In the time and age of grandeur and hype, when a rather simple film that's simply told comes your way, it's a welcome change.
What it's about: In the time and age of grandeur and hype, when a rather simple film that's simply told comes your way, it's a welcome change.
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That's what's so endearing about Ranjit Kapoor's Chintuji. Part fact, part fiction, the film is about an actor Chintu (Rishi Kapoor almost playing himself).
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This once-successful hero who has fallen upon hard times is wooed into a 'chota shaher' called Hadbahedi, to further his political ambitions.
He agrees to visit, because he was born there. The people need a celebrity to put their town on the map.
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The spoilt actor wants to zip in and out of town but for some reason gets stuck there leading to all kinds of hilarious situations.
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The local folk hero-worship him, but he's a selfish grouch. His image consultant Devika (Kulraj Randhawa) keeps his image of a good guy flying, till it crumbles in the end, and it is up to the actor to make amends.
What's hot: Here's a film straight from the heart. It doesn't try to dazzle you with style and technique. Chintuji is the story of values and traditions. In this utopian town, no one locks their doors and they treat their guests like bhagwan.
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There are characters like the school teacher (Grusha Kapoor), the upright editor of the town paper (Priyanshu Chatterjee), the chaiwala, the non-corrupt cops who all live like one big happy family, sharing their joys and sorrows.
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There are funny situations peppered throughout the film like when Chintuji asks the owner of the house not to use the same entrance as him; the sequence where the doctor recites his script to the actor, and when the actor keeps threatening to break a lamp on the head of the host's daughter.
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Saurabh Shukla and Grusha Kapoor breathe life into their characters. The director has managed to extract spontaneous performances from everyone. Rishi Kapoor is first-rate. He's practically in every frame of the film, and is the star of the show.
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A big thumbs-up for Rishi; he was brave enough to do a role where he plays himself as a mean and a selfish character.
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What's not: In what would have otherwise been a totally fun experience, the whole song-and-dance routine of Priyanshu and Kulraj dilutes some of the magic. Also the entire terrorist track seems forced and out of place. One also wishes the producers (Eros) would've promoted the film well.
What to do: Return to simplicity and a genuine 'family' fare u2013 make this your weekend watch.
Chintuji
u; Comedy
Dir: Ranjit Kapoor
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Kulraj Randhawa, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Grusha Kapoor
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