CHINTU JI
Emotionally satisfying and brilliantly played with Bollywood sense of humor
by Vishal Verma

A Next Generation Films Presentation in association with Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

Producer : Bobby Bedi
Writer-Director : Ranjit Kapoor
Genre : Drama
Target Audience : General

Starring       
Rishi Kapoor
Priyanshu Chatterjee
Kulraj Randhawa
Saurabh Shukla
Grusha Kapoor
Sophie Choudry

Technical Analysis

Keeping Neta’s & Abhineta’s at the heart of his first outing as an helmer, noted dialogue writer Ranjit Kapoor (Jane Bhi Do Yaro, Legend of Bhagat Singh, Lajja) gives an emotionally satisfying and brilliantly played take on Star & Stardom.

Subject and style give the aura of a TV series but the energetic kitsch of the writers gripping screenplay right from the word go & of course the sheer spirit of the adorable Rishi results in a thought-provoking melodrama and a profound empathy of star & stardom with identifiable characters. The movie’s easy going climate is sweetly paced & the genuinely witty script doesn't become depressing as it focuses on the protagonist selfishness and good humor brilliantly played by Rishi.

The film is studded with underlying social comments placed with the Indian & bollywood tradition. Ther’s even a song dedicated to all time great directors. The inclusion of Kseniya Ryabinkina – the lovely Russian from Raj Kapoor’s masterpiece ‘Mera Nam Joker’, returning after almost 40 years in this flick though is a 50 style melodrama but its worth for its self-conscious elements that subtly interwoven the narrative.

Lensing by Sunny Joseph is fine. Dialogues are funny. Perfs are quite good across the board; production values are decent. Music is passable.

The movie gets 3 out of 5.
One for the intriguing premise & narration
One for the performance
One for the novelty

The movie losses on its TV/theatre feel & less dramatic climax.

The Story

Hadbahedi, a small but beautiful village/town, is forward looking but honest. It competes for resources and recognition with a neighboring corrupt town- Triphla. Hadbahedians believe that they have been totally neglected by the state and seek an identity of their under Arun Bakshi's (Priyanshu Chatterjee) leadership. Things brighten when they discover that Rishi/Chintu Kapoor was actually born in their village 55 years back. They send an invite to him and he accepts as he is looking at Politics to make a comeback in a big way and Hadbahedi could well be his constituency.

Chintu arrives in Hadbahedi along with Devika Malhotra, a young, dynamic smart and intelligent executive of the PR agency hired for Rishi's political dreams. Rishi is a nuisance at Hadbahedi and treats the innocent people of Hadbahedi with contempt. Devika however is able to relate to their simplicity and love for Chintu. Matters worsen when Chintu meets with an accident which immobilizes him and forces him and Devika to stay put in Hadbahedi. Arun and Devika get along well and their romance blossoms through the story while ruthless Chintu is falling prey to the tempting monetary and political offer made by Triphla. In the meantime an anxious Mumbai producer Malkani (Malkani) decides to finish his film featuring Rishi, at Hadbahedi itself. Arun mobilizes the town to help the guests in accomplishing their task.

Arun has a troublesome past - he came to hide in Hadbahedi 6 years back! Arun's past continues to haunt his relationship with Devika, The town by now has started getting the media and government's attention due to Rishi's stay in Hadbahedi. Arun leads the entire movement. Prosperity follows, and the urban voices become a threat to Hadbahedians. Several comic and poignant situations follow. Through the film and at its climax the simplicity and goodness of the town folk is pitted against the selfish and ruthless behavior of Rishi and other visitors.

Promotion

The promotion is decent enough but the required buzz to bring sufficient legs to the theatres is missing.

Business Analysis

Lack of buzz, multiple releases will hamper the film prospects, anyhow word of mouth may bring some legs to the theatres after wards. But overall, ‘Chintu ji’ will be remembered for its novel approach. May fetch well from non theatrical outlets.

Other Credits

Cassettes and CD's on Eros Music. Lyricist: Ranjit Kapoor, Yash Bharadwaj, Shabbir Ahmed & Sameer. Music Director: Siddharth, Suhas, Abhishek Ishteyak, Amjad Nadeem
& Sukhwinder Singh. Cinematography: Sunny Joseph. Media Promotions: H.S. Communications. Reviewed at Zee Preview Theatre, Mumbai on 02 Sept 2009.

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