When I stepped into the hall, I had been a bit sceptic about this movie, courtesy the reports that it might resemble ‘3 Idiots’ or ’Dil Chahta Hai’. However, when I came out of the hall, I had only this to say – Well done Nitesh Tiwari, well done!
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Chhichhore’ stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor and Mohammad Samad in principal roles, along with Varun Sharma, Tushar Pandey, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Naveen Polisetti, Saharsh Kumar Shukla and Prateik Babbar in supporting roles. This film is a cheeky, yet intriguing tale of seven friends [misfits to be precise], who form a great bonding from their hostel days, and how an unexpected tragedy in one of the friends’ lives brings them together.
What’s good –
To be honest, one of the great things about Chhichhore is that it delivers more in the movie than in the trailer. Like Drishyam, I was totally blown apart by the content it offered as compared to the glimpses I saw in the trailer. For once, I was not compelled to pull out my hair on the absurd portrayal of college life as shown in films like ‘Student of the Year’, ‘Student of the Year 2’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’.
All the folks yearning for the nostalgia shall be looking for the handkerchiefs, as Chhichhore has portrayed the college life in the 90s with absolute finesse. Even in the present life, the camaraderie between the friends does not look forced, as compared to some other movies that have portrayed college life. Every movie on college life need not be a copy of ‘Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander’ or ‘Student of the Year’, and Chhichhore has deservedly broken that myth. For those who have seen ‘Tummbad’, they shall be delighted with the way Mohammad Samad acts in this movie.
Another great aspect of this movie is director Nitesh Tiwari, who has managed to prove that he is a man who could change the face of Bollywood for the better. With films like ‘Chillar Party’, ‘Bhootnath Returns’, and ‘Dangal’ in his kitty, Nitesh Tiwari has shown with Chhichhore that if it comes to content driven cinema, and if given proper scripts, he can work wonders. He has also infused a very crucial message into the film, which you need to watch to find out.
What’s Fantastic –
The best part of this movie is ironically what ripped off the sheen of the previous week’s release ‘Saaho’, that is, writing and acting. The crisp writing by director Nitesh Tiwari [himself an ex IIT Bombay graduate] and writers Piyush Gupta and Nikhil Malhotra has some extremely rib tickling moments that will compel you to laugh your heart out. Even though the lingo used by students might seem as cliché, they neither look forced nor absurd, and that is the biggest USP of this movie.
However, the showstoppers are the ensemble cast of this movie. Be it Sushant Singh Rajput as Anirudh Pathak aka ‘Anni’, or Varun Sharma as Gurmeet Singh Dhillon aka ‘Sexa’, or Tushar Pandey as Sundar Srivastav aka ‘Mummy’, or even Tahir Raj Bhasin as ‘Derek’, the stars literally lived their roles to the fullest. It was good to see Naveen Polisetti, ill famed for his association with the now defunct AIB, come out of that mould to shine as the foul mouthed ‘Acid’.
Another surprise was the mean Raggie, played by Prateik Patil [formerly Babbar], who wanted to go to any extent to get the top honors for himself. For a man, who disappeared into oblivion after his brilliant debut in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, it was good to see Prateik back in action with this interesting role. For Kota Factory fans, there is a delightful cameo by your ever beloved Ranjan Raj as well.
What could’ve been better –
Though Chhichhore is a delightful watch, there are a few flaws that denied it the status of a brilliant masterpiece. The makeup for the ensemble cast as per the present day looks absurd. Some of the messages in the movie look more preachy than necessary, and the movie runtime might irritate some people as well. Shraddha Kapoor’s presence was limited, despite her role having some spark.
Overall, Chhichhore packs some punch as a refreshing, nostalgic movie that hits many right notes. It is good to see people like Nitesh Tiwari, who mean business as they make good movies for the Indian audience. I’m ready to give Chhichhore 3.5 out of 5 stars.