Directed by Sandeep Modi, and co-produced by Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films, Chumbak talks about the dark zone of our society in which the unaware people get targeted through fake chit funds schemes, dubious phone calls, and e-mail lottery scams.
Focusing on a few characters, it begins with Baalu (Sahil Jadhav), who loses all his savings in a small-time investment plan run by a fake company. Left in a helpless state, he decides to get that money back by further robbing a person, making random phone calls as a bank representative of a lottery draw. Unfortunately, the only response he gets is from a simpleton Prasanna (Swanand Kirkire), a grown-up man with the brain of a child, who gives Baalu all he has, completely trusting him as a bank employee.
The tussle begins when Baalu realises the mistake of robbing a child-like innocent Prasanna, but still urgently needs the money to solve his personal issues. That is where the title justifies itself as Chumbak – a magnet, representing the magnetic pull between the two contrasting characters on the screen caught in a moral web.
The film works in terms of the subject representing the present times and earnest performances of the cast. While Sahil sincerely conveys the innocent dilemma of a confused teenager, Swanand truly wins your heart and one seriously wishes he doesn’t get cheated anymore and safely reaches his home. However, the story progression keeps going on at the same pace and never escalates, becoming either a highly emotional or engrossing watch. The key realistic characters had so much potential, which somehow remains unexplored and a lot that should have been there in their journey together seems missing.
Chumbak grabs your attention well in its opening sequences of investment scams and the youngsters dealing with it, finding their innocent victims next, continuing the chain of crime. But as soon as the change of heart begins, the film moves on to a predictable path and keeps struggling to become anything bigger, falling short of the expectations. Yet, it thankfully never becomes a drag or loses its charm, representing the good-old unhurried storytelling.
It has a pleasing cinematography, and the music provides a soothing feel to the events, giving them a relatable regional touch. But the film simply remains a decent and sweet, heart-warming presentation of a touching story that never turns out to be anything exceptional.
Rating : 3 / 5
(Streaming on SonyLiv)
Bobby Sing
(bobbytalkscinema.com)
NOTE : The article was first published in THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Newspaper (Mumbai Edition) on 23rd November 2021.
