'Chhorii' review: Nushrratt Bharuccha-starrer gives strong message; falters at places
Nushrratt Bharuccha lands up her most prominent role yet with Vishal Furia's horror offering, Chhorii. Based on Furia's highly acclaimed Marathi venture Lapachhapi, Chhorii is not restricted to the horrors of the supernatural but also social constrictions. But what hampers the experience is that viewers understand where the story is headed a bit too early. Read our review before you make up your mind.
Sakshi takes refuge but dangers don't leave her
As seen in the intriguing trailer, Bharuccha plays Sakshi, a heavily pregnant woman, who is forced to seek refuge in an isolated village with her husband, Hemant (Saurabh Goyal). They are taken in by an elderly couple (Mita Vashisht and Rajesh Jais) but things are eerie from the beginning. Elements supernatural and otherwise start haunting Sakshi and pose threat to her unborn child.
Film loses balance several times through its run
Furia had two goals with the story and narration—horror and social commentary—but here he misses. The elderly woman taking care of Sakshi is blatantly creepy, so you find little conviction in her good acts. Also, the big twist(s) are apparent from a mile away. There's a long stretch in the second half with continuous jumpscares at extreme volumes. This annoyed me more than anything.
Cinematography impresses notably, Ketan Sodha's score is good too
The ending monologue severely lacked impact. If you have watched the 2017 movie, you will find the Hindi version much more polished. Understandably, Furia had more budget to play with here. Certain transition shots have been symbolically shot and the director of photography Anshul Chobey efficiently plays with colors. The shocking factor is heavily dependent on the background score given by Ketan Sodha.
You can give this horror flick a try
In the cast, the Pyaar Ka Punchnama actress ably carries the movie, Vashisht appears over-the-top, and the other actors don't get enough meat. This Indian horror drama is sans the now-mandatory erotic elements, so that's refreshing. Overall, definitely watch the film. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Verdict: This one has its good and (a few) bad moments, so it gets 3/5.
