Chhatriwali

While the narrative is quite engaging and doesn't go off track much, Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava's story needed some more depth. To a large extent, it talks about the problems at a surface level without delving deep into the root cause and why such mindset still prevails in the society. That being said, what I liked and enjoyed is that Chhatriwali has a lot of teaching about issues that matter without sounding preachy for once. In fact, some time ago, we saw Janhit Mein Jaari (2022) starring Nushrratt Bharuccha — a film on a similar genre where a woman selling condoms overcomes resistance from her family and the whole town. Chhatriwali takes it a notch higher with its treatment, comedy and impact.

Coming to the acting, Rakul Preet Singh shoulders the film with Sumeet Vyas’ support and does a decent job. However, we feel Rakul has better performances in her kitty. While Chhatriwali gets its flavour because of Rakul, we would cut a few marks for dialogue delivery and body language. Rakul wears high-end clothes at times and not-so-high-end at times, so we don’t know how to differentiate. That breakfast scene after wedding, remember? Sumeet Vyas, as usual, was yet another driving force in the film. Every time he appears on the screen, it lights up on its own! That’s just typical of Sumeet. All in all, Chhatriwali is a decent weekend watch with predictable parts where everything falls into the right place towards the end. But did it deliver the message it wanted? That’s for you to decide.

Many elements of ‘Chhatriwali’ remind you of the earlier film, but given that it’s such an important subject, there’s no harm in more films focussing on it. But the same problem that beset ‘Jan Hit’ overpowers this one too: why should any conversation around condoms and safe sex lead to tired, jaded lines about how these are ‘ashleel’ things, not only not appropriate for young boys and girls, but also in bedrooms where ‘respectably’ married couples presumably engage in mutually pleasurable copulation? Why, in the guise of being progressive, is the treatment of the film so backward? Why so coy? Is this the 60s?

For a film dealing with hefty issues like the adverse effects of unprotected sex on women's health, it tries too hard to be comedic. Lochan Kanvinde's sound design doesn't do a lot in enhancing the film and the music, too, is unmemorable. Whether it's Rishi's strict, conservative, elder brother (a compelling performance by Rajesh Tailang) or the volatile shopkeeper, triggered and upset by men buying and using condoms for the sake of their wives - the film is clear in its messaging that the audience neither has to root for the sexist men on screen nor have they been provided with any form of a redemption arc. The pacing of the film is quite well-maintained, with Shruti Bora's editing seamlessly holding it all together. When Saniya's "secret" is revealed, she faces every degree of misogyny and ostracization.