REVIEW: Rishi Kapoor's Chintuji

Sometimes it’s great to watch a movie minus any expectations. Rishi Kapoor’s new release Chintuji is opening this week with zilch hype and minimal publicity. But the result is a surprisingly endearing film. Easily the pick of half-a-dozen films hitting screens every week.

Set in a fictitious village Hadbahedi, Chintuji is about superstar Rishi Kapoor (playing himself), who plans to fight an election from that place. The village is a unique one where every resident is a noble, God fearing soul - living an uncorrupted existence. However the villagers are in desperate want of a famous face, who can promote the positive values of Hadbahedi across India. Chintuji plans to take advantage of their simplicity and projects himself as the face of the village. The villagers go all out to please their favourite star giving into even his most ridiculous demands. Sensing his popularity, Chintuji is lured by a rival village to dupe his own people in exchange for a lot of money. This clash of morals forms the premise of the plot.

At its heart Chintuji is a simple tale about good values. At one level Chintuji is also a comment on the celebrity culture in India, where people idolise their stars blindly. But what makes it special is the writing. The film has amazing dialogues and extremely identifiable characters. The Utopian but simple premise is reminiscent of those Doordarshan serials from the 80s. The director succeeds in maintaining a lighthearted graph for most of its running time. You will find yourself laughing at several points in the film.

But the film could have done with a tighter edit and a less melodramatic finale. Also towards the end, several sub plots hamper the smooth flow of the narrative. The two songs are unwanted distractions in the plot.

Chintuji undoubtedly belongs to Rishi Kapoor. The remarkable actor breathes life in to the character, delivering an effortless, natural performance. Unlike most actors who play themselves on screen, Rishi Kapoor projects himself as a flawed superstar. His desires and vulnerabilities are real and he refrains from looking like a demi-God. Though slightly self indulgent, his tribute to his legendary father is a memorable moment in the film.

As the hassled filmmaker, Saurabh Shulka is brilliant in his cameo. Priyanshu Chatterjee is confident, but his flashback seems forced in the plot. Dimpled beauty Kulraj Randhawa – best remembered for her TV show Kareena Kareena has a striking screen presence. Here’s a face to watch out for. In fact one of the directors triumphs lies in his ability to extract natural performances from each and every member of the cast.

Chintuji suffers from low production values. But the lively execution makes up for it. While most films are celebrating evil these days, it’s nice to have a film that talks about the good side of life. Even though it might be in fiction.

Verdict: Despite some inconsistencies, Chintuji brings a huge smile on your face. It's a heart warming, feel good film.

Rating: 3/5