Chhapaak Movie Review

Item: Chhapaak
Rating: 4
Author: Sreeja Dontireddy

Certificate: U

Language: Hindi

Genre: Drama

Release Date: 10 Jan 2020

Runtime: 02:03:00

Chhapaak Movie Cast & Crew

Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Music Director
Fox Star Studios
Production House
Deepika Padukone
Lead Actress
Vikrant Massey
Actor
Meghna Gulzar
Director
Leena Yadav
Producer

Chhapaak Movie Review

Chhapaak Movie Review: Chhapaak is a story that will not leave you for a long time.

Sreeja Dontireddy

Updated: January 10, 2020 15:26 IST

Rating : 4/5

Chhapaak Movie Story:

Meghna Gulzar’s Chhapaak bases on the life of Lakshmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor. The protagonist Malti had based on Lakshmi. Attacked by Babbu, Malti’s life got turned upside down and she faces not just disfigurement and dysphoria, but also harsh reception from the world around her. The story revolves around her finding her sense of self and coming to terms with the drastic physical change and its psychological effects. Finally, Malti decides to fight back and get justice. With the help of her family and friends, along with NGO activist Amol (played by Vikrant Massey), Malti stands up for herself and the hundreds of others who have gone through the same trauma. The film shows us the various obstacles that come Malti’s way, and how she handles them forms the rest of the movie.

Chhapaak Movie Performance:

Deepika Padukone broke out of her usual roles, taking on a project that moves away from the conventional ideal of female beauty. Padukone handles the role with care, understanding the nuance required to portray such trauma. Perhaps her relationship with Malti gave her invaluable insight. Padukone has a lot of expectations riding on this film, and it might just make her position at the top of Bollywood a permanent one. Her Malti has the same graceful yet fierce spirit that Lakshmi has in real life.

Vikrant Massey is rapidly proving to be one of the most promising actors of the country. His portrayal of Amol is realistic, honest, and the perfect counterpart to Padukone’s Malti.

Madhurjeet Sarghi and Ankit Bisht do justice to their characters, and Vishal Dahiya receives a special mention for portraying the attacker with nuance.

Chhapaak Movie Positives:

The film is an emotional ride, and it leaves its audience with a lot to think about. The acting, cinematography, and even the music are all stellar. The movie opens with Gular’s poetry, and the words alone are strong enough to move you, but the movie that follows enhances the experience. The movie’s true merit lies obviously in its portrayal of the issue itself. The director and the actors are careful not to make it seem like a damsel-in-distress narrative. Malti had seen as her own, complete, complex person, which is often forgotten in discussions about acid attack survivors. They looked at as mere victims, helpless and powerless. This movie dismantles that notion and does so with immense sensibility

Chhapaak Movie Negatives:

It is a tricky business to portray such a story because it is important, but it is also not easy. Lakshmi Agarwal’s life and her experience cannot possibly translate perfectly onto the screen. The fear is that some of it may get overdramatized, or stuffed with emotional triggers for the audience. However, Chhapaak does try its best not to do so. It does get overwhelming at some points, but this cannot get considered a complete disadvantage because both the frequency and intensity of this overdramatization are very low. Meghna Gulzar has been extra cautious and it has paid off for the most part.

Chhapaak Movie Verdict:

Chhapaak is not a suspenseful or dramatic story, it will not have you at the edge of your seat. The film has a steady pace and got subdued in its tone, without excesses. It is not that this movie will solve the problems this country faces today, nor that it will instantly empower women. The fact that it attempts to tell the story from a female perspective, without making her seem like a completely powerless victim, is a commendable act in itself. Chhapaak is not a new story or an unusual one, it is simply one that we need to remember and recognize.