Of late, there have been a lot of remakes, action-thrillers, comedies or period dramas have been releasing in theatres and on OTT platforms as well. And there are only some movies on social causes. While Bollywood has been trying to revive the industry, OTT has picked up some interesting subjects and one such is Chhatriwali.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
WHAT’S HOT?
Rakul Preet Singh carries the film on her shoulder. She plays the girl next door, the kind of role she has aced over her short career and is a delight to watch. The casting is done perfectly and the setting blends with the storyline. Performances are earnest in this film about an important subject that needs to be brought to light time and again.
WHAT’S NOT
In the past couple of years, there have been two more films that addressed the issues of safe sex, contraception and advocated the use of condom. One is Aparshakti Khurrana’s Helmet, the other is Nushrratt Bharuccha’s Janhit Mein Jaari. While the former dealt with the subject in a fun and quirky way, the latter exposed a stark reality of the situation in an impactful way. Chhatriwali falls short of either. The film just touches upon the issues without going deeper or stirring emotions. The lack of these keep it restricted to one family’s issue instead of making it a pertinent, universal issue. The storyline is also very similar to Janhit Mein Jaari but that could have been overlooked if the treatment was similarly impactful. Because subjects like these need regular telling.
VERDICT
A film on an important subject as this deserves attention. However, it could have made a better effort to talk to its TG and drive home the importance of conversation around this taboo topic. Considering the perfect casting, important topic, and earnest performances, we will go with 2.5 stars.
