Nushrratt Bharuccha and Mita Vashisht put together fine performances in Chhori while supporting a social issue

Directed by Vishal Furia and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishnan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, Jack Davis, and Shikhaa Sharma, Chhori is a quite an anticipated horror and it streams tonight. A remake of the Marathi film Lapachhapi, the film features Nushrratt Bharuccha in the lead role, alongside Mita Vashisht, Rajesh Jais, Saurabh Goyal, and Yaanea Bharadwaj. 

A young couple, forced out of their city home, seek shelter in a house inside a haunted sugarcane field. The housewife, eight months pregnant, must save her baby from the spirits who are out to get her unborn baby. India Forums got their hands on early preview to the movie, and we think it does just fine to make for a weekend watch.

Performances

Nushrratt Bharuccha plays the leading lady in the movie and she has managed to give a great performance indeed. Right from the first scene where we see her as a pregnant lady working at an NGO and standing up for a girl who wishes to play a 'boys' game', you know she is going to be standing up for a cause. If you ask me, I think she hasn't gotten enough opportunities to showcase her talent and this movie might be a beginning of just that. She looks convincing and the climatic scene is one of the finest after all.

Another striking performance in the movie is that of Mita. There is something about her presence on-screen which is intimidating in a certain way and she actually does it effortlessly. While her character gives you certain creeps right from the beginning, you eventually know why. Rajesh and Saurabh's performances have also been fairly to the T as they do what the director and creators have asked them to get it right. It is safe to say that everyone understood the assignment well.

The Good

For a horror, you don't exactly see the movie take the turn that it takes, and subtly so. Unlike some social dramas that are too in the face, this one doesn't even try to do so, and in fact, it doesn't really have to because it supports the cause just fine. While you do know there is some thriller-horror out there, you don't see the moments happen exactly when you expect them, and that is a plus for any film of this genre.

The direction and entire cinematography of a film is also something that sets right with you, especially in line with the vibe of the film and everything that we see on-screen. 

The Not so Good

The first half of the film is a little slow and while you wait for something to unveil, you only seem to be able to scratch the surface here. At almost 2 hours, the movie does keep you hooked, but you hope for some drama sooner than it happens. A decently written story, it could have been executed well by stronger dialogues, and starting off the issue it wishes to highlight a little sooner than it does. A weaker first half may not have everyone sit through the movie.

Verdict

Chhori on Amazon Prime Video is a horror film of today, and the horrors? Well, they are nothing but the demons that we let out, and while it isn't your run of the mill film that has creaking doors and ghosts running around, this one focuses on a different kind of horror, one that isn't just made up. Whether it is supposed to be a parallel or simply depict the real horrors, is for us as viewers to decide.

Ratings: ***1/2 (3.5/5)