape lifelong bonds and life lessons. Annirudh (Sushant Singh Rajput)
lovingly called Anni by his college buddies and Maya (Shraddha Kapoor), a divorced
couple, find themselves in a desperate situation when their teenaged son, Raghav
attempts suicide. The doctors indicate that he is critical, not just physically but mentally
too. Annirudh believes the only way to bring him out of this darkness is to take Raghav
down his own memory lane (back to his hostel days from engineering college). A place
where he not just fell in love with Maya but also forged friendships with ‘Sexa’ (Varun
Sharma), ‘Acid’ (Naveen Polishetty), Derek (Tahir Raj Bhasin), ‘Bevda’ (Saharsh Kumar
Shukla) and ‘Mummy’ (Tushar Pandey).
As the film’s narrative walks us down the hostel corridors, director Nitesh Tiwari creates
an authentic world that is evidently filled with nuggets of nostalgia and a breezy, vibrant
energy. There are some genuinely very funny moments that click but also be prepared
for a generous helping of low-brow, frat boy jokes, all of which may not be palatable.
However, there is no doubt that in its flashback mode – packed with romance, comedy,
a sporting championship and some hard realities of hostel life – ‘Chhichhore’ soars. And
when it zips back to the present day, where the group has an unlikely reunion, its
heartwarming to witness that their friendship has survived the test of time and distance.
The arc of the screenplay though is mostly predictable and has a 'Three Idiots'
hangover. And with a lengthy runtime of almost two and half hours, the pace lags in the
second half. It’s the emotional drama, fun quotient and a surprise element in the climax
that keeps one invested. Shraddha Kapoor packs in a solid performance both as the
younger and older Maya. Sushant Singh Rajput shines as the young Anni (watch out for
the scene where he goes tongue-tied in front of Maya!), however as the older Annirudh
he seems a little uncomfortable. In fact, as the young lot – the performances are
consistent - Varun Sharma steals the show in many of the scenes with his comic timing.
Tahir Raj Bhasin is impressive as the intense Derek. Naveen Polishetty, Pratik Babar,
Tushar Pandey and Saharsh Singh also enhance the film with their likeable
performances. Together, as a group of friends, they have an easy camaraderie that’s
relatable.
‘Chhichhore’ has a relevant message on the inherent attitude towards academic
success and failure that will connect with many youngsters and parents of today. Story
tells that the journey is far more important than the destination and that losing is as
critical a life lesson as winning. The film scores high on many accounts and is certainly
worth watching.