Chhaava Movie Review: Way Overrated??

Vicky Kaushal's film "CHHAAVA" has been released in theatres, and there's a lot of excitement around it because the teaser trailers were quite impressive. However, before you head out to watch the movie, there are some important points to know that will help manage your expectations after seeing the film. Chhaava is based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But instead of showcasing his entire life journey, the film focuses on a specific point in history and builds from there.

Before I say anything else, I want to make it clear that my comments will only pertain to this movie and not actual historical events. Chhaava does a fairly decent job in the beginning of setting the historical context, establishing where we are, the situation, and the power dynamics. We then see Vicky Kaushal's introduction, and the scene where the horse leaps was quite striking. However, after that, I began to notice several things that were not as impressive as I had expected.

Take the action sequences, for instance. The use of extra people to fill the frame is intended to show that while the focus is on two characters, there's a lot happening around them. This is good, but the main duel between the two characters is only impressive in a few places; the majority is just average, and sometimes it’s hard to follow what’s happening as it feels too jumpy. Even regarding Vicky Kaushal, there were reports that he trained for six months in horseback riding and sword fighting for this film, but his performance in the opening action sequence felt a bit off. The body movements seemed too slow, and the fast-paced moments were jarring. In fact, all those different locations shown in the trailers like fighting in water, mud, or swinging got crammed into a montage.

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of that. On top of that, the biggest issue I found with the movie was its jumpy screenplay, which doesn’t allow the scenes to settle. The transitions are abrupt, moving from one moment to another quickly, which makes it difficult to follow the major plot points. If they had arranged it better or tried to create a smoother flow, the movie could have had a much stronger impact.

Now, since I’m discussing the shortcomings, I’ll add a few minor points as well. A.R. Rahman provided the background music, and the main title track felt a bit weird in certain scenes, it’s a repetitive "Ailo Ailo Ailo." I also want to point out that I’ve grown up in Maharashtra, so I noticed that whenever there’s a Marathi actor on screen, even when speaking Hindi, a Marathi accent tends to slip through. In contrast, the South Indian accent that Rashmika Mandanna displayed was noticeable, and while you might not realize it, it broke my immersion.

After the interval, as the movie progressed, I thought to myself that maybe this film wouldn’t turn out to be as good as I had hoped. With a runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes, the first 100 minutes felt somewhat directionless, although there were definitely positive points, like the set design and overall production quality, and some great moments. However, I still felt that the overall verdict on the film would be just okay.

Then comes the almost last hour of the movie, which raises the stakes significantly. The teaser had shown a small, crowded space where the characters are fighting, and when Vicky Kaushal pushes through and shouts Chhaava, the film takes a turn. This section is so good because the complaints I had about the jumpy screenplay dissipate here; it becomes focused and has a great runtime. After watching it, it was clear that the movie's high point lies here. The action sequence lasts for about 10-15 minutes, and Vicky Kaushal's energy and body language made it worth the ticket price.

Additionally, there's a big surprise with a character played by Vineet Kumar Singh, who was one of the leads in Superboys Of Malegaon. His physical acting in this sequence, though brief, overshadows Vicky Kaushal. The most memorable scene in the entire movie is between these two actors, and I won’t spoil it for you, you’ll understand when you see it.

On the topic of good acting, a special shout-out has to go to the child actor playing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He had a two-minute scene, but the intensity he conveyed through his eyes was remarkable. As for Vicky Kaushal, while he was mostly shown shouting in the teasers, his scenes are definitely commendable. However, regarding the last hour, I must mention Akshay Khanna, who plays Aurangzeb. Some people might not even realize that it's him, but his performance is commendable. There’s one specific scene where he strangles someone with a saree pallu in a single shot, which felt quite unrealistic.

Overall, I liked Chhaava. How historically accurate it is, you can discuss in the comments. But if you view it just as a movie, the main characters do try to portray their ideals adequately. The film isn’t perfect; if they had taken a different approach rather than just making an action masala entertainer, it might have worked out better. Just be warned that after watching some of the last scenes, you might feel a bit queasy. Otherwise, if you want, you can definitely watch it with your whole family. Overall, it is a good film and gets 3 stars out of 5.