Directed by debutante Debamitra Biswal, Motichoor Chaknachoor fails to deliver what it promises.
Let's start off with some good things about the film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui with his pokerfaced humor is ever-reliable although a little more attention to the styling of his character would have gone a long way in making his performance stand out. But it is Athiya Shetty who is quite a revelation. She delivers an impressive performance as Annie, as does the rest of the supporting cast. For a new director, Debamitra Biswal handles her material well. There is an eye for detailing like the winter wear and jewelry in small towns. Dialogues too get the tone and context right. It is the screenplay that is a big letdown.
The story is about a 36-year-old accountant trying to find a wife, and a girl trying to escape abroad by any means, especially marriage. The painfully unfunny film tries hard to extract at least little amusement from the obvious incompatibility between the two protagonists. But the scrappy writing yields a monotonous, pedestrian dramedy that fails to deliver even an iota of sense.
Motichoor Chaknachoor could have been a blockbuster comedy. But alas, with its ambling, laidback storytelling style, it falls short. This comic tale about a marriage of convenience gone wrong at best makes for a good home watch on an OTT platform or TV channel.