Chhichhore Review {3.0}: SSR Shradha Kapoor Celebrating Life Beyond Failure
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Had Chhichhore been made before 3 IDIOTS, it would have been lauded for its ‘responsible’ content but as of now, 3 IDIOTS still continues to be that unbeatable champion of good cinema.
Comparisons between the two are inevitable. Both deal with ‘Monster Marks’ syndrome affecting college life…both are made by super talented directors and both films can brag about its perfect star cast. But similarities end just there.
Digging into precious memories from his own campus rumblings at IIT, Mumbai, director Nitish Tiwari is set for a win-win match. Throw in confused freshers ragged by ‘baap’ seniors for some ‘harmless’ fun… , add to it ‘lovable’ eccentricities of every character that binds them into a tight family…focus on the realization of ‘inner strength’ inside these underdogs who ultimately win the race-of-life and therein lies the ‘Eureka’ moment for its audience towards the end. Because we have learnt that world is made up of only two types…winners and fighters, not losers.
Excellent message aimed at budding youngsters
Who routinely go through extreme stress of securing admissions to coveted colleges to experience that ultimate meri-toh-life-ban-gayi moment. Tiwari sincerely tries to drill-in positive message for those over ambitious parents as well who are unknowingly concocting a recipe of disaster by pressurising their young ones to be alpha achievers. And all seems frighteningly real when the lead actor, Sushant Singh Rajput, confesses that every parent has a plan for being successful but no one bothers to plan for post-failure.
Though being divorced, college sweethearts, Anirudh Pathak (Anni) and Shraddha Kapoor (Maya) have come together under unusual circumstances. Their only son prefers to die rather than be called as ‘Loser’ for securing low grades. Shattered parents decide to bring back their son from death grip by reciting life-lessons from bygone years of college. And this is exactly the premise where CHHICHHORE starts faltering. Fleeting in and out of nostalgia trip feels disjointed. When we are really enjoying those seriously funny campus shenanigans, abruptly the surrounding changes into melancholy hospital happenings. Result is that one hardly remains invested in either of the emotions.
But sweet spot of CHHICHHORE definitely lies in the yaari-dosti camaraderie between then hostelites who are now rallying around Anni and Maya like true friends.
They all have been given bizarre nicknames that amply describe their ‘uncontrollable’ habits. Likewise, Varun Sharma is ‘Sexa’ whose brain is clearly dominated by ‘Bunty’ aka ‘Chote Nawab’ aka ‘Man’s best friend’. Naveen Polishetty is called ‘Acid’ obviously for his abusive acidic tongue while Tahir Raj Bhasin is ‘Derek’ the brooding hunk and ‘Bevda’ is Saharsh Kumar Shukla, the bottle guzzler. Not to miss Mama’s boy, Tushar Pandey, lovingly called, what else but ’Mummy’ 😊.
Together they take us on a laugh-a-minute ride set in a premiere Engineering college of 80’s. But they are labelled as losers by rest for holding bottom- most position in sports championship for years together. How they successfully shrug off this tag if not completely, forms the crux of CHHICHHORE.
Like super job done in Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra’s 2005, RAANG DE BASANTI, Tiwari tries to run past and present scenario in parallel tracks with a common message applying to both but fails at many points. One of them could be absolutely unconvincing ‘aged’ look of one and all. Never ending porcelain foreheads with half bald pates and hideous hair wigs are the most juvenile prosthetic s one can ever see. ☹.
If not for other things than CHHICHHORE should be genuinely appreciated for fantastic take on celebrating life beyond its failures.
But it is ‘Chucha’ from FUKRE whose antics, bang-on comic timing and real expressions uplift the film completely. Varun Sharma delivers his best performance to date. No one can beat his natural act not even Sushant Sigh Rajput. Infact every fringe character has acted his best except SSR.
Sad but lot was expected out of brilliant actor after his stellar performance in MS DHONI. His age-jump was as unconvincing as his fake beard and so were his blank expressions in mature avatar.
Shraddha Kapoor does a great job of being a disgruntled wife and emotionally fragile mother. But as a collegian, she hardly gets any screen time thanks to Acid, Bevda, Mummy and Sexa 😊.
Acid Polishetty can expect more attention after his first-rate debut performance. Mummy Pande is so real and believable while Bevda Sharma can be found in every college.
After a long hiatus, Prateek Babber walks into the minuscule role of a rival batch mate and leaves behind a decent act. –
In spite of being relatively new, it is pleasure to watch all of them on screen. Even a canteen supervisor turns into a scene stealer in a 2-minute sequence. Kudos to the casting director.
Music is almost edited out but cracker one liners mostly by Varun Sharma holds the film together.
