There are two basic ways of winning over the audience having their own set of expectations from the director and the stars. One is to present a completely fresh storyline with new characters conveying something novel or unique. And second is to impress them with a thoroughly entertaining narration saying the same old things already seen in many earlier movies.
Believe me, if the first one is quite difficult to achieve, the second is even tougher in comparison, as you have to say the repetitive things but in a non-repetitive manner keeping the audience glued.
Surprisingly CHHICHHORE becomes a strong representative of the second case, despite a not so exciting trailer with all seen before content. The film becomes a winner majorly because of its unusual kind of narration moving back and forth in time focusing on two generations and their changing aspirations. Director Nitesh Tiwari does a very fine job presenting the storyline through a complex and stretched yet entertaining screenplay with all likable characters. And the most lovable of them all is Varun Sharma who nails it once again as Sexa post his iconic portrayal of Choocha in the FUKREY series.
If truth be told then Sexa works as one of the major pillars of the film’s overall build-up, in absence of whom it would not have been the same without any slightest of doubt. In other words, Sexa takes a very good care of the comic-entertainment quotient of the film right till the very end and the character frankly deserves a solo spin-off film as per my personal opinion.
On the other hand, the entire cast does much more than expected resulting in an enjoyable film, wherein Sushant Singh Rajput gives an emotionally impressive performance and Shraddha does it well too though she doesn’t look her age in the ‘present’ part of the film. Prateik makes his presence felt in the role of the opponent and the entire team of friends featuring Tahir, Naveen, Tushar, Saharsh and more along with Mohammad Samad (as the youngster) strongly make you recall your own college days in a positive manner.
With a sharp and delightful editing, CHHICHHORE also gets a great support from its cinematography and background score department, though the songs just sound okay in the given situations, including the main song 'Fikar Not' generating the feeling of something ‘heard before’. At around 145 minutes, its length also seems to be long at times due to the largely repetitive content. But then the surprising climax covers it all and you move out of the theater with a pleasant smile on face remembering your fond memories.
However what certainly could have been much better or differently done is the over-age presentation and make-up of the entire team which doesn’t turn out to be that impressive in comparison to the other technical departments of the project. In addition, the biggest downer remains the repetitive feel of the content in its first half which doesn’t allow you to instantly like it till the narration gets back on track coming to the actual point. Plus the pre-climax sports-events sequences also have been portrayed in an over-the-top fictional manner as something hard to believe.
Putting it differently, films like CHHICHHORE surely entertain giving you the return of your money spent, but they cannot achieve the status of any cult film because that stature always belongs to the ones doing it for the first time taking a much bigger risk. Still, despite being repetitive, predictable and a mix of subject matters already explored in films like JO JEETA WOHI SIKANDAR and 3 IDIOTS, Nitesh’s CHHICHHORE surely works but this is not any case of sending the ball out of the park to be fair.
Following a template, bringing in an innovative narrative, it thankfully remains a thoroughly enjoyable fun flick that takes the elders back in time and targets the ones presently in college enjoying with their friend circle. But at the same it also seems to be ‘a made to please’ film, lacking that satisfying depth we have already experienced in the similar films made in this genre. Plus, I also couldn’t find the reason it was titled CHHICHHORE, may be just to grab some instant eye-balls projecting a fun project.
Having said that, the film still wins some deserving brownie points for its thought-provoking climax and for just one scene, which ideally should make you think and think hard while dealing with your sons, daughters and young teenagers in the family.
Personally speaking, this is the most positive, appreciable as well as enlightening, life-teaching feature of the film pointing towards the importance of FAILURES in our lives instead of SUCCESSES. In fact this is one feature of CHHICHHORE that makes it different and much more important than both JJWS and 3IDIOTS. The scene needs to be seen, grasped and made as a bookmark in the minds of parents having young kids at home as a must.
Here it goes.
A father cries looking at the champagne bottle packed as a gift lying on the shelf and says,
"I made plans to celebrate with my son telling him that we will open it together when he will crack the entrance exams.
But I didn't make any plans if he would not!"
Read it again.
"I didn't make any plans if he would not!"
Read it again and again and give it a thought!
LIFE is not just SUCCESS, it is FAILURE too.
As a matter of fact there are much more failures we normally face in life than successes and it’s these failures that in reality groom and build our personality in those initial years of dealing with the world like nothing else.
The film teaches us to take those failures as a sportsman, finding the spirit to fight again and that is what I brought back home from CHHICHHORE.
Hope you will take that too and make a change in your attitude towards the young strugglers in the families….. celebrating their success as well as failure like a true friend.
Rating : 3.5 + 0.5 / 5 (with the additional 0.5 only for that well-written, life-teaching scene)