Chhalaang

The collaboration between Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao is a force to be reckoned with. They've given us great films like Shahid, Aligarh, Citylights and Omerta. Their fifth collaboration, Chhalaang is not up to the mark.

Chhalaang follows Montu, a PT teacher who is very lazy with his job. One day a senior PT teacher arrives and both clash with each other, leading to a sports competition between them to decide who gets to keep their job.

I really like Mehta and Rao's previous works together but this time they decided to do something more mainstream and accessible. The end product is Chhalaang, which is one of the most ordinary and unoriginal films pf the year. The film isn't terribly bad per se but it's nothing special or memorable like their previous films. This doesn't feel like a Hansal Mehta film as all his other movies feel grounded in reality but some of the events that take place in this film don't feel realistic at all. The sports competition is something I've seen countless times and is riddled with all the clichés you can expect. Nothing about it is very exciting or new. It's too predictable. What the film does do well is the authenticity of Haryana. The accents and location help in making the state feel real.

The acting is pretty good. Rajkummar Rao is great as usual. There is a great scene with him and Satish Kaushik drinking during the night and the way he delivers dialogue is really well done. Nushrat Bharucha does well but it felt strange seeing her character wear high heels throughout the movie. Saurabh Shukla and Jatin Sarna provide a couple of laughs and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is pretty good as well.

Overall, Chhalaang is very predictable and forgettable. Nothing new or creative is done with this kind of story and nothing stands out in particular. Unfortunately it's just another basic sports drama...

Before the competition part movie was good.....

Then comes the most predictable part of the movie ... "the competition "....... nothing new ..... felt bakwas type of feeling.......

Nothing unique about the movie. Predictable story. weak storyline. One time watch.

Chhalaang is an attempt on the miserable yet reality of the sporting system prevalent in the country. It targets the frivolous nature of PT as a subject in schools with subtle yet powerful gender inequality still existing in society. Subject looks impressive and the hype it got before it's release sets the expecting sky high, something which it fails to live by. Hansal Mehta coming on the back of a blockbuster web series 'Scam 1992' somehow hasn't been able to make this as exciting. More often than not you might have deja vu with "Dangal" and "Chichhore". The predictably of the script adds to yet another reason for this not living up to expectations. In no way it's a bad movie, but definitely a good distance apart from a "WOW" movie. Absolutely a good watch for entertainment but don't keep very high expectations. Rajkumar Rao have life to Monty and was brilliant as always. Nushrratt finally got a more character oriented script and she has shown quality and real glimpses of her talent. The Hariyanvi accent was beautifully. Mohammad Ayyub and Saurab Shukla were terrific in their characters and deserve all the appreciation. The background score was pleasing. Overall a decent watch with a lot of gaps to be filled but a good entertaining 140mins

After the outstanding web series Scam 1992, director Hansal Mehta delivered another entertaining movie. But this time he switches to a light-hearted zone. Chhalaang marks the fifth movie of actor Rajkummar Rao and filmmaker Hansal Mehta after Shahid (2013), CityLights (2014), Aligarh (2015), and Omerta (2018).

The movie has a simple, little predictable, yet enjoyable plot with a good message. The story also deals with the importance of sports education and gender parity. The first half has well-written characters and smartly written humour. The second half has well-executed Basketball and Kabaddi matches, although there was still room for tighter editing.

Rajkummar Rao never disappoints, he again delivers a diverting performance. Nushrratt Bharuccha gave a charming performance with her lovable Haryanvi diction. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub looks convincing as the competitive PT teacher. The film also has a great ensemble cast, Satish Kaushik, Saurabh Shukla, Ila Arun, Jatin Sarna, Baljinder Kaur, Naman Jain, and all the young actors delivers a terrific performance.

Direction 3/5 Acting 3/5 Dialogues 3.5/5 Story 2.5/5 Screenplay 3/5